The study released Aug. 1 analyzed 14 dairy farms from two different regions in California. At those farms, bird flu was detected in the air inside milking parlours as well as in exhaled breath from cows, which would infect both cattle and workers. The virus was also found in the water used to clean the parlours and milking equipment.

Why it matters: While Canadian dairy cattle have escaped bird flu infections so far, poultry farms in some regions have been hammered by the disease.

Some cattle that showed no symptoms of illness were also carriers of bird flu, the study added. However, mastitis found in cattle did not always correlate with bird flu infections.

A potential vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu strain has tested well in non-human primates.

Novavax released pre-clinical data on Aug. 1, which showed strong immune responses in the test subjects with one and two doses of the vaccine, which was administered by injection and by nasal spray.

“Our findings indicate that a single (intramuscular) dose of (the) vaccine might serve as an effective pandemic vaccine in individuals with pre-existing seasonal influenza immunity from vaccination or infection,” Novavax said in a news release.

Brazil’s agriculture minister Carlos Favaro told reporters on Aug. 4 that Chile will re-open its borders to Brazilian poultry.
Chile becomes part of a growing list of countries that have removed restrictions on poultry imports from Brazil, which were implemented after a commercial farm tested positive in May. However, China, the European Union, Canada, Malaysia, East Timor, North Macedonia and Pakistan are still prohibiting all poultry from the South American country. Sixteen other countries have partial restrictions.

In Canada, there are only five premises currently infected with bird flu, the CFIA reported. No Canadian cattle have been infected with the virus.

The post Bird flu virus could be airborne: study appeared first on Country Guide.

Twenty-two-year-old Neveu is a dairy farmer who milks 60 (mostly) Jersey cows alongside her dad, Steven. After completing the three-year Farm Management and Technology program at Macdonald College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., she returned home to farm full time in April 2024.

Country Guide: Why did you decide on a career in the agriculture industry?

Béatrice Neveu: In my early years of high school, I was milking the cows before going to school and I started driving tractors when I was 13. As far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted to take over the farm alone. It was my dream from the start because I didn’t have many models of women in agriculture, so I always made it my goal to be part of the change. I wouldn’t mind if one of my sisters took over the farm with me, but it is much easier now thanks to the new free stall barn and robot milker that we installed in 2019.

CG: What is your perception of the Canadian ag industry today? What excites you about it?

BN: The technology. It blows me away how detailed we can be in managing our herd, how much can be done from a distance and how much data we can pull from our computers. We can collect data about how much each calf is drinking, how many times a cow is giving milk and how much milk she is giving. You have access to data by the minute, if you need it. 

That part has made our lives easier and more interesting. It changes the job a lot. It’s helping us move ahead and produce more with what we already have just by collecting data.

CG: What expectations did you have coming into the industry and how do they compare with your actual experience? As a young person coming into the ag industry, have you found it difficult to earn people’s trust and confidence, to show that you know what you are doing?

BN: I have been around our family farm for a long time, and my dad has always included me in the operation so people know me and know that they can ask me pretty much the same questions they ask my dad. 

I have friends in agriculture who have more trouble with people not taking them seriously. The reality in our industry is that women probably face those challenges more than men. I’m very lucky that I haven’t felt that way.

But I also don’t really care, meaning that if I am going to a parts shop, I will ask what it is that I need, and I won’t have a reaction to how the person treats me. I think I act with confidence and so those things have never bothered me. 

CG: What are your personal career goals and what new ideas and fresh approaches do you have to help benefit agriculture and in particular the dairy sector?

BN: We are a small farm, and we know that the average farm size is increasing, and we try to keep up to date. We do have quite a big step to take but by maximizing our installations and filling up our robot to maximum capacity we’ll probably grow into an average farm size. A goal for the business is to make the installations that we have as efficient as possible. 

But I also hope that the rest of the industry does that because we all have to work together to move ahead. Some farms have a big step to take in the coming years. We have some rules around animal welfare that are coming into play that will have a big impact on some small family dairies. But, whether big or small, if we all realize the importance of our industry and stand together, we can keep it alive.

CG: How do you feel about the future of the dairy industry?

The quota system is a big thing that is going to continue helping us. If it can remain, it’ll be a game changer. There will always be dairy farms, although the number of farms will probably go down, but I hope that most will stay in the industry because the more farms that are around, the more people there are to represent the industry and the more weight we have on decisions made higher up.

CG: If one day your children came to you and said they were considering a career in ag, what area of the industry would you encourage them to look at? Where do you see the best opportunities?

