In these final hours of 2012 the countdown is on for New Year’s Eve.
2012 was quite the year in the agriculture industry, and as we look forward to 2013 our producers always do so with tremendous optimism.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Golden Horseshoe Soil and Crop Improvement Association (GHSCIA) and the FarmSmart organizing committee, we wish everyone a prosperous New Year filled with many blessings and a bountiful crop.
A note from the editor’s desk….
In the last couple of weeks my husband and I have been proud to be invited as guests to the presentation of Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medals to two good friends, Don Lobb of Caledon and Peter Lambrick, of Campbellville. Don is a past Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) Honourary President and a past director of the Peel Soil and Crop Improvement Association, while among Peter’s many credits, he counts director of the Halton Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
Other OSCIA members or family members to have received medals in my community recently include Betty Brander of Caledon (her daughter is the secretary of the Peel SCIA) and Kenda Nurse of Georgetown.
These are very special presentations to recognize the hard work and commitment of some of our volunteers in our communities, all well deserved. Congratulations are certainly in order!
Medal presentations are being made in communities across the country to recognize the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
I’m sure we have other GHSCIA members or family members who have been awarded this special commemorative medals. If you know of other GHSCIA members your community who have been awarded these honours, please let me know.
~ Anne Howden Thompson, GHSCIA RCC at goldenhorseshoe.scia@rogers.com
Halton MP Lisa Raitt made the official presentation to Peter Lambrick.
Peter Lambrick’s wife, Liz, gets the honour of pinning on his Queen’s Jubilee Medal.
Sylvia Jones presents a medal to Betty Brander, left, of Caledon at the Peel 4H Awards Banquet.
Beef producers won’t want to miss the Beef Symposium, once again offered in conjunction with the popular FarmSmart Conference at the University of Guelph mid-January. Now in its 15th year the FarmSmart Conference has grown each year, last year attracting over 1000 delegates to the event and organizers of the events are excited by the opportunities this continued partnership presents.
“We continue to build on the momentum gained from previous years and we are hopeful that we can exceed our expectations in both attendance and caliber of speakers for 2013,” says Brian Pogue, Beef Cattle Program Lead with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and co-chair of the Beef Symposium.
The symposium program includes practical profitability tips and strategies and producers will have the opportunity to hear from both local and international presenters.
Organizers are pleased to welcome Bob Weaber, a cow-calf extension specialist with Kansas State University to the symposium, headlining as the keynote speaker and speaking on “Using genetics to meet the food demand for 2050.” Weaber also serves as central regional secretary of the Beef Improvement Federation, as a co-coordinator of the National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium education programs and has served as a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Policy Division Board of Directors. The focus of his extension and research programs have been to broaden the availability, use and understanding of genetic selection tools (Expected Progeny Differences, DNA markers and selection indexes) as well as performance data collection schemes implemented by cattle producers.
Other Beef Symposium presenters include Harold House, OMAFRA, who will present an update on cattle housing; Ryder Lee, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association manager of federal-provincial relations who will talk about the renewed Beef Code of Practice and what this will mean for producers; Elliott Miller of Lucknow, a young Huron County producer involved with the national task force who will talk about this year’s feed shortages and challenges; and Dr. Mackenzie Littlejohn of the Kirkton Veterinary Clinic who will discuss herd health and recommended vaccination strategies for beef producers in 2013.
“We hope many beef producers from across the province take an interest in the exciting program we have organized this year and will find it to be a valuable resource of information and an opportunity to meet with fellow producers,” he says.
The Beef Symposium will be held Saturday, January 19, 2013 at Rozanski Hill, University of Guelph. Registration begins at 8:15 am and the first session is scheduled to begin promptly at 9 am.
Information and program updates for the conference are posted online at http://www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart and on Twitter @FarmSmart1.
Look for more conference news in the official program brochure, available in the January 1, 2013 edition of the Ontario Farmer.
Registration is $50 for producers who have taken the Verified Beef Production Workshop or $80 regular fee (includes a one-year Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association membership). An additional $25 is charged all registrations and payments received after Monday, January 14, 2013.
Producers may register for either the Beef Symposium or FarmSmart Conference by calling 1-877-424-1300 or online at www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/conference.
The conference is a joint project of the Golden Horseshoe and Heartland Regional Soil and Crop Improvement Associations, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) and various agri-business partners, including CornSmart Presenting sponsor DuPont Pioneer and conference Platinum sponsors BASF Canada Inc., Bayer CropScience, Dekalb, Farm Credit Canada and Syngenta.
The program committee for the 2013 FarmSmart Conference with Beef Symposium have once again assembled an exceptional lineup of speakers and topics that should appeal to many producers across the province.
To view a PDF copy of the program agenda click FarmSmart w:Beef Symposium 2013 Program FINAL
Easy to register:
For more information:
The organizing committee of the FarmSmart brand, including the popular FarmSmart Conference with Beef Symposium that celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, or CornSmart, its newest program addition, would not be able to present these exceptional opportunities without the grateful support of the agribusiness community. The strong support from both participants and the sponsor partners sends a strong signal that the program is both well received and respected in the agricultural community. The organizing committee ask you to show your support and appreciation by supporting their businesses. With our grateful thanks! ~ The FarmSmart 2013 Organizing Committee
PRESENTING SPONSOR
PLATINUM
SILVER
BRONZE
MEDIA PARTNER
TRADE SHOW
BEEF SYMPOSIUM SESSION SPONSORS
Representing Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) members in the counties/regions of Brant, Haldimand, Halton, Niagara North, Niagara South, Norfolk, Peel and Wentworth
Soil and Crop Improvement Associations
Serving Lanark, Leeds, Grenville, Frontenac, Renfrew & Ottawa-Carleton
Soil & Crop Improvement Association - Serving Kent, Essex & Lambton Members
Representing farmers in Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington Counties.
