The colony, located near Walsh, shipped 200 hogs to Britco Pork in Langley, B.C. earlier this month and sent a second load a few days later. Britco, a specialty pork-processing division of Donald’s Fine Foods, will sell the RWA pork in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

“We’re very excited about this — to be among the first producers of RWA pork in Canada,” said Paul Hofer, swine manager for Spring Creek Colony. “Any time you change a production approach you have to be very careful. We were a bit nervous at first, but we took it slow, got the right advice and implemented the right practices.”

The move to antibiotic-free production went well, said Mike Hofer, assistant swine manager. “The barn is clicking on all cylinders and the full flow of our swine production is now going out RWA,” he said. “Average days to market, feed conversion, gain, even mortality — it’s either similar or often significantly better under the new program.”

The progress by Spring Creek may prove a tipping point for swine production in Western Canada and beyond, as more operations consider reducing or eliminating use of antimicrobials. Along with increased consumer demand for antibiotic-free pork, governments are also imposing restrictions on antimicrobial use. In the U.S., the Veterinary Feed Directive — which bans antibiotic use for growth promotion and feed efficiency and greater vet oversight for treating sick animals — takes effect Jan. 1. Similar rules are planned for Canada.

The issue is not black and white, said Paul Hofer, but the colony wanted to be positioned for the future by reducing reliance on antimicrobials as much as possible without compromising animal health and welfare.

“I think the future is coming this way… it’s what the marketplace wants and what consumers want,” he said. “We figured if we’re going to be in this business long term, then this is the best approach and we should get ahead of the curve.

“For us, animal health and welfare is still first and foremost. Part of our approach is doing all we can to create an environment where disease risk is as low as possible and where the animals are well supported, for example with nutritious high-quality feed and clean water. We try to keep the disease challenges down in the barn and keep a healthy gut in the pig.”

Sick animals are still treated with antimicrobials, he added.

“But we separate the treated animals out so they go to a different market not with the RWA animals,” he said. “So far we haven’t had to treat many.”

Cleanliness is critical, said Mike Hofer. That includes regular washing and intense disinfecting of the pens and rooms, and strict biosecurity protocols are also observed. In addition, the colony uses bio-based feed additives (such as enzymes and nucleotides) to support optimal nutrition, health and performance.

“The feed technology has come a long way and is a big part of our program that we couldn’t have done this without,” said Paul Hofer. “It does a lot to make sure you get the same or better performance even without antibiotics. And bio based fits what consumers want.”

The colony also passed regular third-party audits to ensure RWA status.

“It has taken more work to run the program but it has been worth it,” said Paul Hofer. “We have less health issues and the results are better than ever. We feel great about the product we are producing.”

The post Hutterite colony blazes antibiotic-free trail appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Sustainability issues from environmental stewardship to animal welfare are becoming critical to market acceptance and social licence. This includes use of antibiotics, as Tyson, Walmart, and a host of others implement restricted-use policies.

It’s daunting terrain for many, but one of the leaders in this area is Spring Creek Hutterite Colony in Walsh. The Hutterite colony has quietly shifted to increased use of feed enzymes and other feed supplements based on natural processes to reduce antibiotic use and increase health and productivity benefits from feed.

“We spend a lot of time looking ahead,” said Paul Hofer, the colony’s swine manager. “We’re always thinking about not only how we can improve on the farm but what the consumer wants and how we can provide that. You have to do that in this business. If it works on the farm and it fits what the consumer wants, that’s the direction we go. Our philosophy is, if you’re not moving ahead, you’re moving behind.”

Members of the colony — one of the largest Prairie landholders and a major swine and poultry producer, as well as dairy and beef producer — focus on relationships with trusted farm advisers and suppliers.

“It’s all about being connected,” said Hofer. “We attend a lot of meetings — all the major ones in North America and some in other parts of the world. We hear all the new knowledge, meet all these different connections and also email back and forth on what’s coming out, what’s new and what the packer wants, what the consumer wants. We need to be out there and alert to be on the cutting edge.”

