Emergency planning summer focus for Ontario Pork

For Perth County-area pork producer Tanya Terpstra, completing the On-Farm Emergency Response Planning Guide for Ontario Pork at first “seemed like more paperwork.” 

But Terpstra, who operates a farrow to finish operation with her husband Darryl, understands the importance of having a plan in place. Nearly a decade ago their farm suffered a fire in an old barn that housed some cattle, and in a moment of crisis, Terpstra said you’re “not thinking clearly and wonder if the right steps were taken and other than your insurance company, who else do you call?” 

Why it matters: There are an increasing number of potential emergencies to be dealt with by hog farms, including the risk of African swine fever.

Ontario Pork initially created the plan in 2017 to help producers know what to do and who to contact in emergencies such as prolonged power outages, hazardous spills, manure spills, transport issues, structure collapse, extreme weather and mortalities. The plan was updated in 2020 with the addition of three new sections: dealing with animal disease and disaster planning and preparedness; animal activists, protests, and trespassers; and mental health information and resources.

In addition to providing an outline of what steps to take and who should be called in case of an emergency, the guide requires site-specific maps and surveys, as well as information on environmental factors such as soil type, wells, and drainage systems.
This part of the guide can be overwhelming and “can require a certain skill set,” said Jessica Fox, Swine Health Ontario (SWO) manager.

That’s why Ontario Pork, SWO, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) provided funding for four students this summer to help producers complete their on-farm emergency plans. Fox said the guide takes a lot of time to fill out, as it’s very detailed, but “it’s right to get the proper information.”

The students have been trained by Ontario Pork and OMAFRA. Part of their role is to assist with gathering information on farm capacities and determine what land can be used, in the case of mass mortality or depopulation while following environmental land-use regulations, said Fox.

The purpose of this to allow the organizations to know what options are available and to be as prepared as possible should an emergency occur.

“You don’t want to be pulling this information together during an emergency on a farm or multiple farms,” she said.

What precipitated the push for Ontario Pork, SWO, and OMAFRA to provide the resources necessary to get more producers finishing the guide was the arrival of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Americas, as well as COVID-19, said Fox.

She said the Ontario pork industry was “very close” to having to consider depopulation options due to market disruptions stemming from the pandemic.

Having plans in place will allow pork industry partners to respond quickly should market disruption or another emergency occur.

“We’re trying to be proactive rather than reactive.”

Frank Wood, manager of Industry and Member Services with Ontario Pork, has been involved with the planning process since its inception and sees many benefits for producers.

He said it takes the pressure off of them when their “mind is going a mile a minute” because Ontario Pork has a copy of the completed guide, and can assist with phoning feed companies and emergency services, for example, in their areas when they need to be focused on ensuring the safety of their family or animals.

It also starts conversations that producers don’t always think to have.

“It creates a dialogue,” said Terpstra.

This is particularly true for the disease management section of the guide. “I think the eye-opening experience for Darryl and I was understanding what everybody’s role will be, who will be calling the shot and how we all fit together, and what the timelines are,” she said.

For emergencies such as fire or wind damage, she said the farming community bands together to help their neighbours. But in the case of a foreign animal disease, OMAFRA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be involved, movement zones set up and permits needed. Neighbours will not be allowed on the farm site to help.

“The timeframe in which we would expect things to get done doesn’t necessarily meet what the CFIA would say, or what we could physically do.”

The guide also drives home the need to have regular conversations with your insurance provider, said Wood.

Cleanup costs are often overlooked, and he encourages producers to have this conversation with their provider.

He said the guide also helps support a farm’s fire plan, because things like wells and chemical storage locations are mapped out.

“A lot of fire marshals are starting to ask for this.”

Wood said Ontario Pork’s emergency planning is unique in Canada, because it is being done in collaboration with provincial government to “ensure that we have the right compliances on the properties”, providing comprehensive site-specific information.

He wants to assure producers that their privacy will be maintained, as all information is only stored on the Ontario Pork server.
Ontario Pork sent out notices to producers last month encouraging them to get in touch and take advantage of the summer students.

The team is available now through the end of August. Interested producers can email [email protected] for more information.

“I hope this is the most effort we put into a project that isn’t used,” said Wood.