BN: There are so many opportunities depending on what your interests are. There will always be a need for nutritionists and agronomists. A veterinarian is a great opportunity and it’s a fun job because you get to talk with farmers and follow herds and bring animals to life. There are so many careers. If you like to drive a truck, we need milk truck drivers. You could be a banker or a financial advisor. Agriculture is a great industry to be working in. Farmers are fun to get along with and it is a good community no matter the career you choose.

The post Youth focused on keeping Quebec’s dairy industry strong appeared first on Country Guide.

Today, they are proud to say they’ve doubled their milk production during their short tenure and have optimized robotic technology to create a successful and balanced lifestyle for their young family.

Operating as a multi-generational family farm, Paige and Marcus manage Four Oak Farms with the help of Marcus’s parents. 

The dairy milks 50 Brown Swiss cows three times a day using the only tie stall robot in Western Canada and crops 900 acres of corn, soybeans and forages.

The couple credit their adoption of robotic technology and recent barn renovations for their ability to balance their farm and family commitments while diversifying their operation. 

In addition to the dairy, they run a crop management and agricultural solutions business, Four Oak Ag Solutions, along with an expanding hay business.

Country Guide sat down with them to learn about their Outstanding Young Farmers experience and their plans for the future.

CG: How long have you been farming, and what’s changed since you started?

Marcus: We joined the farm in 2013 as the third generation on our family farm. Since then, we have welcomed two daughters who we hope will make the fourth generation. When we started, we each took turns working off the farm and I think these experiences have helped shape how we farm today. 

One of the most significant changes we made was to automate our milking with a Robomax robot to milk in our tie stall barn. This allowed us to move to milking three times a day without increasing our labour and maximize our existing barn facility without building a new barn to accommodate robotic milking.

Paige: The robot has helped us achieve our on-farm goals by allowing us to make the most of our existing farm facilities and grow our business with what we have. The automation also enables us to collect as much data and information as possible to help us make informed decisions. We’re data driven. We like to know why, not just how, when we make our decisions.

CG: Tell us about your Outstanding Young Farmers experience

Paige: This was our second time participating in the Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) program. We competed in 2016 at the provincial level, but this time we were successful when we were announced as Manitoba’s OYF last year. The first time we competed we were very fresh and used it as a learning experience. This time around we were more seasoned and integrated into the farm and could articulate our goals and vision.

Marcus: Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) is a really big deal. It’s amazing to see the people who rally around this program and support each other, including our national cohort and program alumni. The national event was an opportunity to learn from other regional winners and each other, and while there are so many differences between us, we all have so much in common.

Paige: The COYF event helped us dig deeper and think bigger about ourselves and our farm.

CG: In your opinion, what makes a good leader?

Paige: A good leader should be willing and open to share with others while being encouraging. A leader should also have a sense of direction and be aware of the destination or desired outcome they are leading others to.

Marcus: Honesty is important too, along with a willingness to learn from their own experiences. One thing I noticed at the COYF event is that everyone who attended had a “glass half-full” approach and were very optimistic. I think that type of attitude is important in a leader and a testament to the agricultural leaders who participate in the COYF program.

CG: How do you think your approach to farming is different from previous generations?

Paige: We are fortunate to have two previous generations of our family still living close by. We know first-hand how hard Marcus’s grandparents and parents had to work to farm, and we acknowledge just how much technology has allowed each generation, especially ours, to ease the physical workload while expanding the business.

We can progress aggressively thanks to technology, like robots and the internet, and this is evident in just how far we’ve come and the changes we’ve made in the past decade.

Marcus: We are fortunate we were born into a time where tools can make progress easier and give us more time for ourselves. We can use the time that would have otherwise been spent doing physical labour to learn, research and study data, new methods and practices to continue to enhance our farm. Our ability to double our milk production with each generation is tied to the tools, technology and genetics that are available to us. 

I also think our approach is different because of our age and stage of life. Taking risks and chances is easier when you’re younger.

CG: What does farming look like today compared to when you started out?

Marcus: Over the years, we’ve been focused on implementing new ideas. We’ve improved efficiency, our work environment, made renovations, created and innovated to make the farm our own. I think we’re happy with our approach and we’re now in a position where we have time to think of the bigger picture now, like a long-term approach to our farm’s sustainability. 