The colony takes the view that “the consumer is always right,” he said.

“We have to listen to them and we have to work with them,” he said. “We’re not producing pigs or cows or chickens, we’re producing meat and we need to provide the meat that the consumer wants. The closer we are in our thinking to the supermarket and the dinner plate, the better off we are. Our thinking is to be as much natural and antibiotic free as possible.”

More profitable

Feed enzymes and other biological-based feed supplements offer efficiency and productivity benefits that make sense in their own right, said Hofer, who oversees the colony’s feed mill.

“We’ve used enzymes for a long time and we use a lot of enzymes now,” he said. “We get more nutrition and energy out of the feed and it really makes a difference. With the top options we use, it’s not hard to get $10 to $15 more per pig from that investment. Plus, it fits what the market wants today and is better environmentally.”

Hofer currently uses several enzyme products, which become active once ingested. One is a phytase product, which is used for managing phosphorus nutrition for swine, optimizing performance and health, and reducing phosphorus excretion. He also uses multi-carbohydrase enzyme products, which break down particular feed components that otherwise would be hard or impossible for the animal to digest. A multi-carbohydrase approach requires developing unique formulations where the different activities complement one another.

“There are five to seven enzyme activities in the main feed efficiency products we use, and that’s why we use them,” said Hofer. “You get more feed breakdown with more activities so the efficiency and value is much higher… Part of the reason we go with multiple activities you just get more happening during what we sometimes forget is a small window of opportunity. You have to keep in mind the animals only have so much time to digest and the clock is ticking.”

The colony also uses another bio-based feed supplement designed to mimic the activity of beneficial nucleotides to stimulate intestinal development and improve immunity, particularly in young animals. The product improves average daily gain and feed intake, while enhancing nutrient absorption and gut health, said Hofer.

Learning curve

The colony isn’t totally antibiotics free, but is operating that way much of the time.

“As much as we liked antibiotics for a number of reasons in the past, today we only want to use them when we really need them for health issues. And overall, we don’t end up needing them very much. So we’re pretty much there. And it’s good because we keep getting pressure and we can expect more demands like we’re seeing from Walmart.”

But the shift came with a major learning curve.

“There’s not one size fits all so you need knowledge and you need people you trust who have the expertise,” said Hofer. “There is something new coming out every day and a lot of it is good, but you need to be careful because there is also a lot of garbage coming out.

“You need to see the research and the data. You have to be careful how you spend your dollar because the margins are pretty slim and mistakes are expensive.”

Sophisticated record-keeping is also critical, and the colony uses the latest software and technology to collect real-time data to measure performance.

“For example, as soon as we started using multi-carbohydrase technology, we could see health and productivity shot up. It’s better for the animals’ digestive system so you get far less issues. And you get clearly better growth performance and feed efficiency — average daily gain is amazingly better.”

When it comes to health, a lot of the focus is “prevention is the best medicine,” he said.

“We can see a small investment in prevention is really not a cost at all because it avoids expensive problems. A lot of this has become routine now for us — for example, we do a lot of acidifiers in the water for gut health — the healthier that animal is, there’s less chance of getting different bugs.”

While he expects there will be greater restrictions on things such as antibiotics in the years ahead, there will also be new alternatives.

“You never know what will turn up next. I was in a meeting (recently) in Regina and there’s a product out there now that has the same effect as a glass of wine — it will calm the sows and it’s a natural product. Europe is there already with a lot of unique approaches and there’s a lot we can learn.

“I’m an optimist and I think that’s how our industry needs to approach things. When one door closes another one opens. When you look at all the new tools emerging, it’s a great time to be in this business. I am looking forward to the future.”

The post Colony leading the charge in bio-based feed additives appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Amid ‘grocery wars,’ Jamie Oliver, ‘hormone free,’ Walmart, and a storm of related debate, this is the core question many producers and others in animal agriculture have about the new swath of expectations and ‘sustainability’ programs taking hold in the industry and the marketplace.

