B.C. ranchers win national TESA

Aug 14, 2020

The Seelhof family receives The Environmental Stewardship Award

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A ranching family from Horsefly, B.C. has won a national award from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA).

Ricky and Chad Seelhof of Woodjam Ranch are the recipients of The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) from the CCA.

The organization has selected TESA recipients since 1996 to recognize farmers and ranchers who implement innovation and environmental stewardship as part of their business.

“We were definitely excited when we found out we won,” Chad told Farms.com. “We thought maybe the odds were stacked in our favour because B.C. has a lot going on here, but you never really know.”

Ricky and Chad, along with their three kids, run a 500-head Black Angus cow-calf operation on 2,120 acres of cultivated and native rangeland, which they purchased from Chad’s parents in 2013.

The family have had a focus on environmental stewardship since they moved to the farm in 2003, Chad said.

“We’re from Saskatchewan originally and the day we moved out was the day (the Canadian Food Inspection Agency) announced that BSE had hit,” he said. “Right from the get go we wanted to make improvements and set out to do it in an environmentally friendly way.”

The farm is located adjacent to the Horsefly River and has 16 fish-bearing tributaries running through it.

The family invested in 30 kilometres (19 miles) of fence to keep the cattle away from creeks. And the fencing is wildlife-friendly so deer and other animals can get through with ease.

Installing the fence near the small bodies of water has paid dividends, Chad said.

“When we fenced off that land it became a big game changer,” he said. “Now we can manage it and keep the cows off of our meadows all summer, and it’s allowed us to stretch our grazing out sometimes all the way to Christmas.”

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.