Beef and Forage Roundup

MBFI Inc.

Hi and Welcome to the podcast! My name is Chantel McRae and I will be your host. I started working for MBFI in January of 2022 as an Extension Specialist with the goal of increasing awareness and information regarding the projects and important research happening at MBFI. One of the ways we have decided to do that is through a podcast that shares information on the research projects that are being conducted here, as well as extension events and on farm practices and technologies. MBFI is a not for profit organization developed through partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association with direction from stakeholders collaborating for the advancement of the industry. MBFI’s mission is to advance the Manitoba beef and forage industry by engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public and the environment. In short we Engage, Evaluate and Extend. MBFI’s Goal is to promote excellence, efficiency, and sustainability of practice in the agricultural industry in Manitoba for the dual benefit of the public and the environment by conducting on-farm research and field testing of practices related to beef cattle and forage production and disseminating the results to farmers and the public, as well as through providing hands-on learning opportunities and work placements for the development of professionals entering beef cattle and forage production. We will be sharing information through interviews with General Manager, Mary Jane Orr, project leads for various projects, MBFI team members, speakers from our extension events, industry leaders and industry suppliers. This podcast will dig deep into on-farm research and field testing practices related to beef cattle and forage production and efficiency and sustainability of practice in the agricultural industry in Manitoba. We will be sharing information on upcoming training and workshops, field and farm demonstration tours, education materials and events at MBFI, as well as producer profiles from around the province and information on their own trials, challenges, innovation and results.

  1. Eco-Tea Trials & Products with Neal Wagar & Mary-Jane Orr

    3D AGO

    Eco-Tea Trials & Products with Neal Wagar & Mary-Jane Orr

    Neal Wagar is the National Sales Manager for EcoTea. He joined the agriculture industry just over 5 years ago with EcoTea. Neal was previously a golf course superintendent and has a degree in turf grass science. Once in the agriculture industry he went back to school to get his Ag Diploma from Olds College. Neal has worked in all facets of the company from production and delivery of product to sales. He supports EcoTea Canada-wide with a strong focus on the prairies. One of his passions in the job is helping coordinate and analyze research. EcoTea has done over a million dollars worth of research in the last 5 years and is proud to share all of it - good, bad and ugly - with not only growers, but the industry as a whole. Mary-Jane leads a dedicated team at MBFI to advance Manitoba’s beef & forage industry through engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public, and the environment. She deeply values the opportunity to collaborate with producers, researchers, education providers, extension specialists, conservation groups, and all stakeholders in field-testing management practices and growing understanding of improved production in Manitoba. Mary-Jane holds a PhD from Purdue University in soil microbial ecology in agricultural systems, is a Professional Agrologist, and Certified Crop Advisor. Her experience in ecology and field agronomy gives her a unique perspective on the challenges facing agriculture today. In today’s episode, we chat with Neal about his role with EcoTea, as well as a bit of history of the company and the products EcoTea has to offer producers. Neal also explains the origin and process they use in creating the EcoTea products, and explains the process they use to ensure a consistent product year after year. We discuss some of the research done on the EcoTea products, which have occurred in a variety of crops and locations, as well as trials that EcoTea is planning for the 2026 season. We also chat about the benefits of using EcoTea, the benefits of increasing soil nutrient cycling and nutrient use. We also talk with Mary-Jane about the preliminary results they have seen from their use of the EcoTea products at MBFI, as well as the trials she is looking to implement in the 2026 growing season using EcoTea products. You can find EcoTea: Online at: www.ecotea.ca On X: @ecoteaag On Instagram: @ecotea_ag The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    1h 21m
  2. Prairie and Ontario Cover Crop Survey & Research with Callum Morrison

