Dairy Farmers of Manitoba chair David Wiens described the Canadian dairy sector’s proAction initiative at the inaugural One Welfare conference.

Providing the proof consumers want on animal care

DFC’s proAction animal welfare assessment program helps farmers demonstrate that high standards are being met

In 2008 two brothers who farm near Ste. Anne built a new barn to replace the one their father erected in the 1960s. His was “a Cadillac barn” and the best of the best for its time, but by the mid-2000s times had changed. It wasn’t just a robotic milking system for their 220 cows

Retired dairy farmer Raymond Philippot displays his provincial award received for long years of service with the Manitoba Dairy Museum located in St. Claude.

St. Claude farmer recognized for his work creating the Manitoba Dairy Museum

Raymond Philippot is one of five Manitobans to receive an award this month 
from Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon for long service promoting history and heritage

Years back, when talk began about setting up a museum in St. Claude, everyone was all for it, except no one knew where to start. It wasn’t just a matter of collecting old stuff. The provincial Culture and Heritage Branch urged them to try something different. Manitoba already had plenty of pioneer museums. “They said


“What sticks in my craw the most is the fact that
we are letting Canada off the hook (with supply management).” – Colin Peterson

Minnesota congressman critical of Canada’s supply management system

Colin Peterson suspects Canadians are using windfall profits from supply management to buy up American dairy processors

Canada’s supply management sector knows it’s on the American government’s hit list. Veteran Minnesota Congressman Colin Peterson reaffirmed that here April 26 while speaking to members of North American Agricultural Journalists. “What sticks in my craw the most is the fact that we are letting Canada off the hook (with supply management),” Peterson said when

dairy cow

Dairy initiative seeks to reassure consumers

The program aims to meet consumer concerns in a farmer-friendly fashion

Canadian dairy farmers have launched a mandatory program to document the sector’s commitment to food safety, environmental protection and animal care. The proAction Initiative, a Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) undertaking, is designed to show consumers how farmers tend to their animals and land in a sustainable way and will allow farmers to benchmark their


Close up of milking cluster

Lack of processing capacity leaves Manitoba milk producers short

More butterfat means more skim milk, which means Manitoba dairy farmers 
need access to more processing capacity

An imbalance in processing capacity has left Manitoba dairy farmers unable to fully use the province’s quota allocation. Speaking at a recent producer meeting in Steinbach, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba chairman David Wiens said the organization is working with processors and creating a new class of milk designed to increase investment in the province, while

milk pouring

Dairy farmers step up pressure on Ottawa over diafiltered milk

Milk producers say the rules around diafiltered milk in cheese making need to be enforced

Dairy Farmers of Canada and a coalition of Quebec farmers and processors are stepping up the pressure on the federal government to curb importation of diafiltered milk. They’re calling on the government to enforce eight-year-old changes to cheese compositional standards that barred the use of high-protein milk products. DFC president Wally Smith joined Quebec Agriculture


dairy cattle

Provinces creating new dairy class

The move is seen as a proactive strike against cheap imported milk proteins

Anew initiative by Ontario milk producers could help to slow the growing flood of milk protein imports undermining the Canadian dairy industry. Dairy Farmers of Ontario has implemented a new class for dairy ingredients which will allow processors to get competitively priced milk protein concentrates domestically instead of importing them. The new milk class, known

dairy cow

Dairy market loss close to four per cent

Dairy groups told no answer is coming until after the deals are ratified

Dairy farmers are still waiting to find out if the new federal government will honour the word of its Conservative predecessor. They were promised compensation to offset market loss under two proposed trade deals, but six months into its mandate, the Trudeau government has been noncommittal. Speaking at a Dairy Farmers of Manitoba meeting here


David Wiens speaks to dairy producers at an April 4 meeting in Steinbach.

Dairy quality program largely in place

Consumers trust farmers more than they trust farming, 
a recent study says

Most dairy operations already have the quality assurance program known as proAction in place, but some producers still have lingering questions about how the whole system will work. Speaking at a district Dairy Farmers of Manitoba meeting in Steinbach earlier this month, chair David Wiens said it’s not uncommon to see some resistance to new

Chicken Farm

Supply-managed groups pressuring government to address border issues

Unnecessary ingredients added to milk products to skirt tariffs and quotas

The Trudeau government is facing growing pressure from farm groups to improve border regulations and enforcement around supply-managed commodities. The issue has been boiling over in recent days as the sector has felt growing pressure over European and Pacific trade deals. Poultry producers pounded federal border rules and the Canada Border Services Agency during hearings