Doug Ferguson – The provincial government plans to allow consumers to buy animals directly from livestock producers for on-farm slaughter.
New provincial rules that allow Albertans to buy live animals directly from local producers for slaughter on farms will help ease a processing bottleneck made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, said a beef producer.
“I think this new regulation creates a great opportunity for farmers,” said Blake Hall of Prairie Gold Pastured Meats near Red Deer. “As consumers become more interested in local food and farmers become more interested in direct marketing their animals, I think that this regulation helps marry those two nicely.”
He spoke at a recent webinar on the new rules hosted by Mountain View County north of Calgary. It was held in partnership with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, along with the Young Agrarians, Grey Wooded Forage Association and Alberta Farm Animal Care.
Alberta Farm Animal Care has been very pleased to work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Alberta livestock associations to bring the transport webinars to life.
The amendments to the Transportation of Animals requirements under the Health of Animals Regulations improve the well-being of animals during the entire transportation process, keeping in mind Canada’s geographic size and the time required to travel between locations.
The changes are science-based and are the result of consultations with the entire supply chain, from primary producers and veterinarians to scientists and associations. There are prescriptive and outcome-based requirements, which take into account international standards while allowing for ongoing innovation.
The webinar series has also been a team effort, with every session designed specifically for particular species, highlighting issues identified in meetings with each group. The first two sessions this fall had strong attendance from both the pork and beef industries- including primary producers, industry partners, government and livestock carriers from Alberta and beyond.
The next session is with the dairy industry on December 10 and more are being planned for the new year including ones for livestock marketers, small ruminants, egg farmers and livestock carriers. The sessions start with a presentation from the CFIA which will address questions submitted in advance, followed by ample time for a live Q&A session.
Common areas of interest have included changes to rest periods and travel times as well tracking the transfer of care and feed, water and rest intervals.
The opportunity to learn about the changes to the regulations- from experts within the CFIA – and to ask questions specific to individual operations is timely. The changes went into effect in 2020 but there is a two-year adoption window to allow everyone to make any adjustments necessary.
For more information on the transport webinar series, see the Event page on AFAC’s website. To request a webinar for your sector or association, email [email protected].
With the transition to more of an agency model for AFAC HR needs, we have opened up the opportunity for more collaboration and building of expertise among existing contractors and some new faces.
In early 2020, Kristen Lepp moved on to new opportunities with her own communications consulting business – one of her clients continues to be AFAC and we are thrilled to be able to bring her expertise back to the table for various projects.
In early 2020, Kristen Lepp moved on to new opportunities with her own communications consulting business – one of her clients continues to be AFAC and we are thrilled to be able to bring her expertise back to the table for various projects.
Sharron Johannasen has been with AFAC for over a decade in a variety of roles including, and most importantly, as Financial Officer. Her deep knowledge of the business and people in the livestock sector have been invaluable and we hope to keep her engaged well into her retirement as an ad hoc advisor!
Thank you to Sharron and the “Kristens” for all of your passion, hard work and dedication over the years. You will always be honourary AFAC family members!
Kaylee Sheets has been the voice behind every virtual call, workshop and meeting in 2020. What began as an internship through the Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) has become a permanent (we hope!) contract with AFAC. Besides being our Zoom pro she is also very skilled at all things admin and project management related- we are very lucky to have her.
Dr. Melissa Moggy is a veterinarian and the AFAC extension lead – and the constant amid all the changes this year. If there is a project or resource you need, talk to Melissa. Thank you Melissa for all your efforts in 2020.
Maria Swan has joined us in the role of bookkeeper. With over 20 years’ experience ranging from controller to bookkeeper with both not-for-profits and in the energy sector, she brings a wealth of knowledge and insights that will serve AFAC very well. You can reach Maria at [email protected] with any financial questions.
In early 2020, Makenna Moore participated in a student project for AFAC with her Mount Royal University communications class. She joined us in the role of social media coordinator in the summer and has been doing such a great job ramping up our presence and engagement on our social media channels, we decided to keep her on!
Please join us in welcoming Maria and Makenna to the AFAC family.
It’s been a long day and anxious to get home, you’re driving along your normal route when suddenly you spot some black shapes alongside the highway. As they seem to be moving in your direction, you hit the brakes (safely, of course) and slow to a stop to take a closer look. When the shapes start to wander onto the pavement, you realize that a herd of cattle has gotten loose and there is no farmer or vehicle in sight. With the light fading and your growing concern about other motorists or the cattle potentially getting injured, the long day seems as though it’s about to get longer. What’s a motorist to do?
If you have attended one of AFAC’s backyard chicken webinars then you will most likely recognize the name Cassandra Kirkpatrick. While most regard Cassandra as the expert in all backyard chicken-related matters, she wasn’t always as involved as she is today. In fact, Cassandra didn’t even like chickens initially; however, it is safe to say that she loves them now! Currently, Cassandra juggles her time between managing her company Jungle Out There pet services, caring for her chickens and teaching workshops with AFAC.