By Leslie Ballentine, Farm and food commentator
When we think of cattle, pigs or poultry we may think of our next meal. But what many don’t know is that farm animals provide more than just sustenance. They also save lives in other ways too.
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by Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Sometimes when an animal is born, it may need a little bit of extra care to get going, just like some babies need more care than others. For whatever reason (they may have been born early, been a multiple birth, or been slow to nurse), they end up needing extra attention, and sometimes, extra warmth.
Since we had a mixture of dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep and goats on our farm growing up, we also had a variety of experiences with these special animals. During a barn check, we would go out, and occasionally notice a newborn animal that was weaker than the others. Since the weak ones always seem to be born during cold weather, the barn that other newborn animals found comfortable was too cold for the weak newborns.
We had a system at our house to nurse these animals back to health. During the late winter and early spring, we would create a special care area where we knew the small, young animals would be warm and watched very carefully. As soon as we had one which we were worried about, we would wrap it in blankets, towels, our coats, or anything else that was handy, and off we would go. To where? The kitchen, of course!
Our house was divided years ago, and actually has two kitchens: one for Grandma and one for us. Our kitchen had a wood stove which kept it nice and toasty warm, while Grandma’s kitchen was always warm from the oven and stove being on. We would find a cardboard box in the basement which was the right size for our newest addition to the farm, and fill it with blankets and towels. Then, we would dutifully place the box in one of the two kitchens, and the family would be notified about our house guest.
Since Grandma was semi-retired and later then retired, she would take care of the animals while we were in the barn. When we were in the house, all of us would take turns. We kept colostrum in the freezer in different sized containers, so there was always some ready to be thawed and warmed. Colostrum is the first milk produced by the mammary gland of a cow after calving. It is a rich source of nutrients, fats and antibodies. Feeding colostrum to the calf is critical in the first hours of life as it provides essential nutrients and infection-fighting antibodies to the newborn. If the animal was strong enough to drink on its own, we would feed it using a bottle. If not, we used a syringe to squirt small amounts of milk at a time into the animal’s mouth.
Besides feeding the animals milk, we would move them around in the box and rub them with blankets, towels, or our hands from time to time to make sure their circulation was okay. It was a big job whenever one of these needy animals was born, but it had to be done, and we did not complain. We would even set our alarms to go off in the middle of the night when the animals would need more milk.
At one time, I remember there being several lambs who were from multiple births and whose mothers did not have enough milk for and a tiny, premature calf in Grandma’s kitchen. This was not a common thing…most of the animals born are healthy, and their mothers can care for them from the start. Often there were no animals in the house at all.
We would always become quite attached to these animals, and they would become attached to us, too. In most cases, within a few days they were strong enough to rejoin the herd. Sometimes, the animals would not make it. Whenever this happened, the whole family would try and think of what more we could have done. We always hated those days. We had tried as hard as we could, but that specific little one just was not strong enough.
Farming is full of good days and bad. We never know what to expect when we wake up in the morning, but some of the best days are when you see the special nursing and attention given to an animal pay off, and a formerly sick animal become healthy again.
by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Growing up, I always heard about the family vacations my friends were going on. Trips to Florida to escape the snow, flights to other parts of Canada or the world for a relaxing escape, and weekend getaways were talked about on a regular basis, but the conversations were always hard for me to join.
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By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
I’ve never met Alice Stuart, but she isn’t unique to me. I’ve met lots of farmers who feel exactly the same way she does. And I would like to meet her too. Alice is from Edam, Saskatchewan and was one of many farmers and ranchers across Canada who submitted essays to the Farming Is My Life contest. The contest was an opportunity for farmers and ranchers to write about their profession and what drives them to choose the rewarding, yet often challenging, lifestyle of the farmer in Canada. Alice’s winning entry appeared in Cattlemen’s Magazine in January. Here it is in her own words…
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By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and Food Commentator
What do these three things have in common? They get people’s attention. And thanks in part to new technologies and eroding respect for privacy rights, “Little Brother” is everywhere. 
