Ontario Pork Chair and Vice Chair re-elected

Apr 11, 2018

GUELPH, ONTARIO – The Ontario Pork Board of Directors is pleased to announce the re-election of Eric Schwindt (Waterloo) as Chair and John de Bruyn (Oxford) as Vice Chair at a board meeting on April 10, 2018.

Schwindt and de Bruyn were first elected to their respective roles in 2017, and in the past year have worked with board members and producers to make significant changes to the Canadian Pork Excellence platform and lay the foundation for a proposed new research facility.

“I look forward to continuing to work with John and our fellow board members to advance Ontario Pork’s position on issues that directly affect our members,” says Schwindt. “From policy and regulation to consumer education and international trade, we need to build on the momentum we’ve established to support a modern, sustainable and vibrant pork industry here in Ontario.”

Earlier this year, elections were held in Zones 3 and 4, with incumbent board members Chris Cossitt (Grey-Bruce), Arno Schober (Simcoe-York) and Oliver Haan (Northumberland-Quinte) all acclaimed. Other board members include Eric Hartemink (Elgin), Mike Mitchell (Middlesex), Doug Ahrens (Perth) and Teresa Van Raay (Huron).

Source : Ontario Pork

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!