For Perth County Pork producer Kevin Brown, farming isn’t just a job it’s his passion. 

“I love it,” said Kevin. “Knowing that each day you did the best you can to care for the pigs.”  

Kevin is a contract finishing pork producer. Which means he owns his dual- vent barn, but the pigs that he looks after are owned by someone else.  

“I’m basically, caring for someone else’s inventory and investment, but I try and care for them like they are my own.” 

As a new load of animals arrive at his farm, Kevin keeps a watchful eye on each of the nursey pigs that come down the chute.  

“The stage of the pigs coming in today are about 70 lbs, we’ll take them up to 285-290 before they leave to go to market.” 

Each new batch delivered to Kevin’s barn is between 1800 to 2000 pigs and he’ll raise them for approximately 105 days. His main responsibilities are making sure his water and feeding systems are working correctly, watching the condition of the pigs to ensure they are eating and drinking, and maintaining a consistent temperature in the barn. 

“It can be cyclical, where your heavy workload is shipping, then washing and cleaning the barn, but once you’re refilled and they are growing it’s a little lighter duty.”    

Brown

By Jim Romahn

Dec. 12/25

Kevin Brown’s story on pork website

The story of how Kevin Brown survived a near-death experience to be a one-arm hog farmer has been posted on the Ontario Pork board website.

He was a hockey-game linesman trying to break up a fight when a skate slashed his carotid artery and resulted in a major stroke impacting two-thirds of his brain.

He lost feeling in his left arm, fingers and toes in that accident in 2009.

He is a fifth-generation farmer in Perth County where he uses his barn to contact-raise market hogs.

 “The doctor told me I’d never have fine finger movement again, which is another curve ball complication when trying to do work in the barn like where you’re mechanically trying to fix things, it’s a challenge,” he is quoted in the article.

“I’ve figured out a few adjustments to make my life simpler and more worker friendly.”  

His positive attitude and optimistic outlook shines through when he talks about his farm. He says his motivation is knowing that his small role in the pork industry is helping feed families.   

“It all comes down to your own drive and outlook.”  

“The stage of the pigs coming in today are about 70 pounds. We’ll take them up to 285-290 before they leave to go to market.” 

Each batch is 1800 to 2,000 pigs and will have them for about 105 days.

“It can be cyclical, where your heavy workload is shipping, then washing and cleaning the barn, but once you’re refilled and they are growing it’s a little lighter duty,”  he said.

                           

Roslin Institute trials needle-free vaccination

The Roslin Institute in Scotland has conducted a successful trial of needle-free vaccination of pigs. It’s a first for vaccinations.

It used technology developed by aVaxziPen to vaccinate pigs to generate immunity to Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome virus (PRRS).

A solid-dose vaccine is placed just below the skin and is combined with a nasal spray.

The Roslin Institute said this marks the first time that needle-free, solid-dose vaccine technology has been shown to work in any species.

Despite almost four decades of research, modified live vaccines (MLV) remain critical for PRRS control, especially in unstable herds, the researchers said.

CFIA suspends licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence of Mohammad Bagheri of Mississauga who distributes products under the name of Minerva Spices.

The CFIA said the licence was suspended to protect the safety of the company’s clients.

Lawyer appointed vice chair of animal care

 

Tassia Poynter has been appointed to a two-year term as vice-chair of the Animal Care Review Board.

She is a lawyer with litigation experience and writes decisions for a statutory committee dealing with the Health Professions Act.

The board hears appeals from people whose animals have been seized or face orders by animal welfare officials.

Morano appointed to food terminal board

 

Antonio Morano of Barrie has been appointed to a three-year term on the Ontario Food Terminal board of directors.

The board of eight people runs the province’s largest public fruits and produce market in Toronto.

Dairy Farmers choose AcMoody

         

Report calls on CFIA to be compassionate

 

A report by three farm organizations in Western Canada is calling on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to be compassionate, provide more compensation and be more transparent when dealing with disease outbreaks that involve destruction of farmers’ complete herds and flocks.

There have been dozens of outbreaks of avian influenza, especially recently in British Columbia and Alberta.

Producers require empathetic support, better compensation and information sharing during a disease outbreak said speakers at a forum organized by Animal Health Canada.

The report was issued by the Outbreak Support Network which is supported by the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network, Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership and the Western Canadian Animal Health Network.

The report addressed outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis, foot and mouth disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Betty Althouse, former chief veterinary officer for Saskatchewan, said “the goal of the Outbreak Support Network is to establish a framework for supporting private veterinary practitioners and producers dealing with a suspected or confirmed case reportable to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.”

The goal of the network’s current phase is to articulate problems, develop solutions and make recommendations for the next phase. Althouse said in a recent speech about the interim report.

By far, the top one was communication and information sharing, she said. 

This creates a problem where producers are at the intersection of various agencies asking them for the same information, such as local health units and CFIA.

“That is very frustrating to public health, and it’s also very frustrating to the producers, because they’re hearing another federal agency that they don’t know whether it’s different or the same from CFIA … asking the same questions they’ve already answered.”

She encouraged more information-sharing methods and transparency among jurisdictions to address this problem.

She said the CFIA assigns a case officer and that can make a big difference by providing a single source for reliable information throughout the response to the disease outbreak, yet sometimes information is left out.

Farmers also said they felt the CFIA lacked empathy for the stress involves in depopulation.

Private veterinarians have complained about lack of compensation for the time they spend helping farmers, including those within quarantine zones.

She said some poultry specialist veterinarians felt they had as much or more expertise than CFIA officials and they wanted their input considered and included.

They were a little resentful of the time that was expected of them on calls and working groups that they weren’t paid for, Althouse said.

Coordination and standardized frameworks among government agencies will be important, she said, and the CFIA website should be made easier to navigate.

She said the industry should consider insurance. Deborah Whale of Ontario led a years-long effort to develop am disease insurance program. Canada’s national egg marketing agency has a reciprocal insurance program.