Paige: I agree, we’re thinking and planning ahead versus dealing with the daily grind like we used to. I think the changes we’ve made in technology have helped us do that. Now we make the time to educate ourselves so we can respond to the data technology provides us to make decisions about things like herd health, cropping and soil nutrients. We make more informed decisions today, compared to the early days when sometimes it felt like we were guessing. The information and data we collect also help us save money and reduce our environmental footprint.

CG: What is your best advice for young farmers, or those coming into “the game”?

Marcus: Surround yourself with good mentors who you can trust and are honest. This might require you to make the effort to seek out mentors and nurture relationships, but it’s important to do. 

Paige: Farming means producing food for people and that’s an amazing honour. It’s also a very unique lifestyle, so you have to really want to do it. My advice is to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

The post Outstanding Manitoba farm couple harnesses innovation and data appeared first on Country Guide.

Vicki Brisson grew up on a dairy farm in eastern Ontario. She completed her bachelor of science in agriculture and her master of science in dairy cattle nutrition at the University of Guelph. She is currently the national knowledge mobilization manager at Lactanet which involves mobilizing information from research and making it practical for farmers to use on their farms.

CG: Why did you decide on a career in the agriculture industry?

VB: Growing up on a dairy farm I had a lot of respect for all that farmers do, and I wanted to find practical ways of helping them.

I appreciate what I do because it’s bridging gaps to help farmers understand the research. It also brings out the curious side of me, which is what brought me into the research side of things. I always have questions and try to find answers to them. 

CG: What is your perception of the Canadian ag industry today? What excites you about it?

VB: There is a lot that’s new and exciting in technology, specifically in the dairy industry with things such as wearable sensors, and cameras that allow farmers to monitor their herds even when they’re away. That has many benefits both in terms of data but also on the human side of agriculture, learning to balance the pressures and heavy workloads but at the same time making smarter, more informed decisions.

What’s exciting for the future is our ability to be more connected than ever with the rise of, for example, virtual reality. But along with that technology, we need to keep humans at the centre of things. So, it is about how we continue to foster collaborations. It really is about blending the old with the new and not getting away from basic human interactions. 

CG: What expectations did you have coming into the industry and how do they compare with your actual experience? As a young person coming into the ag industry, have you found it difficult to earn people’s trust and confidence, to show that you know what you are doing?

VB: I would say that maybe being a woman, and growing up a francophone in Ontario, there were different scenarios where adversity was certainly present. So, I wouldn’t say that I’ve never found it difficult, but at the same time, I’ve learned to overcome it along the way. It’s not something we’re clearly taught in school, but it’s important to surround ourselves with a few good mentors who can guide us in the right direction. Once we develop that trust and confidence in ourselves, it becomes easier to earn trust and confidence from others.  

Essentially, the challenge for us, as a new generation, is trusting in our ability to find answers and to find new ways of coming at those challenges. I see it as a challenge but also a motivation as well.

CG: What are your personal career goals and what new ideas and fresh approaches do you have to help benefit agriculture in your chosen field?

VB: A mission of mine, as I continue in this industry, is making sure that everyone has a voice and is heard. Because this industry is full of potential and that is both motivating and frustrating at times. The most frustrating tendency in agriculture is to say, “We’ve always done it this way.” I think that is what holds us back.

What motivates me is showing that there are different ways of doing things than what’s been done in the past and every new person that’s willing to come at it from that mindset really can make our industry better and richer.

It is about diverse vision and perspectives because that’s the best way to solve any puzzle and certainly agriculture is one big puzzle to solve.

CG: How do you feel about the future of the industry?

VB: Agriculture is an industry that is full of people who are forward thinkers and who have new approaches on old problems. Ultimately, there are so many ways we can come at a problem and the biggest disservice we can do is just continuing to come at it from the same perspective.

That also goes back to the way that we streamline our future talent pool into our industry. We have to do a better job of cultivating interest in that future talent pool. 

CG: If one day your children came to you and said they were considering a career in ag, what area of the industry would you encourage them to look at? Where do you see the best opportunities?

VB: My answer to that goes back to what excites me, that data and technology piece. But it also goes back to a skill that is cultivated through life and that is building human relationships.

As technology takes more space in our lives, we have to be able to connect with humans in a way that technology cannot. It is not simply about gathering data because in the future technology will be able to do that for us. It is about integrating that data in a personalized way. Regardless of the specific industry in agriculture that you may be in, those are two key pillars.

The post Youth motivated to find answers to today’s agricultural challenges appeared first on Country Guide.

The suspension is another disruption to the nation’s food safety programs after the termination and departure of 20,000 employees of the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the FDA, as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to shrink the federal workforce.

