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Alberta Lamb Producers Plebiscite on Service Charge Model Refundability

In September 2021, the Government of Alberta declared a state of public health emergency due to increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. With new measures to protect the health care system and decrease the spread of the virus, the Alberta Lamb Producers (ALP) decided to move its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 20, 2021, from in-person to online (virtual).

A plebiscite on ALP’s service charge model refundability was planned for Alberta’s lamb industry to occur in conjunction with the AGM on November 20, 2021, with two methods for voting (electronically from November 1-20, 2021, and in-person at the AGM).

Due to concerns with voting in-person and moving to an online AGM, on September 30, 2021, the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council (Marketing Council), in consultation with ALP, decided to shift the voting period for this plebiscite to ALP’s 2022 AGM, which is anticipated to be held in November 2022.

Marketing Council and ALP recognize the importance of the plebiscite for Alberta’s lamb industry. Collectively, they have determined that this is the best path forward to ensure all eligible lamb producers have an opportunity to vote in the plebiscite.

Further details about the plebiscite for fall 2022 and voting methods will be available to producers in the coming months.

Please direct any questions or concerns regarding this change to ALP at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via phone at 403-948-8533 or Marketing Council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Following this past year’s AGM, the ALP Board of Directors decided to create a Producer Consultation Committee, as we recognized that we as an organization can do better to engage and connect with our eligible producers between AGMs. The Producer Consultation Committee’s first step was to create and distribute a producer survey, which was sent out following the 2020 AGM. Through the feedback we received, we followed up by hosting a townhall meeting for our eligible Alberta Lamb Producers, that took place in mid-July 2021.

ALP would like to thank those eligible Producers who were able to attend and for the dialogue that took place on the call. With the success and positive feedback from the July town hall meeting, ALP is moving ahead with a fall session as discussed at the town hall. It will be hosted in October, as requested by producers on the call, where we will be discussing important topics such as CAPP, Insurance, BRM, other services etc.  that we were unable to cover during the summer meeting.

Please find below the ALP Fall Town Hall Meeting details. We encourage you to mark your calendars and register to attend. As a reminder, in order to be an eligible producer able to register, you need to have purchased tags within the last 2 years of ALP’s fiscal year end (August 31).

ALP Fall Town Hall Meeting

When: Thursday October 21^st, 2021

Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Producers will need to register in advance for this meeting:

 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pdu6vpjkrH9wyTcbBIrHmrQK8G_yY_X9y

*After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. ALP will also be distributing the town hall agenda prior to the meeting with all eligible registrants to help producers be prepared for the discussion. 

We hope all eligible Alberta lamb producers will engage in this fall town hall meeting. Attendance and engagement will signal a need to continue with them and your feedback on content and format will shape them to make the most of the time together. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Scott, ALP Executive Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ALP Producer Town Hall Meeting Agenda

1. Introduction

2. Price Insurance

3. Program Offerings

4. CAP Funding

5. Plebiscite

6. Research Priority Areas

7. Board Positions

8. Open to the floor

9. Closing Remarks

A meeting package will be distributed at least one week prior to the meeting. We ask that producers attending review the information in advance and are prepared for meaningful dialogue.

We are responding to the latest Provincial Health Emergency, as we are all used to changing course in our industry.  The date of our upcoming Annual General Meeting  is Saturday, November 20^th, 2021 and we had hoped to host this event in person at Olds College.

On Wednesday, September 15^th, 2021 the Government of Alberta announced temporary measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. The ALP board of directors has decided to switch to a virtual meeting format to reduce the likelihood of all producers not being able to come together. Due to the virtual format, we will no longer be hosting the meat quality workshop in the afternoon however, we will be proceeding with a keynote speaker to kick off the AGM. Please find the AGM agenda below for your reference.

ALP AGM Agenda 

Saturday, November 20, 2021

Virtual format

8:30am                 Welcome and opening remarks

8:35am                 Keynote Speaker

9:40am                 ALP AGM Commences

10:40am               Break

10:55am               ALP AGM – Resolution Period and voting continued

12:10pm               Closing remarks 

ALP responded to the latest Provincial Health Emergency, as we are all used to changing course in our industry. On Wednesday, September 15^th, 2021 the Government of Alberta announced temporary measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. The ALP board of directors  decided to switch our originally planned, in-person meeting at Olds College to a virtual meeting format to reduce the likelihood of all producers not being able to come together.

