Monthly Update

March 2023

The Sheep Producers Association of Nova Scotia issues a monthly update to members, occurring the last Friday of each month. This Monthly Update is comprised of industry news and updates, upcoming events, upcoming sales, and relevant articles.

If you have content to be added, such as an upcoming sheep event/workshop, please contact the SPANS office at 902- 893-7455 or aanderson@agricommodity.ca.

Carcass Ultrasound Services

The Nova Scotia Cattle Producers (NSCP) are proud to offer live animal ultrasound technology services for cattle and sheep in the Maritimes. The NSCP obtained the imaging technology equipment and certified two technicians, Jacy McInnis and Ellen Davis, and are proud to offer the first permanent technicians this side of Quebec!

By having ultrasound services readily available to producers, the hope is that overall carcass traits and expected progeny differences (EPD’s) within the region will be increased. This service will aid in future breeding practices, as results will illustrate the appropriateness of breeding stock, indicating which heritable traits, such as those within feed efficiency and carcass measures, should be improved for optimal production.



For more information click HERE

Global Sheep Forum Next Generation 2022 and 2023 Podcasts

If you haven't checked out the Next Gen Sheep Producers podcast series yet, you really should!  The Next Generation Global Sheep Forum has come out of a group of international sheep producer organizations, American Lamb Board, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, British National Sheep Association, Canadian Sheep Federation, National Sheep Association, National Wool Growers’ Association of South Africa and Sheep Producers Australia.

Anna Hunter's Book - Sheep, Sheperd & Land

Stories of sheep farmers reinvigorating Canadian wool

Release Date: April 4, 2023

Regulations Amending the Health of Animals Regulations (Identification and Traceability)

The Government of Canada has launched a new online commenting system in CG I that permits stakeholders to comment on proposed regulations online during the consultation period. All stakeholder comments that conform to government guidelines will be posted online after the comment period ends. Making stakeholders’ comments on proposed regulations publicly available will increase transparency and accountability, generating a better understanding of the regulatory concerns and challenges of Canadians and stakeholders, and has the potential to facilitate important discussions between regulators and stakeholders. The online commenting feature has been designed to be easy to use and we strongly encourage you to use it to submit your comments on the upcoming proposed amendments to Part XV Health of Animals Regulations (Identification and Traceability).

For more information, including instructions on how to comment, please see the Comment on proposed regulations page on the Canada Gazette website.

Labour Market Survey

Completing the survey will help NSFA better understand the labour needs of farms in Nova Scotia and provide direction for the Farm and Workforce Development programming. When you complete the survey, you will be entered into a prize draw! Complete the survey here!

This project is part of a larger, province wide project with 13 other industry sectors. The project will lead to the creation of an industry report and feed into a data dashboard for employers and policy makers to refer to. The report from the first iteration of the survey can be found here and the dashboard can be found here.

Support Farmers Bill C-234

To support farmers in their efforts, Bill C-234 seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane. The current carbon price rebate, introduced last year through Bill C-8, does not fully account for the individual breadth of carbon surcharges applied to farms. Farmers pay a carbon price on essential farming activities such as irrigation, grain drying, feed preparation, heating or cooling of barns and other agricultural growing structures. Bill C-234 would provide an exemption, limited to on-farm fuel use for these necessary farm practices, allowing farmers to invest their money in the efficiency of their operations. 

MSC Infrastructure and Feed Systems Module

Starting April 4

Registrations are still being accepted for the upcoming Master Shepherd's Course Module on Infrastructure and Feeding Systems begins April 4th, 2023. Over the eight on-line sessions, topics discussed are: planning efficient farmstead layouts, ventilation, watering systems, supplementary heat, lambing and artificial rearing systems, efficient handling and shearing systems, sheep behavior, nutrient management, feed storage, and feed delivery systems.

Root Cause Analysis Training

April 4

Perennia is offering a Root Cause Analysis training session. The purpose of this session is to provide learners with the knowledge and skills to conduct a thorough root cause analysis and implement effective corrective and preventive measures. This session will give you the tools and confidence to successfully respond to identified non-conformities or potential issues before they occur.

Managing Nitrogen in Soil-Based Protected Crops Part 2 Planning for Split Applications

April 13

Join the conversation with Judson Reid from Cornell University along with Perennia specialist Talia Plaskett to plan for split applications of nitrogen in soil-based protected crops. Register now so you won’t miss this great learning opportunity before the season starts! 

Sheep Shearing Workshop

Join us on April 29^th at Upperbrook Farms in Central North River for a Sheep Shearing Workshop! Learn about sheep shearing and improving your fleeces. Peter Kozier will lead the workshop as he shears over 30 sheep while you learn along the way!

To attend, please email novascotiasheep@gmail.com by April 24^th and let us know that you wish to attend; it’s that simple! There is no fee to attend, and we hope to see you there!

WoolstockEAST Fibre Market & Village

September 16

Book your booth today for the 5th Annual WoolstockEAST. The WoolstockEAST Fibre Market & Village will be held at the North Shore Recreation Centre in Tatamagouche.