Flock Talk

We are delighted to have the owner of J. Underhill Canadian Wool Agency, Jane Underhill join us on Flock Talk. Jane shares how she got into the industry, the work her company does, and gives a global perspective on wool, its largest competitors, and how Canadian wool compares. Jane also discusses market opportunities for Canadian wool, what quality specifications customers are looking for and prov...

This week we’re pleased to have the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, Lisa Bishop-Spencer join us on Flock Talk. Lisa gives a brief overview of CCFI and their mission and breaks down how they communicates with the public, track Canadians perceptions of the food and agricultural industries, understand their expectations and concerns and how they use this data help the Ca...

Kelly Somerville, the CEO of the Livestock Research and Innovation Corporation (LRIC) shares how she joined the organization and gives an overview of what LRIC does, who its members are and how these groups work together to set goals to meet the needs of Ontario’s livestock sector. Kelly explains how LRIC works with smaller commodity organizations such as OSF to support their research and developm...

We are joined by Michael Keegan and Shakiba Shayani to discuss the international research project initiated by OSF in 2024, their partnership in this project and their main objectives. They also talk about community engagement, consumer behaviour and market trends and share how their insights from this research translate into real-world benefits for Ontario’s lamb industry plus much more! For more...

Tyler McCann is the Managing Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) and has many, many years of experience in agriculture and federal politics. Tyler shares CAPI’s mission, their current priorities and their 2024 survey highlighting producers' concerns regarding a Trump Government. Tyler also discusses trade diversification, domestic risk management and shares his thoughts on m...

This episode features Christoph Wand, a Livestock Sustainability Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Ago-Business. Christoph shares his insights and discusses his contributions to livestock sustainability in Ontario. Christoph talks about the challenges that sheep producers face when adopting sustainability practices and how to overcome these challenges. He touches on the...

President of the University of Guelph's Ontario Agriculture College Sheep & Goat Club, Delaney Hopkins shares her background with sheep along with the clubs journey, key goals, building connections, and challenges students face when trying to break into the industry. Delaney also discusses the clubs involvement in College Royal, farm tours, guest speakers and much more. For more OSF content, f...

Senior Director of Government Relations and Farm Policy at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Brodie Berrigan talks all about tariffs between the US and Canada and what that could mean for farmers in Ontario and across Canada. Brodie also reveals who the real winners are in a tariff war between the US and Canada and much much more! For information and updates on the situation, visit www...

Paula Menzies brings a wealth of knowledge to Flock Talk on the topic of coccidiosis in sheep. Paula shares the most common symptoms of coccidiosis in ruminants, how to identify the symptom and how she diagnoses the problem. Paual also talks about her approach to treating or controlling coccisiosis in sheep and gives tips to producers to better manage the environment in their barn to avoid outbrea...

Erin & Stacey welcome Sarah Brien to Flock Talk where she shares her journey from her early beginnings to her becoming the General Manager of Canadian Sheep Breeders Association . Sarah lists the various programs the association offers and talks about about the CSBA’s biggest achievements of 2024 plus success stories from breeders, technology and innovation in the industry and much more! For m...

This episode of Flock Talk borrows a segment from last October’s AGM & Convention where Bill McCutcheon & Delmer Martin deliver a panel on Market Lamb Assessment & Carcass Data. They bring practical insights into evaluating market lambs and using carcass data to inform better productive decisions and much more! For more OSF content, follow us on Social Media Instagram & Facebook: @...

This episode of Flock Talk borrows a segment from last October’s AGM & Convention where Paul Luimes speaks on minimizing feed waste. From feeder types to hay quality and dry matter intake to body condition scoring, Paul focuses on optimizing feed efficiency, animal health and sustainability in the sheep and broader livestock industries. For more OSF content, follow us on Social Media Instagram...

In this episode, hosts Erin Morgan and Stacey Sage from Ontario Sheep Farmers chat with Mark Ferguson, owner of Next Gen Agri, about the potential of genetics in sheep farming. Mark shares his experiences from his time in Ontario in October 2024, including his 2,000 km journey across the province, and offers expert insights into genetic tools like LambPlan and GenOvis, parasite resistance research...

