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Deer Farmers’ Digest Newsletter |
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October 2000 - Vol. 1, Issue 10 Welcome to the OCTOBER 2000 edition of the Deer Farmers' Digest, a monthly electronic newsletter published by Deerfarmer.com - The Deer Farmers' Information Network. This Digest is distributed via e-mail to over 1,500 readers in fifteen countries. A copy of ALL the issues of the Digest can be found at http://digest.deerfarmer.com Please feel free to forward the Deer Farmers' Digest to other interested people. To ADD or REMOVE your name from our mailing list, please see Subscription Services below. IN THIS ISSUE 1. So you want to be a deer farmer – Part I 1. SO YOU WANT TO BE A DEER FARMER – PART I I get quite a few e-mail and guest book requests from people who want to become a deer farmers. If you are one of those considering deer or elk farming (and there are a few on our mailing list), here is some advice and suggestions on how to get started. First, why would anyone want to become a deer farmer? I believe there are 4 main reasons: 1. Love of deer – many deer farmers were (and still are) avid hunters. They love deer, but spending only several weeks in the bush looking for them is not enough. By farming deer, they now can enjoy that trophy buck all year round. From the comments I get, many deer farmers truly enjoy raising these animals, especially the native species such as white-tailed and mule deer. 2. Diversification – according to U.S. statistics, about two-thirds of American farms lose money every year (same in Canada). Farmers are always looking for ways to spread the risk, and diversify to smooth the economic cycles of traditional agricultural commodities. If you already have the land, raising deer and elk is a reasonable addition to your farming operations. 3. Money – some people enter the business (especially elk farming) as an investment with the expectation of significant returns. Yes, there are some pretty attractive prices being paid for top breeding stock and their semen, but there are also significant risks. 4. Hobby – some people that have the financial resources raise deer as a hobby, just as others raise horses or dogs. Since deer and elk require little labour and almost look after themselves, they are a good choice for a hobby-farmer. For what types of people would deer and elk farming be most suitable? Four types come to mind: 1. Existing livestock farmers – if you are already raising cattle, you probably are a good candidate for raising deer and elk. You already have the land, equipment and some of the facilities. You know how to handle and look after animals. Deer and elk do well on marginal land that may not be suitable for your cattle. The big costs will be fencing and handling facilities. 2. Grain farmers – you already have the land, the equipment and some of the facilities. However, do you have the knowledge, patience and experience to work with animals? 3. Ex-farmer types living and working in the city – at least you know what is involved in farming and some of the issues. Your regular job may give you some resources to invest in deer farming and look after them on a part-time basis. 4. Everyone else – yes, you may become a successful deer farmer provided you have enough money to invest in starting and operating a deer farm, and are willing to spend a lot of time and energy to learn about ALL the aspects of deer farming, i.e., business, production, animal management and health, and marketing. For you, it certainly is a riskier venture and you would be well advised to do your homework before taking the plunge. For those future deer farmers who would have to start from scratch, I ask you to consider less risky alternatives. These include: 1. Buying a few deer and boarding them on an existing, well-run deer farm. That way you can significantly minimize your risks, reduce your work-loads, still enjoy your deer and take time to learn how to look after them. If everything goes well, you can eventually move the deer to your own farm. 2. Buy into an existing deer farm through some form of partnership or equity arrangement. This is another way to reduce the risk, and to work with people that have demonstrated they know how to raise and market deer. After you have learned what you need to know and gained some experience, you can sell out and start your own deer/elk farm. So the first and most important step for a deer farmer wannabe is to do some research and information gathering. Here are some of the questions that you need to ask: 1. What is the legal status of deer/elk farming in my province or state? If deer or elk farming is not allowed, then you will have to move to a jurisdiction where it is, or forget the idea. 2. What deer species are permitted to be farmed – native, exotic or both? 3. What are the minimum legal requirements that must be met, e.g., land requirements, fencing, registration, etc.? 4. What resources are necessary for me to set up as a deer farmer? Do I have the resources? If not, how will I get them? 5. Do I have the knowledge and skills necessary to run a deer farming operation successfully, e.g., business, production, animal management and health, marketing skills? If not, how do I plan to acquire them or hire them? 6. What is the general outlook for the deer/elk industry in my state/province and/or in my country? Are good breeding animals available at affordable prices? 7. How do you plan to generate revenues/cash flows from your deer farm and become profitable? What is the market for each of the following products? On which ones will you focus?
