Cattlemen hold annual meeting

Nearly 60 people were on hand for the annual meeting of the Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association last Wednesday night at Our Lady of the Way School in Stratton.
RRCA president Ken McKinnon opened the meeting by thanking staff for all their hard work throughout the year.
He also expressed his appreciation to the board members, as well as everyone who contributed time and machinery to the infrastructure upgrades.
“At times, in excess of 20 people were there giving their time,” McKinnon noted. “The sales barn was built on volunteer labour and that is the only way to keep it going.”
McKinnon admitted he was disappointed about being unsuccessful in obtaining funding for producers for the drought of 2006.
“It is unfair,” he lamented. “Prince George, B.C. had a similar situation and farmers there were compensated.
“[But] our diligence and complaining will help us down the road if this situation was to re-occur,” McKinnon added.
McKinnon also told RRCA members that the Clean Water Act was an issue to watch.
“As property owners and livestock producers, we have to watch very carefully because it is going to affect us down the road,” he warned. “There should be a right to appeal.”
McKinnon also reported on modifications to the sales barn, noting half of the money for the $300,000 infrastructure project has been spent.
This year, outdoor penning will be completed, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) equipment will be in place, a new squeeze and crowding tub will be installed, and some insulating will be done.
Reports included that of sales barn manager Clayton Teeple, who said 3,095 cattle were sold in the RRCA’s four sales there last year.
Teeple said all of the buyers are happy with their cattle and looking forward to coming back again. He thanked the farmers for their support and everyone who helped with the success of the sale.
Sales dates for 2008 are April 26 (spring sale), Sept. 6 (yearling sale), Oct. 4 (calf sale), and Oct. 25 (last sale).
Kim Jo Bliss, a member of the OCA Advisory Council, then talked about the Sustainable Grazing Mentorship Program, which is funded by Greencover Canada and delivered by the OCA.
The cost to the novice grazier is $100.
The mentor spends two days on the farm helping creating plans, developing systems, and performing an economic analysis of the enterprise.
Bliss said Rainy River District is the only area in Northern Ontario that has this “very good program.”
For more information or to obtain a mentor contract, contact Paul Stiles at the OCA.
Meanwhile, local ag rep Gary Sliworsky talked about the rules concerning exporting cattle into the U.S. and “in transit” from Rainy River to Sprague. The border was opened to live animals born after March 1, 1999 on Nov. 19.
The animal inspection station means that lack of facilities cannot be used as a barrier to exporting, but it isn’t easy to do. There are quite a number of hoops to jump through.
As for “in transit,” it was noted that Tompkins and Safeway no longer cut through Minnesota when coming from Manitoba because it is too much hassle and expense.
Customs figures show that truck traffic has dropped substantially.
Jim Martin, the director for Northern Ontario on the OCA, gave an update on the activities of the provincial association.
He talked about the $4 million the OCA had received from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to be put towards extending age verification, the RFID reader program, and market development, and $1.1 million for abattoir expansion.
“I can pretty much guarantee you that money for abattoirs will get spent in the north,” Martin pledged.
“Applications will be available soon and it is a pretty forgiving program,” he added.