Distrust of others and a sense of entitlement to know everyone’s business means less and less remains private anymore. The tabloid talk show, paparazzi, leakipedia and the move toward corporate transparency are all examples of that. Welcome too to the era of the “undercover investigation” which is just a nice name for spying.
by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
When people think about careers in agriculture, they normally think of farmers. It is much more than that, though. There are many jobs within agriculture which you may not think about.
A great example is the sheep shearer. Sheep must be shorn in the late winter or early spring so they will be comfortable during the warm weather. Shearing a sheep a few weeks before it gives birth also makes it easier for lambs to find their mother’s udders to nurse.
Karen shears an alpaca
Sheep shearing is very labour intensive – so many sheep farmers will hire someone who specializes in shearing to visit each year.
My sister, a sheep farmer, hires an old friend named Karen for the job. Karen had been shearing sheep since she was 12 years old, and decided she could shear while in university as a spring and summer job. She even began shearing alpacas in 2002.
Karen works full time as a pedorthist (foot care specialist). However, on weekends Karen still travels to farms shearing sheep and alpacas. “I’m not in a place where I can have a farm of my own, and I think I would miss it too much if I didn’t get out,” says Karen.
Shearing a sheep
Sheep shearing season for Karen begins in February, and carries through to the end of June. Work with alpacas begins in April, and the season ends in June. Karen also shears a few flocks of sheep in the fall. The size of sheep flocks that she is responsible for range from two to 150 sheep.
Because there are not many professional alpaca shearers, Karen travels long distances to shear them, and herds range in size from two to just under 100 animals.
In the course of an hour, Karen can shear between 12 and 14 sheep, or four alpacas. Alpacas take a lot longer because of the difference in technique. They have to be held on their side on a table, and several people are involved in holding them down. Once the alpacas are shorn, they also have their hooves trimmed.
Karen enjoys the shearing. For her, it is like coming home when she gets out on the farm again, working alongside the farmers and helping them care for their animals. “I can’t imagine giving it up. I like being able to get away from the office, and back on the farm” says Karen.
Karen’s love for the animals is what brings her back to farms year after year, working in a job which is very physically demanding. “I really feel blessed to be able to travel around the province and work with so many different people. In the spring I work seven days a week, from the beginning of April until the end of June – but because it is two different jobs, so completely different, it doesn’t usually feel like real work,” says Karen.
Having someone like Karen, who specializes in shearing, come out to the farm, it allows the shearing process to be done quickly and efficiently. With the job being completed faster, there is less stress on the animals.
Shearing is a necessity for the well-being of sheep and alpacas, and people like Karen make it easier for farmers to complete the task.
To watch a video of another sheep shearer at work, visit www.virtualfarmtours.ca and click on the Sheep Farm Tour. In the third video box at the top, you can watch Farmer Bill shear one of his sheep – a process that only takes a few minutes.
By Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
A great man in agricultural education was given a much-deserved recognition by the Ontario Farm Animal Council at its annual general meeting on April 5.
Fred Cahill, owner of the Texas Longhorn Ranch and known to countless people simply as “Cowboy Fred” has joined an elite group of agricultural enthusiasts who have received the “Friend of OFAC” award over the last 12 years.
Cowboy Fred talks to some young visitors at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair during a show in its education ring.
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
The over-used term “factory farm” never seems to be defined. Many farmers and others who work in the agriculture business consider it an insulting term, much like a racial slur that shouldn’t be tolerated. Here is what one farmer thinks.
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by Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Being on a farm is a great experience and has many benefits. Anyone living on, working on, or visiting a farm though should remember the dangers that can exist.
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by Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Although it seems there is not much to do in the winter on a farm, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work which people don’t think about. Many people realize the animals still need to be cared for…that is a given. But, as winter draws to a close, it is the start of calving season for many beef farmers, kidding season for goat farmers, and lambing season for sheep farmers. Winter days in the barn can bring some extra jobs, as well. Water bowls can freeze, straw can become wet even faster than normal because of the snow and animals that graze at other times during the year need supplemental feed.
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