One person with a unique, up-close perspective on what’s happening at both the ranch and the boardroom level, is Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, a fourth-generation rancher and CEO of CL Ranches, which grazes around 28,000 acres near Jumping Pound, just west of Calgary.

Copithorne-Barnes grapples daily with the practical realities of today’s rising pressures on animal agriculture and has also dealt directly with many of the movers and shakers behind initiatives at Sobeys, A&W, McDonald’s and others.

She also has a front-row seat to developments both nationally and internationally, through her role as chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Copithorne-Barnes spoke at the 5th Annual UCVM Beef Cattle Conference in Calgary in June and offered a number of insights.

Undercover visit

In July 2013, unbeknownst to her, a marketing representative of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver posed as a member of the Sobeys meat team out for a tour of the ranch, asking questions about animal welfare and videotaping her answers.

“I thought it was a little odd that he was adamant about seeing our feedlots, even though we had emptied them out about the third week of April. He wanted to see the pens. And when we got there one of the questions he asked was, ‘Why would you put all of these calves into these backgrounding pens when you have these big, beautiful open fields?’

“I was beginning to get a bit suspicious of the line of questioning and I said, ‘Think of yourself being here in the middle of January when it’s 40 below, the wind is blowing, and there’s a foot of snow on the ground. Where would you rather be? In these pens with the protection of the fence, clean bedding and adequate food, or out in the open field, facing that wind?’”

A month later she learned the truth about the covert mission — Oliver’s team was evaluating beef suppliers to help Oliver decide if he would participate with Sobeys on what has become the “Sobeys and Jamie Oliver Partnership,” a high-profile marketing initiative built around the “Certified Humane” concept.

She may not agree with all parts of the approach, but Copithorne-Barnes said it’s hard to fault Sobeys from a purely business perspective.

“How do you say this was a wrong move for Sobeys to make? Jamie Oliver has 4.5 million (Twitter) followers. This is a man of incredible influence.”

‘Better Beef’

The next group to visit was A&W, which was considering a “Better Beef” campaign, which promises beef with no added hormones and steroids.

“Before A&W rolled out its marketing plan, its executives actually took the time to come out and visit a number of operations,” she said. “The questions they asked were real, genuine, and they really tried to learn and understand. But we all know the reality of their marketing when they rolled this program out. I am no way endorsing the fact that to call this better beef was responsible. Thankfully, even they eventually started to realize the negative impact this was having at the producer level. That’s why you don’t see the words better beef in the slogan anymore.”

Despite the damage caused, again it’s hard to argue the business rationale, she said.

“A&W decided that the hormone-free concept was something its consumers were asking for. It needed to learn how to supply it and it became the very first national hormone-free burger available to Canadians. Business is business whether we like it or not. It had to follow consumers’ dollars and this is where A&W decided to go.”

‘Verified sustainable’

Arguably the most important retailer initiative is McDonald’s pledge to begin purchasing “verified sustainable” beef in 2016, with Canada selected for the company’s first verified sustainable beef pilot project.

Copithorne-Barnes said the inclusive and collaborative approach McDonald’s has chosen is encouraging and arguably the best among the big retailers.

“It’s really been a driving force in bringing together a multi-collaborative platform in order to ensure that sustainable beef will be defined in a way that everybody can define and accept.”

That multi-stakeholder process stands in contrast to the opportunistic approaches of some companies, she said.

“You look at one of the more extreme examples, such as what Chipotle in the U.S. is doing, where it’s clear it has decided to drive consumers’ thinking for its own gain, whether there’s truth or not to how it is representing things,” she said. “McDonald’s, on the other hand, wants to make sure that everyone involved in this concept has a voice at the table and it gets it right.”

This means working with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, the Canadian roundtable, Alberta Beef Producers, and many other industry players. It also includes a strong science basis.

This shows in McDonald’s position on antimicrobial use. Rather than promote antibiotic free, it supports ‘judicious decision-making.’ Bruce Feinberg, McDonald’s global animal health and welfare officer, has simply stated: “McDonald’s believes that animals deserve care and we still support the treatment of sick animals.”

