Foot & Mouth Disease

Jun 02, 2023

International Travellers Awareness

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a virus that is highly contagious to cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, pigs and sheep. Canada is free of FMD. This virus is the greatest health threat to Canadian livestock and an incursion would be economically and socially devastating.

Many countries in Asia, Africa and South America are positive for FMD. Travellers returning from these areas pose a risk to Canada’s livestock.

Travellers can play a role in keeping Canada’s livestock and wildlife safe.
Always declare to Canadian Border Services Agents when you have travelled from a farm internationally OR will be returning to a farm in Canada.
Everyone must avoid contact with livestock or susceptible animals for 5 days after returning to Canada.
When returning from a country without an official FMD-Negative status, avoid contact with livestock or agricultural operations for at least 14 days.

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Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.