8. What services, if any, do you also plan to offer? What is the revenue potential of each?
9. How will I sell my products and services to generate revenues and cash to pay for my expenses? What do I need to do to develop and implement a marketing and promotion program? 10. How will I finance my deer/elk farm? Do I need external financing? How much will I need and from where will I get it? Where do you find the answers to these questions? For a start, try these: 1. Deer and elk websites – obviously the place to start is Deerfarmer.com. We have much information on all aspects of deer farming. Visit our discussion forums - http://www.deerforum.com - to see what problems and issues deer farmers are dealing with on a day- to-day basis. Check out our Classified Ads to see who is selling what for how much - http://ads.deerfarmer.com . Use our Links section to find other deer farming sites. Check them out, as they are likely to be a great source of information. 2. Deer and elk associations – find the address of your nearest deer or elk association and contact them for more information. They will have an information package available and can provide you with information on local regulations and market conditions. You may want to join as an associate member to get their publications. If possible, attend their meetings, and especially their conferences (if they have one). Also contact the national associations, such as the North American Deer Farmers Association ( http://www.nadefa.org ) and the North American Elk Breeders Association ( http://www.naelk.org ). An up-to-date list of associations can be found in the Deerfarmer.com Library. 3. Other deer/elk farmers – these are probably your best source of practical operational information. The best way to find other deer farmers in your vicinity is through the associations. Another source is our Deer Farm Directory on Deerfarmer.com, although this listing currently is for white-tailed deer farmers. Our plan is to expand this directory soon to include farmers of all deer and elk species. Hopefully, this is enough to get you started on your journey to becoming a deer or elk farmer. In the next article, I will talk about putting all this information together into a business plan.
2. BETTER REGISTER THAT DOMAIN NAME NOW! Well, it has happened again, and it is mighty annoying! I just went to register an Internet domain name for a deer farmer and found it was already taken. The name wasn't taken a few months ago when I first checked, so I should not have waited but registered it then! A domain name is your global Internet address. Anyone in the world that has Internet access can reach Deerfarmer by simply entering http://www.deerfarmer.com into their browser. "Deerfarmer.com" is our domain name that we own and no one else can use it. Domain names are usually assigned on a first-ask, first-get basis. Internet domain names are regulated by each country. Other than the United States, domain names registered in other countries have a two letter identification as part of them, e.g., steppingstones.ca (Canada), deerfarms.com.au (Australia). USA domain names end in .com, .net or .org. These domain names are available to anyone; other countries' domain names are usually only available to those that live or have a presence in that country. So if you are even remotely considering having a presence on the Internet at some time in the future for your deer or elk farm, association or other related business, it is a good idea to "tie up" or register a domain name as soon as possible so that nobody else takes it. Ideally, you will want a domain name that is the same as your farm or business name. And this is where the problem lies. Often, your name is similar to another business and thus is already taken. (I often advise people getting into a new business to pick a business name that still has a domain name available, and register them both at the same time!) So, how do you know whether a domain name is taken? With the Internet it is easy. 1. To see whether a domain name in the United States ending with .com, .net or .org is available, go to http://www.domainnameregistration-srs.com/cgi-bin/whois.cgi Type in the domain name you want to register and click the "Submit Query" button. If the domain name is already taken, it will show you information on who has registered that domain name. You can try variations including the 3 different endings until you find something that is available. 2. To see whether a Canadian domain name is available, go to http://www.cdnnet.ca/search.html and enter the desired domain name. 3. In Australia, a good site that allows you to search for domain names, as well as providing information on the relevant rules and regulations for that country is http://www.super-hosting.com.au/domains.htm 4. In New Zealand, the New Zealand Internet Registry Ltd. has the information you need to register a domain name in that country. Their website is at http://www.domainz.net.nz Here are some of the rules for .ca, .com, .net and .org domain names. 