It’s important for producers to have clear, science-based criteria that aren’t unfairly restrictive, said Copithorne-Barnes.

“This is more likely to happen when industry is part of the decision-making team.”

The road ahead

Copithorne-Barnes’ take on Walmart is an interesting one.

The company recently urged its meat and egg supplier to curb antimicrobial use, which garnered massive media coverage.

“The press called this absolutely earth shattering and a game changer, which made me laugh because it was about the last one in the game.”

But she was still relatively happy at where Walmart landed.

“What I was most proud of with Walmart is that for once it was a recommendation. Walmart has a tendency to send out prescriptive edicts. ‘You will or else we won’t.’ This was the first time when it comes to a sustainability factor that Walmart has said we ‘recommend,’ and the reality is I think a lot of that has to do with McDonald’s and others making a lot of headway through the concept of collaboration.”

But there are other issues to deal with.

“For example, I know first hand that antimicrobials are just the first step. We will be facing more questions about Ractopamine and hormones coming up very soon.”

But the recent signs of progress are also encouraging, she said.

“If we can keep what we’re doing open and transparent, at both a national and global level, hopefully these companies such as Walmart, Unilever, Nestlé, that are all walking down this path right now, will pay attention to this and we will have approaches we can live with.”

It’s important for the beef industry to work together, reach out to consumers and retailers, and “continually come up with new and creative ways to influence and deliver our messages.”

Social media will be a key part of that, but old-style communication is, too.

“One of the most productive things I’ve been able to accomplish in the past year and a half is to have people come out to the ranch so I can show them what we’re doing,” she said. “It’s one thing to have a 400-page document explaining what we’re doing. It’s another if you can see it or if I can tell you in my own words.

“We don’t need to get complicated. Just talk about the simple things we do every day and why we do them. That can go a long way.”

The post The new world of ‘sustainable’ beef appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

But the greatest challenge — and also opportunity — facing animal agriculture may lie not in the physical environment but rather in the mindset of producers, says David Fraser, a professor of applied biology of the University of B.C.

Recognizing this and taking steps to ensure a professional, responsible mindset among everyone involved in handling and managing animals may just be the most impactful way to effect strong and sustainable welfare advancement, he said.

“Very different welfare outcomes occur in the same type of physical environment. Why is this?” Fraser said at the recent Livestock Care Conference. “Of course it’s because animal welfare depends on so much more than just the physical environment. It depends strongly on the quality of animal care that the animals receive. This in turn depends so much on the knowledge, skill and attentiveness of the producers and staff.”

Doctors, lawyers, farmers?

Farming and animal agriculture have unique roots; a diversity of scales and approaches; and unique characteristics quite distinct from other “professions.” But nonetheless a professional mindset is critical to maximizing success, particularly in the case of key areas of sustainability under increasing scrutiny in the public eye, including farm animal welfare, he said.

“Whether it’s food safety, environmental stewardship, or farm animal welfare, what we need is a system that rewards that high level of skill, knowledge, dedication and performance,” said Fraser. “I believe we need a continued shift in our thinking toward what I would call ‘professional animal production’ as the way forward on these issues.”

Animal agriculture needs to ‘walk the talk’ and make sure professional approaches are implemented in all facets of the industry, he said. The potential reward is a society that is less questioning and challenging of animal agriculture, and more trusting and comfortable with livestock and meat industries, he said.

Health care is arguably the most professionalized industry, and while agriculture is different it can benefit by gradually moving closer to a professional model, said Fraser. Three key elements of a profession include: a) the main outcome is some kind of service to clients or the public; b) participation requires competence, typically demonstrated to peers; and c) the ethical acceptability of the profession comes from adhering to the ethical norms of society, usually through some form of self-regulation.

Building trust

Canada is making progress on this pathway in the area of farm animal care; through organizations such as the National Farm Animal Care Council and Alberta Farm Animal Care; and through standards and guidelines such as the Codes of Practice and Assessment Models, said Fraser.