The FDA this month also suspended existing and developing programs that ensured accurate testing for bird flu in milk and cheese and pathogens like the parasite Cyclospora in other food products.

Effective Monday, the agency suspended its proficiency testing program for Grade “A” raw milk and finished products, according to the email sent in the morning from the FDA’s Division of Dairy Safety and addressed to “Network Laboratories.”

Grade “A” milk, or fluid milk, meets the highest sanitary standards.

The testing program was suspended because FDA’s Moffett Center Proficiency Testing Laboratory, part of its division overseeing food safety, “is no longer able to provide laboratory support for proficiency testing and data analysis,” the email said.

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump administration has proposed cutting $40 billion from the agency.

The FDA’s proficiency testing programs ensure consistency and accuracy across the nation’s network of food safety laboratories. Laboratories also rely on those quality control tests to meet standards for accreditation.

“The FDA is actively evaluating alternative approaches for the upcoming fiscal year and will keep all participating laboratories informed as new information becomes available,” the email said.

The post U.S. FDA suspends milk quality tests amid workforce cuts appeared first on Country Guide.

Enns and her husband, Albert Gorter, were looking to expand their dairy near Steinbach, Man., by adding their own processing plant to make dairy products.

Then the perfect business, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, a small family-run cheesemaking facility, came up for sale near Parksville, B.C.

But turning their dream into reality would take a move across the country, faith in the universe, and an amazing team of family, friends and business professionals.

When Enns and Gorter started talking about a possible business expansion, they questioned what that could look like in Steinbach.

Would they be able to build on site or would a new location be necessary? Was their location compatible with a farm store? Would starting the whole process from scratch even work?

“There’s just so many things involved in processing,” says Enns. “You really need to have a good idea of what you want to do before spending all the money and building a facility and (purchasing) the equipment. You need to create your business plan first and we did not know what that was going to be yet.”

At that point, everything was contemplative, says Enns. While grappling with these questions, they started looking into businesses that were for sale, both in other parts of Manitoba and in Ontario and Saskatchewan.

The couple first visited Little Qualicum Cheeseworks after Gorter met owner Raymond Gourlay during a Dairy Farmers of Canada training session in Guelph, Ont. Clarke and Nancy Gourlay, Raymond’s parents, had established the dairy back in 2001. Enns and Gorter had already been planning a trip to Vancouver Island to visit a different dairy friend, so they added the Cheeseworks to their itinerary.

They discovered that the Cheeseworks was exactly what they were looking for: a place they could see their product through from start to finish.

Before they left for home, Enns and Gorter told friends to let them know if the Cheeseworks ever came up for sale. Almost exactly a year later they got the call that would change their lives.

Sadly, Clarke had died in a mountaineering accident in Strathcona Park in 2019, leaving a huge hole in the business and by 2021, Nancy was ready to retire.

Enns and Gorter couldn’t let the opportunity pass them by.

“We did everything we could to make it happen,” says Enns. “That was in February 2021, and we moved in July. We were officially new owners as of September that year. It was a pretty huge whirlwind of a year.”

Right place, right time

Besides trusting that everything would work out, the biggest factor about the move was “knowing that you don’t know everything,” says Enns. “You just need to find the right people who do.”

When searching for the right financial backing, Enns already had people on their side through Manitoba MNP and Farm Credit Canada, so they connected with team members in B.C. MNP’s B.C. team also made recommendations for other professional services, such as lawyers.

“We just managed to create this super team. They had all known each other before from working on previous deals, so they all knew how to communicate with each other and how everybody worked,” says Enns.

Besides buying a new farm, Enns said they also had to figure out the best path forward for their farm in Steinbach. Gorter’s parents stepped in to take over.

Leaving behind family and friends was a challenge, but throughout the transition, Enns says everyone was immensely supportive. No one tried to talk them out of leaving and everyone — friends and family — helped Enns and Gorter with the move.

Enns and Gorter hit the ground running at the Cheeseworks in September 2021. Gorter took over management of the dairy and Enns manages the market.

The business welcomes 200,000 customers a year. They sell their own cheese as well as products from local vendors and they also sell milk through a coin-operated milk dispenser that’s open year-round. According to their website, it was the first in the country and is still one of only a handful.

The dairy is open to the public for self-guided tours, a learning experience for both locals and tourists alike.

“Parksville is one of the top tourist destinations on the island, other than Victoria and Tofino,” says Enns. “People make us a part of their trip. They show up to tour the farm, try the milk and buy some cheese and learn a bit about Canadian farms on their vacation.”