1. Two to 63 characters long – don't even think of using all 63 characters. The length (recently increased from 26 characters) now allows you such names as "mydeerfarmovertherebytheriver" and increases the number of domain names that can be registered. However, my advice is to keep it short as possible – long names are easily misspelled and people will have trouble finding your site. 2. No spaces or special characters are allowed – hyphens are permitted but cannot end or start your domain name. This means you can have "my-deer-farm-over-there-by-the-river". Should you use hyphens to separate the words in your domain name, e.g., my-deer- farm, instead of mydeerfarm? Up to now the most common practice has been NOT to use hyphens. However, hyphens do make it easier to read and remember long domain names. As well, there is some strong evidence that search engines will pick up a hyphened word in their search. Since domain names are used by search engines to determine higher placement in search results, this alone may be a good argument to use hyphens. Also, mydeerfarm.com and my-deerfarm.com are two different domain names. Using a hyphen can sometimes give you an option if a certain domain name you want is taken. However, you also have to take into account whether visitors will forget to type the hyphen and go to the other site. Also, be wary of trademark violations. 3. Numbers are allowed, but not obscene names or trademarks owned by organizations. Names that may cause confusion may not be used. After finding a domain name for your farm or business that is still available, how do you register it? 1. In the United States, Network Solutions ( http://www.networksolutions.com ) had a monopoly until just recently. Now there are numerous companies that allow you to register a domain name right on-line. You can still do it at Network Solutions but their annual registration fee is $35/per year with a minimum of two years to begin with. I use directNIC ( http://www.directnic.com ) out of Louisiana and have been happy with their service. You go to their website, set up a free account, and for a $15/year fee per domain name can register domain names to your heart's content. (I have been known to wake up in the middle of the night with a great domain name, run to my computer to check its availability, register it and then go back to bed). Occasionally, you will need to access and update your registration (for example, if you change web hosting companies), so select a registration company that allows you to do it easily. 2. The situation in Canada right now is a mess. For years, the University of British Columbia had been acting as the Canadian registrar of domain names. Domain names were free. As of November 1, 2000 the service is being taken over by the non-profit Canadian Internet Registry Authority ( http://www.cira.ca ). In turn, CIRC is licensing other companies to do the actual registrations. Fees for a Canadian domain name now range from $25 per year to $100 per year so shop around. A list of Canadian registrars can be found at the CIRA website. The good news about changes in Canadian domain names is that now anyone living in Canada or having a presence here can use the .ca domain name. Prior to the change-over, unless you were federally incorporated, had offices in several provinces or the domain name was a federally registered trademark, you had to use the province in your domain name, e.g., mybusiness.on.ca I am using Domainsatcost.ca ( http://www.domainsatcost.ca ) to register Canadian domain names. After an evaluation of the registrars available, this company seemed to offer the best combination of price ($25/per year) and automated service. So far, the service seems to be okay. 3. For Australia and New Zealand, visit the websites mentioned above to register names in those countries. Should you use a US or local country domain name? If you are doing (or expecting to do) business at an international level, a .com domain name is the way to go. If you feel that a country identification will be a marketing advantage, than go with a country domain name. Registering a domain name does not give you much intellectual property protection. You may want to consider registering a trademark in the countries where you plan to do most of your business. Again, the Internet makes it easy for you to search and register trademarks on-line. For more information on trademarks in Canada and the United States, visit http://www.steppingstones.ca/library/patents.htm If you are having someone else register a domain name on your behalf, be sure that they register it in your name. We have had problems with companies that design websites refusing to give up (i.e., transfer) a domain name when we wanted to take our business elsewhere. This is also true if you have a company design a website for you. MAKE SURE the contract specifies that you (not they) own all the rights to the content on your website. When you register a domain name, you reserve it by "parking" it. To use your domain name on a website or as an e-mail address, you still need the services of an ISP (Internet Service Provider) or web hosting company. Once you rent space from a hosting company, you can set up a website, "point" your domain name at it, and set up your e- mail addresses using your domain name. You CANNOT use your domain name for a web address or e-mail address if you have a website on someone's else website such as Deerfarmer.net – you need to have your own website (which of course costs more). In the deer and elk industry there are still some good domain names available, especially for the industry associations. I strongly recommend that you register your desired domain names as quickly as possible while they are still available. If all this sounds too complicated for you, e-mail or call us, and I will be happy to register a domain name for you at our cost. But don't wait, or you will be disappointed too!