“The traditional industry model of enforcement people coming in and correcting problems is what we want to avoid. Industry-driven progress; producers taking charge of responsibility; and advancement — these approaches make us much more like a true profession.”

Good animal producers can develop self-regulatory processes to demonstrate they are meeting the ethical expectations of society, he said. Enforcement agencies can work in collaboration with industry groups to address any issues or problems, because while each has a distinct and important role they share the same interests. Over time, the public will see the industry organizations as the main group to reach out to when asking for concerns to be looked into and addressed.

“I think this shift has already begun with many of the initiatives industry has undertaken, particularly in recent years,” said Fraser. “We are moving in the right direction. Changes are occurring that make a professional model much more feasible for the future.”

The post Livestock sector needs the mindset to improve animal welfare appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

And in the new age of Tweets, Vines and Snapchats, it’s also about all the time needed to create a viral video or have someone form an impression — good or bad — about animal agriculture.

So how can producers benefit from social media?

Airdrie vet Cody Creelman had numerous insights for attendees at the recent Livestock Care Conference. The beef veterinarian at Veterinary Agri-Health Services has more than 3,500 followers on Twitter and has tweeted nearly 10,000 times, often with pictures or links to his many YouTube videos. (His username is @VetPracticeVAHS)

“The way that I tell my story is simple,” he said. “I tell my story in the year that I actually live in. And that means that right now I’m telling my story in the year 2015. And that story differs from the way I told it in 2011, and my story in 2020 will differ even more… So I tell my story in 2015 in the place where a lot of eyeballs and ears are going, and that is social media.”

At its core, social media — not just Twitter (he calls it “the 140-character cocktail party of the Internet”) but also Facebook, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Meerkat and others — is about new ways to harness the power of storytelling, Creelman said.

It helps his brand, his business, and the industry he serves, he said.

“A story can do things. A story can educate. A story can advocate. A story can entertain. A story can connect people and bring people together. Social media is the way to do all of this today in a place where more and more people are going to communicate and consume their media. It’s an area of great opportunity for anyone in agriculture to tell their story and build good relationships.”

A defining characteristic of social media is that anyone can chime in, interact or essentially serve as their own media company.

Building trust

For those in agriculture, including those involved in sometimes sensitive or tough issues such as animal welfare, social media can generate understanding and build trust, he said.

To do this effectively, one of Creelman’s mantras is to “be real.”

“I’m not so naive to believe that everything we do in animal agriculture is perfect,” he said. “But isn’t the system better today than it was yesterday? And doesn’t it keep getting better? I think it does.

“And for me to stay credible as a food animal veterinarian and for you to stay credible as producers, the goal is not to fake perfection. It is to tell our story. The good, the bad and the ugly.”

You have to pick the market and demographics you want to target, and decide how much time and energy to put into social media, he said.

“But you want to tell your story,” he said. “And social media at the end of the day is just an amplification for a good story. You may have heard the phrase ‘Content is King’ in the social media world. I’ll add this: If Content is King, Context is God.”

Misinformation is the greatest threat to animal agriculture, he said.

“There are people out there who are telling a story. They are telling a story about farming and about animals. And their story is sensational. Their story has all the right components to be very sharable.”

When those in agriculture step up and make sure their story is told directly and honestly, they take away power from activists and industry opponents, said Creelman.

“If we tell our story to the absolute minute detail and customers decide they don’t want to eat meat or drink milk, I can live with that,” he said. “But what I can’t live with is someone deciding that what I do is bad or murder, based on untruths, propaganda or even pure ignorance… So I tell my story — the good and bad — but I need all of you to tell your story too.”

The post Telling farming’s story — the good, the bad and the ugly appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Proctor told the recent Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference in Edmonton that findings from his work as part of the CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) Network indicate key types of natural trans fat found in dairy and beef may actually be “healthy fats.”

In a 16-week animal model trial, University of Alberta, Proctor and colleagues found that increases in trans vaccenic acid (VA), the main type of natural trans fat found in dairy and beef products, showed no negative effect and in fact was associated with a major lowering of triglyceride levels and a modest lowering of both total cholesterol and LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which are key risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other health threats.

