EAST CENTRAL ONTARIO SIMMENTAL ASSOCIATION

ECOSA NEWSLETTERFEBRUARY 2015

ECOSA NEWSLETTER2015 ECOSA DIRECTORS

PRESIDENTJOHN PEARSON 905 349 3415

VICE PRESIDENTANDREA STILLMAN 705-957-7890

CSA DIRECTORGLEN WOTTEN 705 878-1713

SECRETARYJUANITA ELMHIRST 705-295-2708

TREASURERKATHY PEARSON 905-349-3415

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN 2015

MARCH 4-5, 2015Lindsay Farm ShowECOSA Booth

March 7, 2015 OSA Annual MeetingBest Western - Peterborough, ON

March 21-22, 2015Junior Beef Expo, London, ON

March 28, 2015IRCC Bull & Female SaleIndian River, ON

April 11, 2015 @ 6:00pmECOSA Annual Potlock MeetingVilliers Community Center

April 25-26, 2015Youth Forum, Markham, ON

July 30th - Aug 2nd, 2015Canadian Simmental Convention 2015CYSA National ShowLindsay, ON

August 19-20, 2015Hasting’s Plowing MatchECOSA Booth

Message From The President...

Greetings from Grafton,

We had a calf born at our place today. This is a fairly common occurrence at a farm. Common? Sure it happens quite regularly, but it is anything but “common”. You check the cows in the morning and one of them seems to be a little restless. By noon she has given birth to a calf, licked it dry and it’s attempting to stand up and nurse. At nighttime you check on the pair to find that the calf has followed her mom outside and is off exploring the barnyard. All of this at sub-zero temperatures. Where were you when you were ten hours old? I think words like marvelous and spectacular better describe these events. The result of our feeding, breeding, management and hard work all coming together. I hope that we can all feel a little inspired as we watch these miracles take place. Our Christmas pot-luck dinner took place last November with over 30 people in attendance. I would like to welcome Andrea Stillman as Vice-President and thank Juanita Elmhirst for staying on as Secretary and Kathy Pearson as Treasurer.There are many great events taking place in our area this year and I know that our group will be be very well represented.

John Pearson

WELCOME...

The ECOSA members celebrated an early Christmas along with a record breaking calf sale season in late November to reboot club activities for 2015. Positioned in the hottest Simmental pocket in Eastern Canada, the opportunities developing for Simmental cattle in the purebred industry in this area are numerous. The recent 2014 National Simmental Show was dominated by club members and our Junior Simmental enthusiasts also took the Royal by storm and reinforces the strength of this zone. The ever popular East Central Invitational Simmental sale held in Woodville also saw great attendance and experienced a huge increase in prices to set the average price at an all time high.

2015 is shaping up to be one of the most active and exciting years for ECOSA as the Canadian Annual General Meeting will be hosted in Lindsay in conjunction with the National YCS Classic Junior Show. Plans are underway to support these events and fundraising projects are underway to generate income to help make this AGM one to remember. Look for raffle tickets on some excellent and useful agricultural prizes to buy or sell at a cattle function near you. One of the must attend events is the Farm Show in Lindsay during the first week in March. ECOSA will be presenting a display booth at this year’s show and will need Zone members to help fill in some slots to man the booth and promote this great breed. Also during early March the OSA meeting will once again take place in the popular and Central hub of Peterborough at the Best Western. Plan to attend both of these events and let John or Juanita know what time you can spare to help at the Farm Show Booth. Also on the horizon is the Hastings county Ploughing Match that the Club will try to have a display booth at.

Definitely projected to be a year of Simmental excitement in the Kawarthas we look forward to promoting our breed and breeder programs to as many people as we can and will be formatting a membership directory to hand out at beef industry events. If you would like to be a part of that directory a simple membership fee of $20 and your farm information can have your name in the hands of hundreds of potential customers. It would also allow your youngsters seeking post secondary education an opportunity to apply for the ECOSA scholarship program. ECOSA is also looking for a young person to be the face of our club as the zone ambassador. Anyone interested should contact John or Juanita.