All eligible Alberta Producers are invited to attend the AGM and will be entitled to one vote per producer at the virtual meeting.  

ALP is your organization and the AGM provide you:

• A full transparent review of ALP activities, financial statements and the 2021-22 budget.
• An opportunity for producers to discuss producer proposed resolutions and direct ALP activities.

Date and Time:
Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 8:30am MST
 
Location:
Virtual Event – Secure Zoom Link provided at time of registration.
There is no charge to attend the virtual ALP AGM, however registration is required.
Click here to register

• AGM Agenda
• 2020 AGM Minutes
• 2020-21 Annual Report
• 2020-21 Financial Statements
• Acclaimed Directors Bios

For more information please emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 403-948-8533.

ALP Producer Proposed Resolution Structure:
ALP made some changes to the way that eligible producers can submit Proposed Resolutions that are discussed and voted on by eligible producers at our Annual General meeting. Effective December 2020, eligible Producers were able to submit proposed resolutions year-round for board consideration, with a cutoff date for submission being a few weeks prior to the AGM.

By providing eligible producers the opportunity to submit year-round submission, it allows the board and staff to research and provide information to the proposed resolution(s) in advance of the AGM, to help make the discussion more effective at the AGM before the voting period begins.

To submit a resolution for discussion at this years AGM, eligible Alberta Lamb Producers needed to complete our resolution form and submit it to the ALP office by September 15, 2021. Proposed resolutions would not be accepted past this deadline or from the floor at the virtual AGM.

Directors are always available on the phone or email to discuss any concerns that producers have at any time of the year.

A reminder that this AGM will replace the Zone Meetings that we previously held around the province. The ALP Board initiated these changes in 2016 and producers voted on them at the 2016 Zone Meetings. Holding one AGM allows us to bring in more speakers on more topics of interest to producers. ALP can move this AGM to different areas of the province each year. Directors are always available on the phone or email to discuss any concerns that producers have at any time of the year. 

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The Alberta Lamb Producers has recently supported a successful project application titled “Identification of predictive blood biomarkers related to sheep parasitic infections via metabolomics” by Dr. Seyed Ali Goldansaz. This research will investigate blood components that could be used for detecting subclinical parasitic infection in sheep. The project is managed by Olds College, and is a collaboration between University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Dalhousie University, Ontario Sheep Farmers and ALP.

Parasitic infections are production-limiting diseases that adversely affect sheep through reduced weight gain, lower immunity and increased susceptibility to miscarriage at pre-clinical stages. Parasitic infection in its clinical stages is also very detrimental to the animal. Conventional management practices are predominantly passive and involve blind treatment of animals with anthelmintic drugs, not considering the type of parasite or the infection load. Aggressive use of drugs has created resistant parasites and decreased the efficacy of anthelmintics. Current diagnosis methods are based on direct measurement of the infection after clinical symptoms. This is not ideal as most animals maintain the infection at the subclinical level, typically associated with significant reduction in animal performance. The production losses at the subclinical stage and the expense of diagnosis and treatment at the clinical stage both contribute to increased cost of production. An alternative method to detect parasitic infection in individual animals prior to manifestation of clinical signs can provide faster and less expensive outcomes. The current project is measuring parasite-induced changes at pre-clinical stages of the infection in sheep blood to identify components (biomarkers) that are representative of the infection as a novel screening method. These blood biomarkers can be translated into a handheld device for real-time, pen-side prediction of parasitic infection using a few drops of blood.

This project has already started and is expected to run till 2023, with a possibility of extension depending on the initial results. It is great to know that up to seven people including at least one graduate student will be trained to work with sheep as part of this project. There is plan to publish multiple progress reports through the ALP’s newsletter, and plan two producer events to educate on effective methods of parasite management in Alberta sheep flocks. Many thanks to RDAR for supporting the sheep industry by investing in this project.

