Latest News

Please find below the Sheep Supply for month ending January 2023.
January 2023

For the most up to date information on the Alberta wildfires situation please find the following information below that was just released by our proviincal government.

Evacuated farmers and ranchers:

• Should visit alberta.ca/emergency to and find the most up-to-date information on the current wildfire situation.
• Can contact the wildfire resource line at 310-4455 with agriculture and livestock related questions.
• Should register online or at the reception centre identified for their community so staff can quickly assist them and connect them with the resources they need.

Agriculture and Irrigation is also sharing pertinent emergency-related information on our social media channels, so please follow and share.

Facebook: @Agriculture Alberta

Twitter: @AlbertaAg

Instagram: @albertaagriculture

For your/your members’ information:

Agricultural societies and auction markets may have room for livestock evacuated from wildfire areas, and may be able to help connect livestock owners with transport:

• Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies
• Alberta Auction Markets Association - For available space at auction marts for livestock call:

• 780-789-3915 (north)
• 403-358-0456 (south)

Albertans with firefighting training or other resources or supplies to volunteer can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Farmers with questions about business risk management should:

• reach out to their AFSC branch office,
• visit AFSC.ca,
• email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or
• call 1-877-899-2372.

During the election period, Government of Alberta responses are limited. These limitations are outlined in the Elections Act and Elections Communication Policy and are in place until the end of the election.

ALP Needs You!

Join the ALP Board of Directors – Fall 2023!

*Nominations are due by July 31, 2023*

Four Director-at-Large positions on the ALP Board will be up for election this fall. 

Alberta Lamb Producers is the voice of producers in discussions with industry stakeholders and government.  ALP needs a strong Board of Directors to ensure the interests of producers are represented, viable marketing opportunities are developed, and that check-off dollars are spent wisely. 

To stand for election, you MUST submit a completed nomination form to the ALP office by July 31, 2023.  Nominations forms are provided below and also from the ALP website (https://ablamb.ca/index.php/about-alp/joining-the-alp-board). There are four Director-at-Large positions open on the 2023/24 Board.  Candidates can be nominated from any region in the province - there no restrictions due to zone or geographical location.

Director Nomination Form

ALP Director Description

The official ballots for the 2023 ALP Director’s election will be mailed with the fall issue of N’ewesletter.  Producers have the option of advance voting by mailing the ballot to the ALP office or of voting in-person at the AGM on November 18^th at the Red Deer Resort and Casino.

What do you need to serve on the ALP Board as a Director?

• No previous board experience is required.
• Must be an eligible sheep producer residing in Alberta (Eligible producers must have paid service charge (check-off) to ALP within the last two years i.e. after Sep 1, 2021).
• Enthusiasm, ideas and a vision for building a strong lamb industry.
• A commitment to collaboration and the ability to work with other board members for the benefit of the industry.
• Ability to make the minimum commitment of 3-4 in-person board meetings, bi-weekly conference calls, and the ability to monitor and respond to emails at least every 48 hours. Per diems and expense reimbursements are provided.

It’s not all work!  In addition to contributing to the industry, serving on the Board gives you opportunities for personal growth and skills development, such as making important industry contacts, and obtaining experience in board governance, leadership and project management.

May 8, 2023—L’Orignal, Ontario— The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of supporting the agri-food sector’s labour market needs and strengthening Canada’s food supply system. One key to success for Canadian farmers and food processors is their ability to recruit and retain a skilled workforce.

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2023/05/canada-announces-extension-to-the-agri-food-pilot-facilitating-access-to-permanent-residence-for-workers-and-their-families.html">announced the extension of the Agri-Food Pilot, which will now run until May 14, 2025. Launched in May 2020, the pilot helps facilitate the transition of experienced workers in agricultural and food industries to permanent residence in Canada.

To support employers and candidates, the Minister also announced the removal of the annual occupational caps, or the limits for how many candidates can apply for a specific occupation under the pilot. Removing these limits will provide an opportunity for more eligible candidates to apply. By the end of the year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) intends to introduce new changes to the pilot in stages, including

• expanding open work permit access to family members of all participants in the Agri-Food Pilot—regardless of the participant’s job skill level
• allowing unions to attest to a candidate’s work experience, as an alternative to employer reference letters
• giving applicants residing in Canada the option to either meet the job offer requirement, including the median wage requirement for the job offer, or the education requirement, including educational credential assessment verification
• accepting work experience gained under an open work permit for vulnerable workers, giving more workers an opportunity to qualify

For more details, please consult the https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2023/05/canada-announces-extension-to-the-agri-food-pilot-facilitating-access-to-permanent-residence-for-workers-and-their-families.html">Press Release.

Alberta Wildfires and Emergency Preparedness

Due to the current outbreak of wildfires across the province and as we move further into windy, dry, weather conditions, ALP would like to remind producers about our Emergency Preparedness Resource section on our website (https://ablamb.ca/index.php/resources/emergency-preparedness). This section has numerous resources available at no charge to producers.

ALP also has past webinar recording posted on our YouTube channel, SheepCentralAlberta: //www.youtube.com/@SheepCentralAlberta/videos">https://www.youtube.com/@SheepCentralAlberta/videos  including:

Preparing for Emergencies in the Alberta’s Sheep Industry with Shauna Mellish (AHEM)

https://youtu.be/zNNRZSE_U4I

ALP Mentors Contact Listing

ALP recognizes the importance of mentorship in our industry as we continue to see new producers joining the industry and producers looking to expand their flocks. ALP would like to support both new producers and existing producers by adding a new listing on our website under the ‘Industry Contacts’ section where a contact list can be accessed that provides names and contact information for experienced producers who are interested in mentoring their fellow producers.