    MAR 18

    Prairie and Ontario Cover Crop Survey & Research with Callum Morrison

    Callum Morrison is a Crop Production Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, serving the Central Region. Originally from Scotland, Callum moved to Canada in 2017 and brings an international perspective to prairie crop production. He works closely with producers on agronomy, crop management, and applied research to support profitable and sustainable farming systems. In 2020, Callum conducted the Prairie Cover Crop Survey, helping capture early adoption trends and on-farm experiences, and he is currently leading a follow-up survey five years on to assess how cover crop use has evolved. In addition to his role with Manitoba Agriculture, Callum farms near Altona, Manitoba with his partner and black Labrador, Bobby.” Today we are chatting with Callum about cover crops and the Prairie Cover Crop Survey. Callum shares about his role and regular tasks with Manitoba Agriculture and shares some information about what cover crops are and some of the benefits they provide. The Prairie Cover Crop Survey was conducted in 2020 and is being offered a second time this year. This allows Callum and his team to see what changes have occurred to cover crop implementation in the Prairies and Ontario, including challenges and benefits producers are seeing in regards to cover crop use, and why producers have started or stopped using cover crops on their land, if this change has been made. We chat about who is eligible, and why this research is important to share. The deadline to complete the survey is March 31st, 2026. Callum hopes to have the results of the survey compiled and ready to share by the fall of 2026. To participate in the survey, you can head over to: https://gfo.ca/cover-crop-survey/ To find the results of the 202 survey, you can visit: https://umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/sites/agricultural-food-sciences/files/2021-10/2020-prairie-cover-crop-survey-report.pdf To contact Callum, please email him at callum.morrison@gov.mb.ca or call him at 1-431-344-0133. He is also on twitter @callummorrisons and on LinkedIn. The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    52 min
  3. MBFI’s Approaches to Annual Cropping for Livestock Feed with Dr. Mary-Jane Orr

    MAR 4

    MBFI’s Approaches to Annual Cropping for Livestock Feed with Dr. Mary-Jane Orr

    In today’s episode, we chat with Mary-Jane about upcoming events and projects that are coming to MBFI in 2026 and then we move into a discussion about the different annual forage production approaches used in the 2025 growing season. Our discussion also touched on the multiyear MBFI Cropping Project that is looking at using annual forage intercrops to build soil health. This project was discussed in Episode #40 all the way back in September of 2023. This episode looks at the 4-5 approaches MBFI uses to grow forages. As we dig in, we examine yield data, feed quality results, the impact of soil variability to MBFI’s crop trials and the impact fertility has had in the trial plots. Much of this information is looking at the differences between monocrops and polycrop trials implemented at MBFI. Mary-Jane also talks about some of the biggest challenges in implementing cropping trials and have she and the MBFI team have worked to either overcome these or switch the focus of the project to work within their parameters and context. We would like to take a moment to thank Imperial Seeds, FP Genetics, Northstar Seeds, and Secan who have been project sponsors for the 2025 project year. The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    56 min
  4. Assiniboine College Digital Agriculture Courses with Angela Pearen (AC)

    FEB 18

    Assiniboine College Digital Agriculture Courses with Angela Pearen (AC)

    Angela Pearen is the Coordinator of Ag Extension at Assiniboine College, where she supports industry-driven education and knowledge transfer across the agriculture sector. She brings experience in program development, stakeholder engagement, organizational development and event coordination with a focus on connecting producers, students, and industry to practical, applied learning opportunities. A Professional Home Economist by trade, Angela has supported the Agriculture industry for over 25 years. She’s deeply committed to the agriculture industry and finds real satisfaction in the work she does every day. In today’s episode, we are chatting with Angela Pearen, who is the Ag Extension Coordinator with Assiniboine College about the Digital Agriculture Courses that are available at AC. The first course we talk about is the Digital Agriculture Fundamentals 8 week course. This course is offered in a blended delivery style online. The program includes 6 courses; Digital Ag course, Ag Production Best Practices, Soil Management, Precision Agriculture, Digital Ag Tools & Technology course and the Career Skills & Job Readiness course. We talk about each of these topics and what is included in each course. We discuss the types of careers this program sets students up for, when it is offered and how interested individuals can apply. The second course we touch on briefly is the Digital Agriculture Technology 2 year program. This program is not listed as having a future intake date planned, but we discuss what the program looks like and the goals of the program. It may be offered in the future, and if you are interested in the program, you are encouraged to contact the college via the email below to show your interest. To find out more about the Digital Ag Courses, visit www.assiniboine.net or email agextension@assiniboine.net You can also find Assiniboine College on: Facebook: @Assiniboine College Instagram: @agassiniboine The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    50 min
  5. Using Drones for Remote Herd Monitoring with Dr. John Church