In this insightful interview, Ursina Studhalter talks about her personal experience dealing with Maedi Visna, a chronic viral disease affecting sheep. Ursina shares her challenges, lessons learned, and the proactive steps she’s taken to manage the health of her flock and what she’s focussing on now after the outbreak.   If you’re a sheep farmer or simply interested in animal health, this conversat...

Art Alblas, Chair of the Ontario Sheep Farmers, shares how he got into sheep farming, his vast experience in agriculture and business and his experience as a board member and chair for OSF. Art addresses key highlights as well as challenges and takeaways from the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, member engagement & communications improvements along with the newly designed OSF Website and the...

Jeff DeJong, Ontario Sheep Farmer and graduate of the Master Shepherd’s Course, discusses his experience taking the course, what motivated him to take the course and how far into his career he was when he decided to sign up. Jeff also shares how the knowledge he got from the course helped him grow his business and what he would tell farmers who are on the fence about registering. For more OSF cont...

This episode is a recorded clip of Dr. Andrew Peregrine's presentation at this past October's AGM & Convention. Dr. Peregrine discusses sheep measles and carcass condemnations, how farm dogs get infected and how they can pass on parasites to sheep, preventative measures and much more! For more OSF content, follow us on Social Media Instagram & Facebook: @OntarioSheepFarmers X : @OntarioShe...

Lauren Cowan, Winner of the 2023 Sheep & Wool Ambassador Competition at the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair shares how she got involved in sheep farming, how the sheep and wool industry has impacted her life. Lauren also talks more about the Sheep & Wool Ambassador Program, her process in applying, what motivated her to compete as well as some suggestions for future contestants when applying...

Jeff Cressman, a board member and Manager of the Dairy Sheep Co-operative talks about the growing dairy sheep sector and the work of the Co-operative in supporting its members. Jeff reveals what led to the development of the co-op and why he chose the co-op structure, as well as the main benefits of being a member of the Dairy Sheep Co-operative and how the membership works. Jeff also gives some a...

James Clark, Territory Manager of Ontario for Gallagher, expresses the company's view of the sheep industry in Ontario with opportunities for sheep farmers to be profitable, Gallagher's electric fencing solutions and other products animal management products, the role of remote monitoring technology in managing sheep on pasture and some of the key factors sheep farmers should consider when setting...

Patricia Ellingwood, General Manager & Birgit Martin, Chair of the Ontario Forage Council break down the council’s mission, how they support sheep farmers and the benefits of rotational grazing in terms of forage utilization. Patricia & Birgit provide a list of resources, programs and events that the Ontario Forage Council offers to help sheep farmers enhance their forage practices and adv...

University of Guelph's Professor of Livestock Nutrition, Paul Luimes, shares how he got his start in sheep research and the research flock he's developed at the Ridgetown Campus, as well as his goals for the flock in regards to sheep nutrition. Paul also discusses the biggest nutritional challenges sheep are facing today, how he's addressing those challenges and much much more! For mor...

The newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food & Agribusiness, Rob Flack, shares his experience in agribusiness before running as an MPP, what drew him into provincial politics, and some interesting experience since being elected. The Minister also shares his early priorities as well as the progression of the Grow Ontario Strategy and his thoughts on the future of the Risk Management Progra...

Andrew Rushmere, interim executive director of Farmers for Climate Solutions, gives an overview of the organization, how he became involved with Farmers for Climate Solutions and its mission within the agricultural community. Andrew shares how he sees the role of sheep farmers in the fight against climate change and addresses specific challenges that farmers face when it comes to implementing clim...

Luis Garcia provides an overview of the Centre for Meat Innovation and Technology (CMIT), shares some examples of how CMIT fosters collaboration within the meat processing industry, and why it's so important for innovation. Luis also discusses how CMIT can help farmers looking to expand their business by developing a product and their heavy focus on skills training and development plus so much...