The findings confirmed results from an earlier trial and now set the stage for testing out the findings in a human clinical setting, says Proctor, director of the Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases Laboratory located on the university campus.

“Three or four years ago we didn’t know whether this fat was good or bad. Now we are realizing it is not bad and is likely very good. It shows strong potential to result in quite significant health benefits.”

A more recent study of VA from beef, led by Dr. Donna Vine at University of Alberta, also indicates this fat is well absorbed when consumed. There is a mistaken assumption that all trans fats are detrimental to health, notes Proctor. “Our research is showing this perception is not the reality when it comes to natural ruminant trans fat.”

Proctor is Science Lead of the CLA Network, which is investigating the health potential of natural conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and related ruminant trans fats. CLA has also shown significant health potential and VA is a “precursor” to CLA – in other words, it is converted into CLA in the human body after it has been consumed.

A hurdle to getting the research done is that VA is difficult to supply in concentrated form for research use – it can cost approximately $1,000 per gram.

The post Ruminant Trans Fat: A Sheep In Wolf’s Clothing? appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“When you look a the advantages and opportunities we have here, I would answer by changing that statement to why not Canada”

That positive and confident attitude is just what both the province and the country need to capture science-driven opportunities in the agriculture and agri-food sector, says Proctor. He shared his thoughts with journalists and communicators in a presentation titled, “Capitalizing on Canada’s science-powered opportunity,” at the recent Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation (CFWF) conference in Edmonton.

Proctor says resources and top people are important, but attitude can trump all of these. Too often, many individuals and institutions fall short with a tentative, rather than seize-the-day approach.

Proctor himself has “walked the talk” throughout his career, earning a prestigious international research award from his native Australia in 2002 that brought him to the U of A. Within a couple years he was appointed as an assistant professor in nutrition and established the Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases Laboratory. Among recent accomplishments, Proctor and colleagues have generated world-first findings supporting that natural trans fats found in dairy and beef products may in fact be good, “healthy fats” that help battle heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions.

KEYS TO LEAD

From his perspective perched on the leading edge of research where these agriculture and health worlds meet, Proctor delivered thoughts on the keys to not just progressing, but truly leading.

Be self-critical. “We need to be self conscious and aware of both the good things and the bad things that we are doing day-today in this sector.”

Take action. “There’s a time for talk and a time for action. Often, we love to talk – to sit in the same room and make sure everyone is feeling good about a particular idea. That’s good and needed, but we also need to follow up with action.”

Think different. “Sometimes both in academics and in this sector, we love to re-invent the round wheel. We like to be repetitious, and we like to feel comfortable about the things we know how to do well. But round is only one shape. Do something different.”

Reach out. “We love to communicate within the sector and often we do that very well, but in examples that I’ve seen we potentially need to do a lot more to connect with more people outside the sector. We’re preaching to the converted. We need to engage more than just our neighbour and the people that we know well. Spend more time out of the silo and out of your own field.”

Embrace mistakes. “Everybody makes mistakes. But it’s from the mistakes that we generate discovery. Almost every major pharmaceutical invention that we know to date in medicine has come from a mistake. Mistakes are healthy. Get the perspective and precedence you can, but don’t be afraid to act.”

Be international, as well as local. “Don’t be afraid to think of yourselves as being international leaders. We need to think about being international in order to be international.”

Put quality first, and not necessarily quantity. “Sometimes large quantities, efficiency and conglomerates have been required. But that’s not necessarily always the best way..”

Don’t just compete, complement. “Everything doesn’t need to be Albertan. Everything doesn’t need to be Canadian. There is lots of opportunity in complementing what others are doing.”

Stand tall. Perhaps most important, Proctor emphasized Alberta and, by extension, Canada, shouldn’t sell itself short. “You have a beautiful province and there is so much opportunity here. This province has been very good to us – both to myself and to my family and we are happy to be where we are.”

The post Taking The Lead In The Connection Between Food And Health appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.