    FEB 4

    Using Drones for Remote Herd Monitoring with Dr. John Church

    Dr. John Church is an Associate Professor in Natural Resource Science at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia as well as Research Chair in Cattle Industry Sustainability. John initially started Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch in 1997, a large bison and elk operation east of the Rockies just southwest of Calgary, Alberta. In addition to practical and direct bison industry experience, John served for eight years as the Alberta provincial animal welfare specialist where he led a bison dehorning study, and is currently the Chair of the Scientific Committee for the Canadian Bison Code of Practice. Dr. Church earned his PhD in Agriculture from the University of Alberta in 1997, under the late Dr. Robert Hudson, studying the effects of production practices on the behavior and management of bison, elk and cattle on farms. Dr. Church now leads a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to the exploration and invention of innovative practices and technologies leading to the sustainability and enhancement of the cattle and bison industry, rangelands, and meat production and related products. The focus of Dr. Church’s research program is on new opportunities for beef and bison producers in the areas of value-added and branded meat production, which includes human and environmental health. In addition, his research program is now using drones for Precision Ranching, with a goal towards improved management of both the land base as well as the animals. In today’s episode, Dr. Church shares information not just on using drones to monitor cattle, but also his preliminary work in using virtual collars with bison, his work towards bison welfare, and where he thinks precision agriculture will be going in the future. One of the ways he is using drone technology to monitor cattle is through reading RFID tags. We chat about some of the benefits of using drones for producers who farm on large acres of public lands, as well as those who raise cattle in heavily forested or difficult to access areas. Dr. Church has also used drone technology for work in feedlots to count cattle and predicts that in the future, drones may be used like pen riders to check cattle health and possibly treat cattle who are ill. Dr. Church also shares his research using thermal imagery of cattle, as well as using drones to measure the respiration rates of cattle of different colors. We discuss his thoughts on the impact of global warming on the health of black or darker colored cattle versus those with a lighter coat coloring. We also chat about some of the challenges and limitations of using drones, something that is becoming less of a problem as drone technology advances. Further to this, Dr. Church has also been involved with the use of drones to assess vegetation and pastures and spraying using drones, which we touch on briefly in the episode. To contact Dr. Church for more information, you can email him at jchurch@tru.ca Watch his Inaugural Professorial Lecture Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n0aeTpp9Ss The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    59 min
  6. Using Drones for Seeding Marginal Areas with Charlotte Crawley (DUCs)

    JAN 21

    Using Drones for Seeding Marginal Areas with Charlotte Crawley (DUCs)