Elk and deer travel very well, given proper conditions. Safe, efficient and humane transportation requires thoughtful preparation, careful handling and proper design. Some key points to remember:
On trips of twelve hours or less, the elk or deer should be well fed and watered before loading. Then further feed and water is unnecessary during transport. For the first several hours, they are unlikely to utilize any feed or water provided. For trips longer than twelve hours, fresh hay plus water should be provided every four hours. The easiest way to accomplish this, if the outside temperature is near or above the freezing point, is to push "flakes" of small square bales into their compartments, then hose down the hay and the animals each time you stop. This will provide all the moisture they need for trips up to forty-eight hours in length, and will cool and calm them as well. For trips longer than forty-eight hours, provision should be made to stop and unload the animals for a twelve hour or more rest, feed and water break. Moist feed, such as silage or root vegetables may also be used as a water source. Transport compartments should always be well ventilated, particularly in warm weather. Air intakes should be positioned to avoid exhaust fumes, and to avoid direct drafts at eye level, particularly in cold weather. Deer and elk should be loaded and unloaded as smoothly and calmly as possible. Always load and unload in small groups of 4 to 8 animals. The ideal loading chute for elk or red deer is four feet wide and eight feet tall, with a solid roof and sides. The chute should be made of two eight foot long sections, with an angle of 30º to 45º between. An adjustable-height loading ramp allows any size of truck or compartment to be safely loaded. The pins fit into grooves on the underside of the ramp, allowing the back end of the ramp to slide as the height is adjusted. If large tractor-trailers with four foot tall loading doors are to be used regularly, extend the ramp to twelve feet long to lessen the slope of the ramp. Keep a supply of plywood pieces near the loading chute, and nail them on the inside of the door opening to cover any spaces after the truck is backed in tight. Truck doors may be slightly different shapes. The sweep doors in the crowding pens before the loading chute should move most animals on to the truck. If they stop or balk in the loading chute, try one or more of these techniques:
Never beat the elk or deer with any tool, and use any type of prod with great caution. Unloading is best accomplished with patience. Let the animals unload themselves. This may be particularly necessary when handling older males, who occasionally decide they are happy to stay put in the trailer. A sweep gate in the trailer will work well in such cases. Deer will unload easily from the side door given a slow hand and an easy touch. Elk or deer may be transported in almost any type of conveyance built for larger livestock, but a few details can improve handling quite markedly, and reduce injuries. Walls should be smooth and free of any sharp protrusions. Floors should provide adequate footing, padding and absorption. A layer of sand overlaid with wood chips or sawdust works well. [Reprinted with permission from the Alberta Elk Association website].
4. VENISON INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS [By Mike Mamminga, Bureau Chief for the Iowa Meat and Poultry Inspection Bureau. Reprinted from the June 2000 edition of The Elk Scoop, a publication of the Iowa Elk Breeders Association] The most common questions that I am asked by deer and elk producers have to do with whether these animals must be inspected in order for the meat to be sold within the state, nationally or around the world. The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) regulates meat and poultry in interstate commerce and foreign export by federal law. There are two federal laws, one that addresses meat, and the other poultry. Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, mandatory inspection is required for cattle, sheep, swine, goats and equines. No mention is made of elk or any other member of the cervidae family. Elk and elk meat are therefore "nonamenable" to the federal law and exempt from requirements for meat inspection for intrastate, interstate or foreign export. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates food in interstate commerce and through various agreements, and assists the states in regulating food in intrastate commerce. Uninspected venison is food, just like bread, candy bars or potato chips, and as such is under the authority of the FDA when in commerce. All food must come from an "approved source" in order to be sold in retail stores and restaurants. An "approved source" does not mean that the deer or elk must be inspected; rather it means that the facility where the animal was slaughtered and processed is inspected. The most common "approved source" for uninspected venison is a licensed food establishment, a federally inspected meat plant, or a state inspected meat plant. Even though federal law does not require venison to be inspected under the federal meat inspection law, uninspected elk/deer meat is not legal for sale in all states. Some states with state inspection programs require elk and other animals that are sold there for food to be inspected. A provision in the federal law permits the states to enter into cooperative agreements with USDA/FSIS and permits the states to provide a mandatory meat inspection program that is "equal to" the provisions of the federal law. The federal law provides that USDA/FSIS will fund 50% of the cost of the state program. There is a "catch" in the federal law that limits state inspected cattle, sheep, swine, and goats to intrastate commerce only. Iowa and 24 other states regulate the plants that market in intrastate commerce only. We use the same rules. Why the two programs? The thinking is that local officials who provide guidance and direction along with regulation are best suited to regulate small businesses. State officials are also more likely to be accountable to industry and elected state officials. It is not a good idea to market uninspected venison. There are several reasons for this. Some of the states with state inspection programs mandate additional animals to be inspected under their state meat inspection act. These are in addition to the animals mandated by federal law. In Iowa, fallow