Much like the other contact lists on our website, there is a disclaimer: ALP in no way endorses the mentorship/experienced producers or their services in the listing. While care has been taken to ensure that the information provided on our industry contacts is as accurate and as up to date as possible, ALP cannot be held responsible for missing information or errors.

If you are an experienced Alberta Lamb Producer and are interested in mentoring fellow producers, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 403.948.8533 to provide your contact information for this new listing.

Marketline

Based off producer feedback we have been receiving this past year, the ALP Board has decided to phase out sharing our e-communication Marketline as well as uploading the information/reports onto our website due to the skewed reporting which can provide an inaccurate reading of the current AB market ex: Auction Marts in Alberta don’t provide averages, or the number of head sold in each category. ALP also has no way of validating the information being provided, which in turn means an inaccurate market is being portrayed in our report. To avoid any misleading market information, as of June 1, 2023, ALP will no longer be sharing nor sending these market updates. We will however still provide the links on our website (https://ablamb.ca/index.php/industry-information/lamb-market-reports)  for producers to view the auction marts weekly reports both in Alberta and Ontario.

Should you have any feedback on this, please send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the office at: 403-948-8533.

N’ewesline

The ALP Board has also made the decision to phase out sending our e-communication N’ewesline. Effective June 1, 2023, ALP will no longer be sending out the monthly e-communication that producers opt in for through Mailchimp. Instead, we will continue to send emails containing the same or time sensitive/important information on an as needed basis, to all eligible Alberta Lamb Producers we have email addresses for in our database. If you are unsure if we have an email address on file for you, please reach out to the ALP office at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 403-948-8533.

Should you have any feedback on this, please send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the office at: 403-948-8533.

Join Steven Roche in interviewing Janna Greir with Whispering Cedars Ranch and Karl Denwood with Lone Valley Farm Ltd discussing recent research on pain mitigation using lidocaine-loaded castration bands in Canadian sheep flocks. Hear the perspectives and experiences of these two producers and from these two producers.
Listen to the podcast here

The City of Calgary has just posted a tender for targeted grazing. For more information and to apply please visit:

https://vendor.purchasingconnection.ca/Opportunity.aspx?Guid=fe9eaa1a-a11c-3864-0a68-39c2ed480000&

Sustainable CAP Information Resources

Please find below some materials that provide details about the Resilient Agricultural Landscapes Program, Farm Technology Program and Efficient Grain Handling Program. For specific questions, please direct inquiries to the program emails as listed below.

Farm Technology Program Fact Sheet

Efficient Grain Handling Program

RALP Fact Sheet

RALP FAQ

Sustainable CAP Program General Overview

All Program Inquiries go to:

RALP: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Farm Technology: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Efficient Grain Handling: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sign up for news and website update emails: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: 310-FARM (3276)

The Sustainable CAP Program presentations and the webinar recordings/presentations are now available to share with producers.

Please find below  copies of both presentations along with the link to the recording and program resources below. 

RALP Overview - Extension Training

Sustainable CAP

Recording Link: https://youtu.be/A5hXPESlyJA

Website Links

Sustainable CAP: https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

RALP: https://www.alberta.ca/resilient-agricultural-landscape-program.aspx

Farm Technology: https://www.alberta.ca/farm-technology-program.aspx

Efficient Grain Handling: https://www.alberta.ca/efficient-grain-handling-program.aspx

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) has launched a new Labour Market Information survey and is seeking input from farmers across Canada.

CFA strongly urges its members, owner-operators, agricultural workers and supporting stakeholder groups to take part in this survey that will be open until April 30, 2023. Please distribute this survey throughout your networks to ensure an adequate level of responses is achieved.

The survey provides important data on the labour market that will be used to help clarify labour shortage issues. By better understanding how workforce needs have changed, the agricultural industry can present the new research to policy makers to guide future action on the growing workforce crisis.

Click here to take the survey.

Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union representing over 155,000 federal public servants, are on strike after the federal government and PSAC failed to reach an agreement yesterday. PSAC members play a key role in the administration of agricultural programs and services, as well as the movement of good across Canada and into international markets.

More specifically, a labour disruption could affect delivery of certain federal agriculture programs, including AgriInvest, AgriStability, the Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program, Youth Employment and Skills Program, and programs under the new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Beyond these programs, the services provided by the Canadian Grain Commission and administration of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, both vital services for Canadian agriculture, could also be negatively affected. 

Through our membership to the CFA (with our affiliation to the National Sheep Network (NSN)), the CFA has written to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada requesting that the government take urgent measures to ensure adequate contingencies are in place (e.g., Essential Service Agreement) that would ensure any strike action would not unduly impact the movement of agriculture products and that all programs continue to be delivered uninterrupted.

More information on service impacts is available on Canada.ca/labour-disruptions and will be updated regularly. A quick unofficial summary of the related impacts is available here: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/here-s-how-the-strike-by-public-service-workers-will-impact-federal-services-1.6353262

We will be sure to share any additional information that we receive as it becomes available.

Thank you