As if a life changing move wasn’t stressful enough, Enns found out she was pregnant with their second child, adding another level of chaos and uncertainty to an already challenging time. While it didn’t stop them from moving forward, it did make them stop and pause, wondering if this was a sign to slow down.

But through it all Enns says the stars aligned in so many ways that she just had to trust the universe.

“We’re not really religious people, but sometimes I think the universe has some control over things. All our stressful moments and questions of if we did the right thing or not, it always comes back to, yes, this is challenging, but we’re going to get through it, because this is where we’re supposed to be.

More to do

There was very little Enns and Gorter needed or wanted to change as they took the reins. Clarke, Nancy and Raymond had built a strong business model for both the dairy and the farmgate store, both of which were well-known in the community when Enns and Gorter took over. The couple rebranded a bit and assessed cheese sales to make some decisions about poor performers.

Enns says they are also taking advantage of the strong tourism industry.

One local resort uses Little Qualicum Cheeseworks in their restaurant and also provides every suite with a one-litre milk bottle and an information card on how to fill it up at the Cheeseworks milk dispenser.

Guests are also encouraged to get the full on-farm experience and to shop in the farm store.

They’ve found new opportunities to get their name out across the province by hosting more holiday events at the farm and attending more markets and food festivals across the province. This helps them connect and partner with chefs throughout British Columbia.

Luckily, many employees stayed on through the transition. Without a lot of previous work experience managing large teams, there was plenty to learn but a wealth of people on staff to learn from, says Enns. She recalls that sometimes she had problems with imposter syndrome.

“I was constantly asking them to tell me what they think they should do. I felt like an imposter in that role, having no experience prior to that… like, what am I even bringing to this business? Without our staff, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Three years in and there are still some things for which Enns feels she doesn’t have the answers but acknowledges how far she’s come.

“In the beginning, I could have very easily been like, ‘wow, I’m so not right for this position, this is not for me, I can’t do this’. Instead of that, I kept going. I kept trying to learn. I kept trying to understand on different levels from different objectives. Now I actually feel like I can run this business.”

And there’s even more they want to do.

Gorter got his dairy plant workers license a couple years ago and helps in the cheese factory. Enns hopes to do the same this year now that both her children are in school.

“One of my goals this year is to get my license to work in the plant, to start working with our cheesemakers and to learn more about the process. Hopefully, one day, I can make my own batch of cheese.”

For those considering a big change, Enns advises starting small. She says that pivots don’t have to be big to be impactful, and there is always room to grow and build on what people have already done.

“There’s lots of experts out there that can look at your situation and tell you what it is you need to do. Oftentimes it’s not as hard as you think it might be, and sometimes it’s just getting over that hump of the idea itself, and breaking it down into smaller, bite-sized pieces,” she says.

“No one needs to purchase a whole dairy herd or purchase an entire cheese-making facility. Just figure it out and find the people able and willing to help.”

The post Manitoba dairy farmers relocate to Vancouver Island appeared first on Country Guide.

Cows might come and go on this sixth-generation dairy farm and decades-worth of visitors have lived the farm life if only for a brief summer vacation in the on-farm cottages. Even hurricane Fiona left her mark on the MacNeill farm two years ago (more on this later.) But that one constant value, pride in a good day’s work, has allowed the MacNeills to focus on building a continuous business vision that is carefully crafted by looking to past successes and challenges to inform future growth.

But decisions are never made on a whim. “A decision is planned a hundred, a thousand times before it’s made,” Lance MacNeill says.

Then when Fiona destroyed their barn in September 2022, they suddenly had to make an “on a whim” decision.

“Building a new barn wasn’t even on the radar. Not at all, except maybe a dream,” says Lance.

Lance, who is a civil engineer, advocated strongly for a prefabricated Wolf barn structure to house their 60-head milking herd. “You basically snap the structure together like Lego,” says Lance.

“When I walked into my first Wolf barn, I was blown away by the laminated wood beams and how stately the structure looked. I thought it would be a beautiful barn in our location on the water and for tourists. It just ‘sells’ it all a little better.”

He said that he was completely sold on the idea when he learned they wouldn’t have to work their herd around a traditional construction project that could take months. “You can go from the building being delivered to frame up, steel roofing and gable end panelling in place in a couple of weeks. Once it’s enclosed, they do the interior cast-in-place concrete work.”

