Annual Reports

2003

- AGM
- Board Executive
- Awards of Distinction

AFAC Awards of Distinction 2003

March 31, 2003 ... AFAC has announced the recipients of its third annual Awards of Distinction. The award categories are:

• Innovation,
• Industry Leadership and
• Communication.

Recipients, the Classroom Agriculture Program, Dr. Terry Church and Alberta Pork were recognized at the AFAC Annual Meeting held in Red Deer, March 27, 2003.

The Award of Distinction for Communication is awarded to a person, organization or company that has taken an active role in effectively ‘getting the message out’ about livestock issues and informing the public and agri-food industry about farm animal care in a factual and honest way, to build trust and credibility. This year’s recipient is the Classroom Agriculture Program (CAP) and its 600 producer volunteers.

CAP’s twelve industry partners encompass all aspects of agriculture from grain to livestock production. Once a year CAP volunteers deliver a positive agriculture message to Grade 4 classrooms, educating children on where their food comes from.

CAP delivers a real message to kids who may know very little about agriculture. "Responsible animal care comes through in everything said during a CAP presentation," says Roy Eckert, a cattle producer and Chair of CAP. "The kids learn that economics and productivity are linked to good animal care. We explain the rationale to the kids and show them how we take measures to care for our animals," says Eckert.

Susan Church, AFAC Manager, says, "It is this kind of honest, one-on-one communication that builds credibility and trust. CAP is an important partner with AFAC in delivering a positive message on how farmers care for their animals."

Dr. Terry Church is this year’s Award of Distinction recipient for Innovation. The award honors a person or company that has developed a new process, product or source of knowledge that has made a significant impact on improving the welfare of livestock and the industry. The honoree is saluted for their efforts to work collectively with industry to share their innovations.

Dr. Church manages the elk, bison and reindeer herds of Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch. He is committed to improving the care and handling of these non-traditional livestock species. Clint Landals, Director with Alberta Elk, says, "Terry is always going out of his way to further the welfare of elk."

Dr. Church was instrumental in developing the Velvet Antler Removal Certification program, donating his own time to get the program started. The program, mandatory for all Alberta elk producers who remove velvet antler from their animals, is a unique model for agriculture industry promoting humane and responsible animal care.

The Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch collaborates with animal welfare researchers and is regularly open for tours and seminars. Dr. Church’s involvement in a compression anesthesia study for painlessly removing velvet antler from elk, and a bison dehorning study, illustrate his willingness to examine production practices to find alternatives that are less stressful to the animals.

This year’s recipient of the Award of Distinction for Industry Leadership is Alberta Pork. The award honors a person or company that has integrated animal welfare into their core business strategy and has set the bar higher for their own expectations regarding animal welfare. The honoree demonstrates leadership and commitment in dealing with issues relevant to animal care.

Alberta Pork is the first organization to tackle the issue of unfit livestock, with the development of the Humane Handling of Swine manual in 2002.

Alberta Pork realized that clear standards for the care of unfit animals were needed. Karl Chomlack, AFAC representative for Alberta Pork says, "The manual has made decision making on the farm easier, and now everyone, producers, inspectors, veterinarians and Alberta SPCA, have the same standard for what is acceptable."

Alberta Pork has made the proper care of swine an industry priority. Requests for copies of the manual have come from across Canada and the U.S.