A big year ahead for our little club, but after the resurgence in beef demand and a whole new outlook on the profitability of the cow calf man, there is no better time to be active and aggressive in the promotion of Simmental cattle in our zone and abroad. Mark your calendar for the events listed above, especially the National AGM and YCS and wave your Simmental flag high. the breed is as popular now as it was in the height of its introduction into Canada, and remember, “Breed em all, Simmental!”

2015 ECOSA MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORYECOSA will be attending many events this which include:

Lindsay Farm ShowHastings Plowing MatchCanadian Simmental Convention, Lindsay, ON

We will be preparing a directory to hand out at functions. To be included: become an ECOSA member. Below is a form to fill out.

* Forms to be in by February 20th

•••

2015 ECOSA MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY FORMFARM NAME:________________________________________________________________

NAME: ____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

PHONE: ___________________________________________________________________

EMAIL: ___________________________________________________________________

WEBSITE: _________________________________________________________________

MAKE PAYMENT TO:EAST CENTRAL SIMMENTAL ASSOCIATIONC/O KATHY PEARSONPO BOX 157GRAFTON, ON, K0K 2G0

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED...ECOSA will be looking for volunteers for these events:

Lindsay Farm ShowHastings Plowing MatchCanadian Simmental Convention, Lindsay, ON

If you are interested, please call John Pearson at 905 349 3415 or j.kpearson@sympatico.ca

•••

2015 ECOSA AMBASSADORECOSA IS LOOKING FOR THEIR NEW AMBASSADOR

If interested, fill out this application. LOOKS GREAT ON A RESUME!AGE: 13-25* Forms to be in by February 20th

2015 ECOSA AMBASSADOR APPLICATIONNAME:________________________________________________________________

AGE: ____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT INFO: ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

PHONE: ___________________________________________________________________

EMAIL: ___________________________________________________________________

YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE SIMMENTAL BREED:

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

OTHER INVOLVMENT WITH YOUTH PROGRAMS AND AGRICULTURE:

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

SEND APPLICATION TO:JOHN PEARSONPO BOX 157GRAFTON, ON, K0K 2G0

CANADIAN SIMMENTAL CONVENTION 2015July 30 - Aug 2, 2015 Lindsay, Ontario

Main Events: Simmental Innovation Day . CSA AGM . YCS National Show

Thursday July 30, 2015•Golf Tournament•Kawartha’s Tour•Wine & Cheese Reception

Friday July 31, 2015•YCS Events•Simmental Innovations Day•Boat Cruise

Saturday August 1, 2015•YCS National Classic Showmanship•CSA Board Meeting•CSA AGM•Banquet •Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundation Auction

Sunday August 2, 2015•YCS National Classic Confirmation•Pen showintroduction into Canada, and remember, “Breed em all, Simmental!”

1/2 pound ground mild pork sausage 1/2 pound ground beef 1 (15-ounce) can jalapeno ranch-style pinto beans, drained 2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced 4 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 medium avocado, chopped

Preparation

Cook sausage and ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in beans and next 5 ingredients; cook until thoroughly heated.

Stir together soups and enchilada sauce in a saucepan; cook until thoroughly heated.

Spoon one-third of sauce onto bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish; top with 3 tor-tillas. Spoon half of beef mixture and one-third of sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with half of Cheddar cheese. Top with 3 tortillas; repeat layers ending with tortillas. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and next 3 ingredients.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Top with avocado.

Ingredients

Mexican Lasagna

Let your lasagna go Mexican by layering ground beef and sausage with corn tortillas, tomatoes, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and cheese. It’s a convenient weeknight dinner that the kids will love as much as the grownups.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servingsCook time: 30 Minutes Prep time: 30 Minutes