“Everyone chipped in and provided their input when coming up with a design, layout and equipment to go in the new barn,” says Lance’s dad, Kevin. “We all researched, visited neighbouring barns and discussed options with salespeople. It was almost overwhelming with all the options and choices to choose from”.

Eventually they settled on a design that allowed them to build the free-stall structure over top of the previous tie-stall, which meant they didn’t have to touch the milking equipment. “That was a huge savings. We were able to repurpose our existing milk room and continue to milk in 12 tie-stalls like a flat parlour. This allows us time to determine how we may want to milk the cows in the future whether it’s a robot, parlour or stay status quo,” says Lance.

“I call it the cow castle,” jokes Heather, Lance’s mom. “And we didn’t have to worry about moving the cows elsewhere while crews poured cement and all that stuff. Other than being late for milking for two days, there were no issues. It didn’t faze the cows one bit.”

Building on the past

The first MacNeills arrived in Cavendish in the 1830s, acquiring the original plot from an absentee landlord. They now farm just under 1,000 acres, some of which is national parkland.

The family rents a couple hundred acres from the P.E.I. provincial arm of Parks Canada. They are permitted to grow only certain crops such as hay, grain and soybeans, and no row crops (e.g., corn or potatoes).

The MacNeills, and others like them, are tasked with maintaining the soil and Parks Canada keeps an eye on things to make sure restrictions are followed.

“They want these fields to look pastoral for the people who travel here. Bike and walking trails are designed to run around the perimeters of fields so that visitors can stop and look at a field without disrupting the field or crop,” says Kevin.

The downside is that it can restrict business growth to a certain point and can make crop planning difficult due to restrictions on what can be planted.

The upside is that it’s a win for farmers who get extra acres to work on an island where agricultural land is at a premium and it’s a win for the fragile coastline ecosystem. “It’s good to protect the coastline and it gives us a little more freedom in terms of additional land base,” Kevin says.

And this tour-able farmland also fits perfectly with the on-farm cottages that have been welcoming guests since the 1930s.

“It all began when my grandfather started picking up travelling salesmen at the local train station,” says Kevin. His grandfather would bring them up to the farm and they’d rent a room while they toured local stores to sell their wares. “And my grandmother grew up in a hotel in North Rustico, so it was in her blood to run this type of business.”

By the early 1970s, Kevin’s parents, Alvin and Eleanor, decided to branch out and built two cottages. They added a few more in the ’80s and today, there are 10 cottages welcoming guests from around the world. “We have returning guests that have been coming for over 45 years in a row,” says Heather.

The farm and cottage business are run separately.

The farm is run by Kevin and his brother Garth and Garth’s son, Spencer, who has been critical to the farm’s recent growth since Kevin and Garth’s father, Alvin, has stepped back. Spencer graduated from business management, faculty of agriculture at Dalhousie University in 2019 and his return to the farm has reduced the burden on Garth and Kevin. “Since Spencer started working on the farm, it’s given them the ability to farm more land,” says Lance.

“Spencer has taken on the breeding program for the animals as well as the feed and nutrition aspect which has allowed us to pass the torch, so to speak,” Kevin says.

The cottage business was handed over to Kevin, Garth and another brother, Douglas, when their mother passed away in 2021. Alvin, who now lives in a retirement home, is still involved in the decision-making of both businesses.

But as Kevin emphasizes, none of it would happen without their wives, “the backbone of the farm.” Garth’s wife Donna looks after the financial side of the businesses and Heather takes care of reservations and other management aspects of the cottage business. “But between all of us, we alternate who looks after the home farm and who greets guests,” notes Kevin.

Parkview Farms provides guests a unique experience. It’s a “farmer’s dream retreat,” as Kevin jokes because farmers can socialize with one another while the kids pet calves and kittens and then head to the beach.

“People who come to visit us really want to know where their food comes from,” says Heather, a retired schoolteacher. “They’re very interested and quite in awe of the workings of a dairy farm. And the kids just go gaga over the calves,” she says, laughing.

Figuring out the future

The MacNeill dairy is one of the last remaining dairy farms in the Cavendish community.

When I asked them what their vision was for the next generation, Kevin didn’t hesitate to say that they want the farm to remain a traditional family farm. “We want to keep passing it down through the generations,” he says.

“But you’ve also got to look at the financial side of the business. Back in my grandfather’s time, it was a farm, a family farm. When my dad took over, it was a farm with a business. Now, for us, it’s pretty much a business first, a farm second. You have to watch your expenses and your debt load very closely, because if you enlarge it too much the next generation won’t be able to carry the debt due to inflation and the cost of land, equipment and everything. We could end up losing it through just the cost of expenses.”