The National Sheep Network (NSN) is conducting a sector-wide survey about climate change and sustainability in the sheep industry and wants to hear from Canadian sheep and lamb producers. Your views and opinions are important to the organization and will be used to help better represent sheep farmers when discussing environmental policy with governments, other industries and companies.

This survey is being conducted at no cost to the NSN as part of Stratus Ag Research’s ongoing commitment to Canadian agriculture.

The environment is taking agriculture by storm. Over the last 18 months or so, conversations around soil health, water quality, wetland conservation, sustainable agriculture, regenerative agriculture, carbon sinks, carbon tax, and carbon credits have all become daily conversation topics for many.

At a time when the public has started to settle into a belief that agriculture is bad for the environment and contributing negatively to climate change, the agriculture sector has rallied and challenged that belief by demonstrating the environmental benefits of agriculture, most especially grazing livestock.

The sheep industry has a great story to tell around the environment. Grazing livestock improve soil health, provide wildlife habitat, and can reverse desertification. ALP is committed to promoting the benefits of sheep production on the environment. By leveraging relationships with other organizations, we have been able to engage in larger discussions on the beneficial role of sheep in mitigating climate change.

We value your opinion and respect what you have to say. The survey should take about 10 - 15 minutes to complete.

We would appreciate your response as soon as possible. Can you complete the survey within the next day or two?

Please click on the link below to begin the survey now.

https://surveylink.org/389

We really appreciate your participation in this survey. We will represent your views accurately, and we will never distribute your name or contact information.

If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Best regards,

The National Sheep Network

Now Open for Applications!

Growing Opportunities – Wage subsidy program for student placements

Agriculture-focused Student Work Placement program is available now!

CAHRC has partnered to deliver a Government of Canada funded Student Work Placement Program  (SWPP) to match post-secondary students with Work Integrated Learning placements in the agriculture field.
 
By hiring students, employers benefit from new perspectives and ideas and qualify for a subsidy of up to $7500 or 75% of wages. In addition, the expanded pool of candidates pulling from outside of traditional agriculture fields will draw in underrepresented groups such as women, Indigenous students, disabled students, and newcomers to Canada, encouraging them to look towards careers in our exciting industry.

Visit www.cahrc-ccrha.ca/agritalent to find out more.

Sheep Supply for month ending May 2021

Sheep Supply for month ending June 2021

CALFA (AgriRecovery) first payment can now be applied for through AFSC!
Just login into your AFSC Connect account, click on the program and then enter your Premise ID, animal type and number of breeding females and click send!

Read the press release
Apply now!
 
How to prepare for your CALFA Application
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) has finalized CALFA details and applications are now open to producers.

Producers should be prepared for a smooth application process by:

• Ensuring you have an AFSC Connect account, and direct deposit.
  (For those who aren’t currently AFSC clients, AFSC asks that you sign up for an AFSC Connect account, and stay tuned for directions to sign up for direct deposit to receive program payments.)
   
• Preparing an inventory of breeding females on hand as of August 6, 2021.
   
• Keeping records of any expenses incurred for drought-related costs, including feeding livestock, up to December 31, 2021.
   
• Checking AFSC and ALP’s website for updates and following AFSC and Alberta Lamb Producers on social media.

Your Health
Farming and ranching can be hard at any time. If you notice signs that you are struggling, reach out to your primary caregiver, or call 2-1-1 (where available) or look at the Do More Agriculture Foundation.

Need to talk? Here are some resources from across Canada

If you notice signs that a friend or family member is struggling, reach out to them.
Supporting each other – Moving beyond the “how are you?” reflex

Signs to watch for:

• Changes in appetite.
• Changes in sleeping patterns – having trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping far longer than usual.
• Increased substance use.
• Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, or being trapped.
• Anxiety, agitation, uncontrolled anger, and/or dramatic mood changes.
• Withdrawal from friends, family, community.
• Acting recklessly or engaging in risky activities.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call Canada Suicide Prevention Service at 1-833-456-4566. If someone is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. You can also find additional resources on The Do More Agriculture Foundation website.