Calgary Airport 11pm on a Saturday night, not many people around, the guys at the rental car companies are keen to get off home.
But I'm keen to pick up the rental car and get going! After booking a compact car I plan to go towards Champion, two hours south. But before I get my hands on the keys, the attendant tells me I have a choice, a Boss Mustang or a GMC 2500 pick up! l'm thinking neither of them will have the environmental footprint of a small country so I may as well go for ease of parking and handling characteristics.
I get settled in the Mustang and head out the airport, the Sat Nav and the roads don't agree with each other. It appears the airport is undergoing an overhaul and nothing is making sense. To top it off its pouring with rain and its midnight.
I was sure pleased to get to Champion and our very good friends Jo and Byron Matlocks house at around 2. 30 am. The note on the door directed me to the appropriate room and it felt like being at home and only yesterday since Heather, Molly and I were here 3 years ago.
It's harvest time at Matlock Farms but as its nearly done, Aaron, one of Jo and Byrons two sons, make the decision that as its Sunday, they will take a day out from harvest and have a BBQ later in the day with the family and some close friends. Eric, the other son, worked for us in NZ for a few summers driving a combine. He and his wife Alena join me on some local visits over the next few days.
First up a beef fedlot. A well set up unit with highly efficient handling system to cope with the 40-thousand odd cattle enables the weighing and recording as well as animal health aspects to be administered in an efficient manner.
The feed mill is near new and features some innovaive technology including computerised mixing and feeding where the truck driver delivering the feed to a particular pen can't leave the area until the appropriate amount has been fed out. Likewise, the system won't let the driver feed a product to a pen that isn't to receive the mix that is on the truck.
The feed mill is near new and features some innovaive technology including computerised mixing and feeding where the truck driver delivering the feed to a particular pen can't leave the area until the appropriate amount has been fed out. Likewise, the system won't let the driver feed a product to a pen that isn't to receive the mix that is on the truck.
While at the feedlot, it is suggested we take a look at the Hutterite community just up the road. They are more than happy to host us for a couple of hours. Firstly the children show us their school which has 26 students and 2 teachers. The kitchen is more like a food factory with facilities for killing livestock through to canning food. The ladies give us a sample of the pickled cauliflower they are working on.
The community was set up four years ago so all the infastructure is in great shape, as the population grows the community will buy another 3-5 thousand ac and start the process again.
The dairy unit involves 80 cows and has potiential to do many more and boasts some of the most up-to-date technolgies you will find anywhere.
The same goes for the Workshop which covers maybe 5000 sq metres and can handle any work required by the farm and takes in a lot of outside work. An example of this being a series of prefabricated steel sheds similar to the workshop.
The Hutterites tend to get blamed for pushing the price of land above its productive value, which is $10 000 ac and more in some areas. Tax laws on low labour costs perhaps give the Hutterites the upper hand...
The community was set up four years ago so all the infastructure is in great shape, as the population grows the community will buy another 3-5 thousand ac and start the process again.
The dairy unit involves 80 cows and has potiential to do many more and boasts some of the most up-to-date technolgies you will find anywhere.
The same goes for the Workshop which covers maybe 5000 sq metres and can handle any work required by the farm and takes in a lot of outside work. An example of this being a series of prefabricated steel sheds similar to the workshop.
The Hutterites tend to get blamed for pushing the price of land above its productive value, which is $10 000 ac and more in some areas. Tax laws on low labour costs perhaps give the Hutterites the upper hand...
We spend some time at a hay processing plant that Eric used to supply to when he run a baling contract business.
Greene Prairie International was set up 25 years ago and presses bales into more dense bales and allows 22 tonne into containers. Eighty containers a week are shipped and this to increase this to 150 in the next year or so.
Greene Prairie International was set up 25 years ago and presses bales into more dense bales and allows 22 tonne into containers. Eighty containers a week are shipped and this to increase this to 150 in the next year or so.
- Most of the product is either alfalfa or timothy and is shipped to Japan, South East Asia and Saudi Arabia.
- A very simple press system is used in the process with various sizes produced to suit the particular requirements.
- Quality is of particular importance and the company is becoming more involved with the grower rather than buying product on the spot market.
My last meeting in Alberta is with Ryan Arbers who operates a Lamb feedlot in Acme Alberta Canada.
Ryan and his father took over the 80ac site five years ago, after it having been used as a pig breeding research facility.
The unit compliments the breeding property a couple of hours north near Edmonton, with lambs sent down to Acme for finishing along side bought in lambs.
A total of 50 000 lambs are finished each year many of which are sourced throughout Western Canada and North West US. The lambs are bought in 36 kg liveweight and are feed for 90 days and go out at about 54 kg.
Ryan and his father took over the 80ac site five years ago, after it having been used as a pig breeding research facility.
The unit compliments the breeding property a couple of hours north near Edmonton, with lambs sent down to Acme for finishing along side bought in lambs.
A total of 50 000 lambs are finished each year many of which are sourced throughout Western Canada and North West US. The lambs are bought in 36 kg liveweight and are feed for 90 days and go out at about 54 kg.
One of the challenges has been to get bigger lines of lambs to help improve consistancy with the lambs and ultimately, the product.
Lambs are transitioned for a period of 4 weeks when they arrive at the feedlot. Grain is introduced at this time and the amount is increased gradually until if forms the entire diet. This begins at 250gms per day and over the 28 days will be increased to 1.25 kg and at that stage the lambs are fed ad-lib without any acidosis issues.
Lambs are EID tagged and are regularly weighed to keep a track of performance using Tru Test and Racewell technology.
Liveweight gain is costing about NZ $2.70 kg so not something that will be econonomically viable in NZ at current prices.
An interesting afternoon and thanks to Ryan for his time in showing me his system.
It's been a great few days in Alberta and as always, the Matlock's make us like family. Thanks for everything guys.
Lambs are transitioned for a period of 4 weeks when they arrive at the feedlot. Grain is introduced at this time and the amount is increased gradually until if forms the entire diet. This begins at 250gms per day and over the 28 days will be increased to 1.25 kg and at that stage the lambs are fed ad-lib without any acidosis issues.
Lambs are EID tagged and are regularly weighed to keep a track of performance using Tru Test and Racewell technology.
Liveweight gain is costing about NZ $2.70 kg so not something that will be econonomically viable in NZ at current prices.
An interesting afternoon and thanks to Ryan for his time in showing me his system.
It's been a great few days in Alberta and as always, the Matlock's make us like family. Thanks for everything guys.
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