Growing the farm with traditional values — a good day’s work and little to no debt — is harder to do now. “We’re self-sufficient. We grow everything we need and only buy concentrate,” says Lance. “But if we can’t acquire quota, you can’t grow the dairy aspect. So, where do you grow? Land is limited, so how can you grow in cash crops? And if you can’t profit off the land, if the checks and balances don’t work, does it make sense to try and even push the cash crop end?”

I commented about how tricky it must be for them to lock in on an idea for growth, because the vision is there, but it consists of several pieces from five different puzzles, so they don’t really go together.

“You’re exactly right,” says Kevin with an almost audible sigh. “And then there’s also factoring in the next generation. Older generations lived and died on the farm, but my generation is different from my dad’s who travelled a bit, and my grandfather’s who never travelled. I’m in my 60s and I’d like to travel and Lance’s generation wants to enjoy life more so that puts some stress on the operation.”

“I’ve had a taste of the ‘good life’,” Lance acknowledges. “I’ve worked an eight-to-four job with a decent income. I was able to buy some luxuries and have some fun, and I’d like to travel so I’m like, okay, if I go back to the farm, my paycheque will be cut way back. How can I keep my way of life that I currently have if I’m part of the farm?

“My grandfather would introduce me to guests, and they’d ask, ‘Are you going to farm?’ and he’d say, ‘No, he’s going to be an engineer’,” Lance reminisces. “With three families drawing on the family farm, there wasn’t room for another income, so I got that degree and went to work.

“I enjoy being as involved in the farm as I can be, which can be challenging while working a full-time job off the farm,” Lance says. “I help where I can, which for now is more behind the scenes. If I go back to the farm, my commitments will increase, my finances will likely be adjusted, and it is hard to say how things will change in farming practices in the next few years.”

“So, when it comes down to talking about future planning, well, we need to plan for the next generation and how it will be viable,” Kevin says. “In order to grow the cottage business, we’d have to enhance different things around the farm to draw in more guests.”

And Heather says it’s time for her and Kevin to slow down. “It’s time to bring other ideas on board.”

Lance chuckles and says, “Come up with an idea and have someone tell you ‘no.’ Start talking about the idea and hear the word ‘no.’ Open your mouth and hear ‘no.’ If I had a counter to keep track of all the ‘no’s’ it would have been replaced three times by now. You have to find a way to make them say ‘yes.’ And when you can figure that out, you’re probably on the right track.”

“That also made Lance work harder to get the ‘yes’ right,” says Heather. “Lance has been a visionary. He carries on some of those great qualities his grandfather had. He’s looking at all the different things going on in the world and that come to farming now. He’s always assessing and evaluating and then talking to his dad about it.

“There’s nothing ever wrong in a mistake,” she says. “You’ll learn what you can to make it different the next time. So, you shouldn’t shut down those ideas that are there, percolating.”

Two words kept coming to mind as I chatted with these three: reflective and collaborative. Their vision of what the farm can be is a combination of reflecting on past wins and losses, and collaboration between current family members, incoming members and the two businesses.

“Today’s world is so changeable, so volatile,” Heather says, “that we also have to start to think a little creatively, to assess good risk versus bad, and knowing that sometimes taking a risk is going to bring a certain amount of joy you wouldn’t have had otherwise. A lot of things can happen if you’ve got grit, if you’re a little stubborn. I firmly believe that being creative, visionary, applies as much to farming as it does to anything else in life.”

“If you stay status quo, you’re not going to survive,” says Kevin. “You’ve got to move with the times. Not necessarily as fast as they’re moving, but you have to move.”

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The Canadian Dairy Commission announced Nov. 1, 2024 that a decline in feed prices and the stabilization of other costs on dairy farms across the country means that the benchmark on-farm price for milk will decline by 0.0237 per cent starting in February 2025.

Why it matters: The set price for milk will help dairy producers plan for their business operations in 2025.

An increase in the consumer price index, which determines half of the milk price kept the decline in milk price from being greater.

A part of the supply management system, the Canadian Dairy Commission is the quasi-governmental body which determines farm-gate milk pricing in Canada.

The price that consumers pay at the grocery store for milk is influenced by the farm-gate milk price, but also other costs added by different steps in the supply chain.

The final price that farmers receive for their milk is also affected by regional dairy consumption trends and the world price for milk.

The 2025 farm-gate milk price reflects the lack of exceptional circumstances that have affected the price of milk during and after the COVID pandemic.

