46 Follow us on Twitter @BetterFarmingON Better Farming | February 2024 Livestock to manage health and safety may make some options impractical for farms. Regulations for maximum weights per burial sites, setbacks from tile drainage sites and burial depths make this a poor option for farmers with fully tiled farms or those who have frozen ground during the winter. Cattle have additional regulations for handling of specified risk material (SRM) that limit transport and storage. The additional licensing and handling requirements also restrict which rendering facilities are willing to work with these materials. What are some potential solutions to the many challenges producers face when managing their deadstock? Potential solutions The LRIC study led by MacTavish produced a few promising solutions. The main recommendations generated by the study were to explore options for centralized pick-up sites, investigate new on-farm pickup options, increase industry education, and review current regulations relevant to deadstock management. “We are looking at doing some centralized collection of deadstock, although I’m not sure what that looks like yet,” says MacTavish. “Whether it’s that rendering companies can collect carcasses and bring them to centralized depot, or potentially it could be putting big freezers on farms and companies could just pick up the freezers.” There is no option that suits the demands of all livestock producers. For example, on-farm freezers may be more appropriate for some farms with smaller sized livestock. Producer transport of deadstock to a centralized location would also conflict with current SRM regulations and may require facilitation by a rendering business for licensing. MacTavish believes it’s valuable to review where current regulations contradict each other. “I don’t believe we can find a solution that’s practical and sustainable without some regulatory review, and assessing the role renderers play in addressing the One Health concept,” explains MacTavish. “We currently have multiple ministries with regulations touching deadstock and we need to streamline that.” Brandstetter hopes that collaboration across all livestock industries will lead to a broad range of solutions. “The livestock industry as a whole recognizes that there is an issue,” says Brandstetter. “We think there’s opportunity to maybe collaborate with some waste management entities. The latest initiative from the Agricultural Adaptation Council allows for municipalities and waste management facilities to apply for funding so we hope they’ll take advantage of it.” He agrees that a review of regulations holds opportunity, as well as finding ways to reduce the cost of livestock pickup. “We have been looking at transfer station sites that would potentially be reducing costs for farmers to have deadstock picked up and maybe not travel as far of a distance. And it may even allow farmers to take advantage of a lot of these transfer stations rather than looking at onfarm options, which can be difficult, especially during winter months,” says Brandstetter. “There used to be value in deadstock, and we know there is still some value through the end products. We are hoping for more of a circular economy, especially in a day and age where we are trying to minimize products going to waste facilities. If it can be reused it’s beneficial for all.” While it is unlikely, regulation changes will happen quickly, and many regulations will remain for the purposes of animal, human and environmental health. The collaboration of the various facets of the livestock industry will yield a renewed interest in the importance of deadstock management strategies. “In general, it has been great that all the different livestock organizations can come to the table to try to find practical solutions to the issue. “We do recognize that in all sectors there are labour issues and stress about profitability, with rising fuel and everything more expensive, but hopefully we can find a solution,” says Brandstetter. “There isn’t one-solution-fits-all but hopefully, with collaboration, we can find multiple options for industry members and farmers.” BF Onion Skins & Peach Fuzz: The Farmerettes* Written by Alison Lawrence Directed by Autumn Smith *Based on the book by Shirleyan English & Bonnie Sitter July 1 - 20, 2024 Jim Watts: Girl Reporter Written by Beverley Cooper Directed by Kim Blackwell July 30 - August 24, 2024 WORLD PREMIERE WORLD PREMIERE 2024 SUMMER SEASON IDYLLIC, RURAL, AND QUINTESSENTIALLY CANADIAN Kim Blackwell, Managing Artistic Director Robert Winslow, Founder 705-932-4445 toll-free 800-814-0055 www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca Photo by Wayne Eardley, Brookside Studio Emma Meinhart, Bombers: Reaping The Whirlwind, 2017. Photo by Rebekah Littlejohn
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