deer, sika deer, red deer and elk must be inspected in order to be sold for food. There are two basic reasons for this. One is food safety. The other involves costs of inspections. If an animal is mandated to be inspected under state or federal law, the inspection costs are paid for by tax dollars. If a voluntary inspection is requested, then the person requesting it must pay for it. USDA/FSIS offers a voluntary inspection program at about $40 per hour. Many customers are likely to demand that venison be federally inspected. Meat buyers, especially those who purchase for firms that have outlets in several states, are aware of the federal meat inspection requirements to a point. They know that cattle, sheep, swine, goats and domestic poultry must be federally inspected for legal sales in interstate commerce. They are not familiar with the requirements for other animals, including elk, so they request what they are familiar with – federal inspection. They do not know that state inspected elk meat is not bound by state lines. In addition, many buyers do not know that state inspected elk is eligible for sale in all states, including states with state inspection programs. Perception and incomplete information on the specifics of the federal meat inspection laws are real problems. Venison exports outside the USA are another issue. The international community sets their own standards as far as what meat will be imported into their countries. Countries that are willing to import elk carcasses or elk meat may demand USDA/FSIS inspection. State inspected slaughter and processing plants that maintain "official" status can slaughter and process your deer or elk under state inspection, and manufacture a variety of cuts and specialty products to meet your needs. You may develop your own private label by working with the plant owner and inspection staff. You can do the same thing in a federally inspected establishment by working with the plant owner and federal inspector. There is often a prior label approval process so you need to start early before your products are ready for market. One hundred percent elk meat, state inspected or not, cannot be processed into a 100% elk meat product that bears the mark of voluntary federal inspection. Only voluntary federally inspected elk can be made into a 100% elk product that bears a voluntary (triangular) mark of federal inspection. So, if you want 100% elk products made into products that bear a voluntary federal mark, you must have the elk slaughtered and processed under voluntary federal inspection. Now for the confusing part. Since elk are "nonamenable" to the mandatory inspection requirements in the federal law, elk/deer is considered by USDA/FSIS to be a "nonmeat" ingredient that may be used in federally inspected "amenable" meat products that are mandated for federal inspection. In order for the meat product to be mandated for federal inspection, it must contain more than 3% meat (cattle, sheep, swine, or goats), or 30% fat from these species, or 2% cooked poultry, all from USDA/FSIS inspected sources. In order to be used as an ingredient in a federally-inspected "amenable" meat product, the elk meat must come from an "approved source." An approved source would include product that has been inspected by a federal, state or foreign inspection program. The end result is a federally inspected meat product that can be primarily state inspected elk meat with a small amount of "amenable" USDA/FSIS inspected meat or cooked poultry. The finished product would bear a round mark of mandatory federal inspection by virtue of the addition of federally inspected meat components. [In Canada, the requirements are somewhat less complex. Meat from any animal slaughtered at a provincially inspected facility can only be sold within the province. Meat processed in federally inspected plants can be sold anywhere in Canada and exported. Meat for export to the European Union countries requires special EU approved facilities, which are available in Canada. The issues with developing a venison market for Canadian producers are not so much with inspection, but sufficient supply to make it cost-effective for plants to process specialty livestock - Editor]
ALBERTA ELK CENTRE A new Alberta Elk Centre of Excellence will open on November 7, 2000 in Leduc Alberta Canada. The Elk Centre is a partnership venture among the Alberta Elk Association (AEA), Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and the University of Alberta's Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science (AFNS). The Alberta Elk Centre was established to support economic development of elk-related agriculture. The agencies believe that sharing core knowledge and competencies in a planned and deliberate manner will not only benefit the industry and province, but will also support each agency's individual missions and goals. The Elk Centre will serve as the Alberta Elk Association's business office. The Alberta Elk Association Office is in the same building as the successful Bison Centre of Excellence. It is anticipated that a good working relationship and some synergies will occur between the two organizations. Alberta Agriculture is providing the Elk Centre with an Elk Production Specialist and a marketing professional. In addition to Bill Buchta, the Executive Director of the AEA, a business manager and administrative assistant will be hired. For more information about the Alberta Elk Centre, contact AEA at info@albertaelk.com or visit their website at http://www.albertaelk.com DIVERSIFIED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION DIPLOMA Lakeland College in Vermilion Alberta Canada is now offering a two- year diploma program in diversified livestock production. The program was originally introduced in the mid-1990s as a one year certificate program, and is believed to be the first of its kind in Canada and the United States. The students receive in-depth training on elk, bison, wild boar and exotic species as well as diversified farm management, legislation and animal handling. With the change to a diploma program, the students now also take courses such as welding, accounting, pharmacology, agricultural software and communications to provide them with basic agricultural and business skills. For more information on the Diversified Livestock Production program visit Lakeland College's website at http://www.lakelandc.ab.ca or phone Todd Ree at 780-853-8526.