The Canadian Dairy Commission has been criticized for its lack of transparency, but a technical briefing held in advance of the announcement was attended by only two trade media journalists and one mainstream journalist from Quebec.

How is milk price determined?
The price for milk at the farm is determined by a cost production survey of 250 farms of different production types across the country. Survey results have a statistical margin of error of two per cent.

The 2023 indexed cost of production was $93.09 per hectolitre. The 2024 price, which takes into account the 2023 survey, and then an indexing of information from three months ending in August, shows a cost of production of $90.36 per hectolitre, a decline of 2.93 per cent, mostly based on the drop in the cost of feed, as global crop prices have declined in 2024.

Trend lines also show a stabilization of production costs in 2024, compared to 2022 and 2023.

The milk price is half based on the indexed cost of production and half on the consumer price index, which has increased 2.89 per cent, leading to a decrease in the farm gate milk price of 0.0237 per cent.

The 2023 cost of production survey results can be found here.

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The Moo to Do system is a staff scheduling module for dairy operations.

The system is meant to streamline on-farm tasks like scheduling and management. Built-in software provides data-driven insights to help the efficiency of dairy operations.

“Often when you have a dairy farm and you have people that are working there, there can be complications when you’re trying to schedule shifts or, for instance, when you’re trying to keep track of all the things that need to be done during the day,” said CATTLEytics CEO Dr. Shari Van de Pol.

In many operations, scheduling is limited to employees taking photos of a wall calendar.

“They’re using technology, but are they using it the most effective way? Probably not.”

Van de Pol said the module can improve the work and overall experience of employees who want to do a good job but don’t always know what tasks need to be done and in what order. She said eliminating that task-searching time could significantly reduce costs.

In the video below, Shari Van de Pol talks about the management software options offered by CATTLElytics at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show:

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But my recent field research on dairy farms suggests emissions from slurry, cattle dung mixed with water, could be four to five times greater than the official government estimates.

While most attention is focused on enteric emissions, largely the burps from the animals themselves, my new study with colleagues means that much more attention needs to be paid to how to reduce methane emissions from storing slurry.

Fortunately, new technologies can capture, process and use methane from slurry and turn it into a valuable resource – biomethane. Where there’s muck there’s money, the Victorians used to say, and this is no truer than in the reduction of livestock methane emissions to address the net zero challenge.

The UK government’s national inventory report on greenhouse gas emissions says that methane emissions from dairy cattle comprise 75 per cent enteric emissions and 25 per cent emissions from manure management – that’s the storage and spreading of livestock poo. These calculations are based on a methodology developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, involving a complex formula based on the number of animals, what they are fed, environmental conditions and so on.

Scientists seem comfortable with these existing enteric emissions calculations, but the formula for calculating emissions from manure management is now coming into question as field studies around the world find these emissions are often higher than assumed.

My colleagues and I monitored emissions from the slurry lagoons on two dairy farms in Cornwall for a year. The lagoons, which hold slurry in concrete-lined pits, were installed with airtight covers and the gas released from the slurry was collected and weighed.

On one farm, we found methane emissions were almost four times greater than that were reported by the UK government to the UN (145kg per cow per year, rather than 38kg).

On the second farm, methane emissions were more than five times greater (198kg per cow per year). If these figures are representative – and more research is needed to confirm this – then much more methane is coming from slurry storage than previously thought. The ratio of enteric to manure management could be closer to 50:50, and the total methane emissions from the dairy sector would be around 40% greater than the UK government officially reports.

There has been a lot of attention paid to addressing enteric emissions, but the slurry question has been treated as much less of a priority in comparison.

Approximately two-thirds of dairy cows across a total of 12,500 farms in the UK are on slurry systems.

Technological advances do offer solutions. The biogas industry is developing techniques to capture methane by covering slurry storage facilities. The methane gas is then cleaned and compressed and available as a fuel source.

Tractor manufacturers have developed tractors that run on methane, and businesses and local councils are exploring converting vehicle fleets to run on the gas. Methane captured from slurry storage can heat and power farm buildings.

Some of this technology is already up and running in Cornwall and beyond. Our estimates show that this energy saving could be worth tens of thousands of pounds to dairy farmers with an average-sized herd of milking cows. Biogas from slurry could be of huge value to the UK’s agriculture sector, too – potentially in the order of £400 to £500 million a year, according to our calculations.

So reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture can bring economic opportunities for farmers. The next challenge is to explore how these new supply chains for biomethane can be rapidly developed.

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