    Charlotte Crawley was raised on a mixed farming operation in Clanwilliam, MB. She received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Systems from the University of Manitoba in 2003 and headed to Alberta where she worked as a meat inspector at the Cargill plant in High River, followed by a two year position at Ballo Feeders feedlot. Charlotte returned to the family farm in 2005 where she farmed full time for 8 years with her parents, farming 2500 acres, including forages, backgrounders, and cow/calf. Her parents retired from grain farming in 2014 and Charlotte continued to farm 3 quarters of pastureland and maintained a herd of 65 cow/calf pairs. Her family was awarded with the Heritage Farm award in 2022, recognizing that the farm has remained in the same family for 125 years – this is one of Charlotte’s greatest accomplishments. With her parent’s retirement in 2014, Charlotte sought off farm employment to help supplement her cattle addiction. She was fortunate enough to land a position as the farm manager for the inaugural season at MBFI. In this position she happened to hear of an opening with Ducks Unlimited Canada where they were looking for someone to establish forage on all newly purchased lands and to work with farmers to establish forages on their own lands. Charlotte believes that sometimes the best things in life happen when you don’t expect them, and she jumped at the opportunity to join the DUC team. Today, Charlotte oversees the Ducks Unlimited Canada forage and marginal areas programs, manages all forage restoration field activities on purchased lands, and assists with grazing management on DUC’s existing properties. Cattle farmers are conservationists at their core, and Charlotte feels so fortunate that she can work for Ducks Unlimited Canada during the day and moonlight as a cattle farmer. Charlotte and her cows recently moved to Rapid City, where she lives and works on her partner’s cattle operation, where they run a hay and straw business, backgrounder operation, grassed yearlings, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 650 head cow/calf operation. In this episode, we are discussing using drones to seed marginal areas, as the first episode in our mini series on Technology in Agriculture. This program took place in Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2024 and 2025 through the Marginal Areas Program, Agriculture Demonstration of Practices and Technologies Program and the Fall Dormant Seeding Program. There is no cost to producers to seed using drones through these programs. Charlotte describes what marginal areas are and some of the benefits to seeding these areas from the weed control and habitat enhancement lens. Further to that, we chat about the benefits and opportunities that arise through seeding these areas using drone technology. We also discuss challenges that arise when using drones to seed, but in general, Charlotte sees the pros out weighing the challenges of seeding these areas with drones. We wrap up with a discussion on programs that are available to producers for the 2026 season. To find out more, head over to the website below! Website: www.ag.ducs.ca The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    44 min
  7. Owning & Managing a Generational Ranch with Suzanne Ference

    JAN 7

    Owning & Managing a Generational Ranch with Suzanne Ference

    Suzanne Ference is the fourth generation on Rutledge Ranching Monitor. The ranch has operated in the same location for the past 113 years. Located in Special Areas 4 in Alberta, Canada, she and her husband Justin, along with their 5 children, aged 6-22, operate a cow-calf and grain operation. Presently, they run about 1000 cows. They raise their own replacement heifers and have started selling some bred replacement heifers this year. Along with the cattle, they farm approximately 4000 acres of crop land and do some custom cropping. The farm team consists of Suzanne, Justin, two of their sons and one hired full time ranch employee, along with seasonal employees. Suzanne’s dad is retired, but helps out on the farm in whatever capacity he wants to, and is involved in the aspects of the business he enjoys. Suzanne is very proud that some of her children are interested in coming back to the family farm. Some of them like to work cattle and one of her boys is interested in the machinery side of the business. Since Suzanne was young, she knew she wanted to be on the farm and would declare to her parents that she was going to run the ranch someday. She can’t see herself being anywhere else. Suzanne’s goal is to continue to make Rutledge Ranching Monitor sustainable for generations to come, not only financially, but environmentally as well, leaving the plants and the soil better than she found them. Today we are chatting with Suzanne about her experience being raised on and transitioning to the position of owner and manager of a generational ranch. Suzanne shares some of her early memories growing up on the ranch and what the process looked like during the transition to her management and ownership of the ranch. Along with learning a lot from her dad, Suzanne also took the Ranching for Profit program through Ranch Management Consultants (RMC) and she and her parents participated in RMC’s Executive Link (EL) program through the transition of the business. Several years later, Suzanne and Justin returned to the EL program, to continue being challenged in the business. Suzanne also discusses their enterprise mix on the farm, giving us insight into some of the challenges in both cropping and cattle management in Special Areas 4. She also talks about her roles in the business, challenges and opportunities in owning and operating a farm at their size and scale and her goals for the future of Rutledge Ranching Monitor. To contact Suzanne, you can email her at rutledgeranch@gmail.com Stay tuned for Rutledge Ranching Monitor’s Facebook page and Website which are coming soon! The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    52 min
  8. Economics & Finance Mini Series: Producer Profile with Brett McRae (McRae Land & Livestock)

    12/31/2025

    Economics & Finance Mini Series: Producer Profile with Brett McRae (McRae Land & Livestock)