Here is a list of upcoming events of interest to deer farmers. ALBERTA REINDEER ASSOCIATION MEETING will be held on Oct. 28 (11:30 am to 3:00 pm) at the Leduc Legion (5210 - 50 Avenue) in Leduc Alberta Canada. For more information contact Elaine Young at 403-729- 2635 or mailto:geyoung@telusplanet.net BDFA ANNUAL CONFERENCE: The annual British Deer Farmers conference will take place in Brecon, Powys, Wales on Nov. 4-5, 2000. The program will include processing and marketing venison, organic standards for farmed deer and carcass evaluation. For more information contact BDFA at phone 017684 83810 or fax 017684 83809 or visit our website at http://www.deer.org.uk A TWO-DAY WHITETAIL WORKSHOP will be held on Nov. 11-12, 2000 at Gibbons, Alberta Canada. This workshop is sponsored by Extreme Whitetail Genetics and will be taught by Dr. Harry Jacobson. For more information see http://deerfarmer.net/Extreme or e-mail mailto:bucks@telusplanet.net or phone 780-942-4527. CANADIAN RED DEER ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CONVENTION will be held in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada on Nov. 17 to 19, 2000. Call 613-874-9994, fax 613-874-9995 or mailto:buy@glen-net.ca for more information. IOWA ELK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION will be held on Jan. 13, 2001 at Marshalltown Iowa USA. For more information visit their website at http://www.wapiti.net/ieba/ , mailto:tusseyelk@yahoo.com or phone 641-782-2903. MINNESOTA ELK BREEDERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING will be held on Jan. 13, 2001 at the Doubletree Hotel, Bloomington Minnesota USA. For more information contact Patty VanGundy at 507-896-2380 or visit their website at http://www.mneba.addr.com ALBERTA ELK ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION will be held at the Mayfield Inn, Edmonton Alberta Canada on Jan. 26 and 27, 2001. For more information contact AEA at mailto:info@albertaelk.com or visit their website at http://www.albertaelk.com (List of speakers and sessions can be found in our Calendar). Many more events, including deer/elk sales, tradeshows and workshops are listed in our Calendar section of Deerfarmer.com that can be found at http://events.deerfarmer.com . Take advantage of this free service to list your upcoming events.
7. WHAT'S NEW AT DEERFARMER.COM We have added a new deer farm to our websites found at http://www.deerfarmer.net We welcome Meadowview Deer Ranch at http://www.deerfarmer.net/mdr At this site you will also find unique metal sculptured weather vanes and signs for sale – just in time for Christmas. Please visit their new website and sign their guest book. The major change at Deerfarmer.com is our new, enhanced Calendar of Events, located at its own sub-domain at http://events.deerfarmer.com We have listed several different types of events in the Calendar. These include:
The Calendar software allows you to view different months, and specified types of events. External postings are permitted. However, you will need a userid and password to allow you to post, edit and delete events. Fill in the registration form or e-mail mailto:webmaster@deerfarmer.com if you want access privileges to the Deerfarmer.com Calendar of Events. Your other option is to e-mail them to me and I will post them. Please take advantage of this free service to promote your Association's or farm's upcoming events. We continue to update our list of Deer and Elk Associations. Visit the Associations list in our Library for contact information of your local Association. We strongly encourage you to support and participate in your local deer or elk industry associations. They are critical to ensuring that the regulations and environment stay friendly for a thriving and profitable deer and elk farming industry. They also are an excellent source of information and assistance for new farmers. The associations need your support to do their jobs.
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We are always looking for articles and news about deer and elk farming that we can print in this newsletter. E-mail, fax or mail your ideas and articles to the Editor as per below. For more general information, comments and suggestions, please contact: Russell Sawchuk E-mail: mailto:editor@deerfarmer.com DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for general information only. It should not be relied upon to make business or farming decisions without first obtaining professional advice. Accordingly, we cannot accept liability for loss or damage arising directly or indirectly from any advice, opinion, representation or omission, whether negligent or otherwise, contained in this newsletter. ©2000 Deerfarmer.com. The Deer Farmers' Digest may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Deerfarmer.com is a division of Steppingstones Partnership, Inc. |
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