Holstein sale revived after 49-year hiatus

Maple Hill Auctions will hold its first Holstein auction in 49 years on Oct. 8.

The Best of Bruce-Grey Holstein Consignment Sale is at Maple Hill Auctions on Highway 4 between Hanover and Walkerton.

Dairy sales consultant Steve Anderson said "Maple Hill hasn’t had a dairy sale there since 1976. While most Holstein auctions are online these days, people are genuinely excited about having a live auction again.

"Dairy farmers across Grey and Bruce have been asking what to do with their extra animals" he said. "There doesn’t seem to be as many livestock dealers on the road anymore, so we decided to bring the sale back."

The event will feature a wide range of cattle, from deep-pedigree animals to commercial stock. Anderson adds that longtime auctioneers Glenn "Smiley" Sinclair of Flesherton and Dave Johnson of Listowel will help lead the sale.

Ostrich farm creditors want CFIA payout

Creditors of an ostrich farms whose 300 birds are in detention want to grab any money the Canadian Food Inspection Agency pays the farm.

"It's a very unique situation here at the moment," said Steven Cope, a lawyer for a pair of Fort St. John businessmen who obtained a $140,000 judgment against Universal Ostrich last May.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency wants the birds destroyed because highly-infectious avian influenza has been detected in the flock. It has been standard procedure to euthanize any infected flock and millions of Canadian birds have  been sacrificed over the last several years.

The farm’s owners have filed an application to have their case taken up by the Supreme Court. They have lost challenges in lower courts. The flock is being held by the CFIA pending the outcome of the farm’s appeal.

"The only [asset that can be levied or taxed] that they have are two-legged animals that are under quarantine facing a death penalty. It's a very rare situation," the lawyer said.

Cope's clients are among three creditors who have sued Universal in the past two years. 

 Rudi George and Roman Stadler, who are together one of the creditors — sued Universal Ostrich Farms last February in relation to a deal for $126,399 worth of ostriches. They claim to have received only $5,000 in return.

According to B.C. Supreme Court documents, another creditor, David Goranson, sued Universal in August 2023 over repayment of a $60,000 loan issued the previous year to "fund the operation and expansion" of the business.

Goranson obtained a judgment for more than $80,000 against Universal Ostrich in May 2024.

"It is unclear to Goranson why this obligation has not been met," Goranson's lawyer said in a statement to CBC News.

"And it is frustrating to him that the judgment is not being paid."

Innovation winners honoured

The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) recently honoured 35 winners of Foodtech Frontier, dedicated to celebrating food industry transformers focused on sustainability, food security, health or supply chain efficiency.

“Our country is also home to some of the most forward-thinking food innovators in the world,” said CFIN’s chief executive officer Dana McCauley. “With Foodtech Frontier, we’re supporting the growth of these companies to strengthen our economy, create new jobs and feed more people in a sustainable way.”

As part of the awards program, Redstick Ventures awarded $100,000 each to Cubbi and Dispension, providing a total of $200,000 in catalytic funding to accelerate their growth and impact. 

 Cubbi is an all-in-one foodservice platform. Dispension market automated kiosks for canned beer and ready-to-drink beverages.

Collectively, these companies are already delivering $440 million in total sales, have invested $35 million in R&D over the past year, employ 1,763 people, and have raised $256 million to date, the network said in a news release.

“These metrics highlight the role of Canadian foodtechventures as economic drivers that invest in innovation and create jobs, positioning the sector as a key contributor to Canada’s competitiveness in the global food economy.” 

The winners honoured at an event at the University of Guelph are:

 

• SmartSkin Technologies (AC- i.e. Atlantic Canada)) – Sensor-enabled container monitoring systems 

• Cronometer (BC) – Nutrition tracking app built on verified data 

• EnWave (BC) – Vacuum-microwave REV™ dehydration technology 

• Fresh Prep Foods (BC) – Meal kits with locally sourced, sustainable ingredients 

• FPS Food Process Solutions (BC) – Turn-key freezing and processing systems 

• Enhanced Medical Nutrition (ON) – Medical nutrition products supporting surgery and recovery 

• Food Cycle Science (ON) – Closed-loop food waste solution, FoodCycler™ 

• Kitchen Hub (ON) – Tech-enabled food halls for restaurant scale-up 

• P&P Optica (ON) – AI-powered hyperspectral imaging for food safety 

• Qualtech (QC) – Stainless-steel sanitary equipment and processing systems for agri-food

CoBank’s grain report dim

 

CoBank has a discouraging report for grain farmers in the United States.

A bumper crop is heading into harvest, storage space is so tight that much will be dumped on ground beside stuffed elevators and a trade dispute with China has kept it out of the market.

But there is some good news: grain sales continue strong with corn up 94 per cent and wheat sales up by 41 per cent.

Soybean sales are down by 51 per cent from this time last year.

Global food prices continue to decline

 

Global food prices have declined by nearly 20 per cent since March, 2022, but were 3.4 per cent higher than a year ago, reports the United Nations.

Its overall Food Price Index declined by seven-tenths of a per cent in September, with the sub-indices for cereal, dairy, sugar, and vegetable oil indices outweighing the rise in meat prices.

The Meat Price Index, one of five commodity sub-indices, has risen uninterrupted since February. 

The meat index averaged 127.8 points in September, an increase of 0.9 points from the revised August level. For the last 12 months, the index is up 6.6 per cent or 7.9 points.

Beef prices continue to break record highs while pork and poultry prices were “largely stable,” the September report said.

County offers estate planning

Wellington County has launched a new guide for farmers who are looking to set up transition plans for their operations.

It said only 276 of about 1,000 farmers expected to retire in the next 10 years have transition plans.

Wellington County’s new program offers families a practical planning guide: ‘Your Farm, Your Future’. It includes structured questions, real-life scenarios, and specific advice for families with and without identified successors. Hard copies can be requested online or accessed digitally.

It is also offering an online course in partnership with Loft32. Farmers can access Farmers’ Bridge which includes two professionally developed courses: ‘Transition Foundations’ and ‘Transition Communications’. Courses are valued at $250 but are free until April 2026 for the first 100 participating Wellington County farms.

The county is also offering three In-person workshops at the Grandway Event Centre beside the Elora racetrack and casino.

They will be led by expert facilitators including Maggie Van Camp and Patti Durand of Brightrack. Topics include starting the transition process, navigating communication challenges, and redefining leadership roles during succession.

"Farms are the backbone of our community, and the decisions made in the next few years will shape our agricultural landscape for generations," said county councillor Jeff Duncan, chairman of the economic development committee.

"Whether families are passing farms down to the next generation, selling to employees, or seeking outside buyers - a clear transition plan protects their legacy and strengthens the future of agriculture."

 

All resources can be accessed at wellington.ca/transitionplanning.

                           

Two dead in tractor crash

 

Two people are dead after a pickup truck crashed into a tractor near Drayton.

Eighth line in Mapleton Township was closed while police investigated.

The tractor driver suffered minor injuries.

The crash happened Friday night.