    Brett & Chantel McRae own and operate McRae Land & Livestock, located 15 minutes southwest of Brandon MB. They raise commercial cattle and a diverse rotation of grain crops including spring and winter cereals, canola, pulse crops and corn. They also provide custom seeding and bull clipping services and manufacture cattle scratchers on farm. They currently operate on 2800 acres, 2640 of which is leased, and 2200 of which is crop land. They have approximately 300 head of commercial cattle including a replacement heifer enterprise and a commercial cow/calf enterprise. Brett and Chantel were married in 2020 and now have two children, Corbin and Brylee. In 2022 Brett and Chantel joined the Ranch Management Consultants Executive Link (EL) program. McRae Land & Livestock is committed to using regenerative agriculture practices to increase soil health and resiliency. They are very interested in innovation in agriculture, especially in finding ways to make regenerative ag practices practical on a field scale. They believe an adaptive systems approach to land and livestock management is not only possible, but will be needed to bring regenerative agriculture to a large scale. They believe that land conservation and agriculture can, and must work together to optimize farm productivity, profitability, and ecosystem services. In today’s episode, we are chatting with Brett McRae about his use of economics and finance ratios, cash flow projections and metrics and the impact this has had on our business. We start the episode with a discussion on Brett’s background in agriculture and what McRae Land and Livestock looked like when Brett started the business in 2012. Brett tells us how the business has changed and evolved in the past 13 years. We talk about the programs Brett has been involved in that have positively impacted not only the business, but also Brett’s mindset about business management and his confidence in his numbers and business decisions. These included Cattleman’s Young Leaders Program (CYL) and his mentorship with Steve Kenyon, the Ranching for Profit Program (RFP) and Executive Link (EL). Brett discusses some of the field trials he is planning for the upcoming year, as well as some of the trials he has been doing with the cattle herd. We then move into the focus on economics and finance and some of the ratios and metrics Brett uses to measure business performance, project cash flow and know when to expand and when to hone in on making the business better before it gets bigger. If you want to contact Brett to have him speak at an event near you or to ask him questions about McRae Land and Livestock, you can contact him on: Twitter: @mcrae_brett Facebook: McRae Land and Livestock Email: brett.mcrae@icloud.com Cell Phone: 204-729-1018 The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more! Instagram: @MBBeefandForage Facebook: @MBBeefandForage X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage Website: www.mbfi.ca Email address: information@mbfi.ca Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011

    41 min
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Trailer

About

Hi and Welcome to the podcast! My name is Chantel McRae and I will be your host. I started working for MBFI in January of 2022 as an Extension Specialist with the goal of increasing awareness and information regarding the projects and important research happening at MBFI. One of the ways we have decided to do that is through a podcast that shares information on the research projects that are being conducted here, as well as extension events and on farm practices and technologies. MBFI is a not for profit organization developed through partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association with direction from stakeholders collaborating for the advancement of the industry. MBFI’s mission is to advance the Manitoba beef and forage industry by engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public and the environment. In short we Engage, Evaluate and Extend. MBFI’s Goal is to promote excellence, efficiency, and sustainability of practice in the agricultural industry in Manitoba for the dual benefit of the public and the environment by conducting on-farm research and field testing of practices related to beef cattle and forage production and disseminating the results to farmers and the public, as well as through providing hands-on learning opportunities and work placements for the development of professionals entering beef cattle and forage production. We will be sharing information through interviews with General Manager, Mary Jane Orr, project leads for various projects, MBFI team members, speakers from our extension events, industry leaders and industry suppliers. This podcast will dig deep into on-farm research and field testing practices related to beef cattle and forage production and efficiency and sustainability of practice in the agricultural industry in Manitoba. We will be sharing information on upcoming training and workshops, field and farm demonstration tours, education materials and events at MBFI, as well as producer profiles from around the province and information on their own trials, challenges, innovation and results.

Information

  • Creator
    MBFI Inc.
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 MBFI Inc.
  • Show Website
    Beef and Forage Roundup

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