Multimedia

Woolen mill at Inwood

Taking the wool from fleece to yarn

Co-operator reporter Lorraine Stevenson travelled to Inwood, Man., about 70 km northwest of Selkirk, to visit Joe and Kim Streker's business, Sheeples Fine Fibres. In the Feb. 5, 2009 Co-operator, the Strekers take us through the woolen mill they've set up over the past two years on the farm where they've lived since leaving their jobs as college professors in Ontario ("From fleece to yarn," page 28). All photos by Lorraine Stevenson.


Gilbert Plains’ live-animal pageant

Bringing the Christmas story to life

Co-operator reporter Lorraine Stevenson paid a visit to the community of Gilbert Plains, Man., about 40 km west of Dauphin, for that town’s new outdoor, live-animal, live-action pageant. As explained in the Co-operator ("Bringing the Christmas story to life," Dec. 18, 2008, page 1), United Church choir director Linda McNabb last fall began urging her community’s churches to join together and stage this event, titled "A Journey to Bethlehem." All photos by Lorraine Stevenson.


Stock Dog Trials

Stock dogs compete for best in the west

Co-operator reporter Lorraine Stevenson paid a visit to the Western Canadian Stock Dog Championship near Eriksdale, Man., on Sept. 26-28 ("Stock dog trials showcase Canadian talent," Manitoba Co-operator, Oct. 9, 2008, page 21). The Manitoba Stock Dog Association hosted the 30th annual event, which included about two dozen competitors and their dogs. Top spots went to Danue Frew and dog Bram of Gull Lake, Sask., in the nursery category (five dogs); Bev Sommer and dog Jed of Pleasantdale, Sask., in the pro-novice (jackpot) category (12 dogs); and Norm Sommer with dog Jock, also of Pleasantdale, in the open double lift finals.


Manitoba Rainbow Trout Farmers

Springtime is seeding time..for trout

Co-operator reporter Lorraine Stevenson profiled the Manitoba Rainbow Trout Farmers Association in our May 29, 2008 issue ("A different kind of spring seeding," page 20). The MRTFA is a not-for-profit broker group, operating since the early 1970s, importing trout fingerlings for the use of Manitobans who want to stock farm dogouts, private lakes, small lakes on Crown land or small recreational fisheries. In this series of photos Stevenson gives us a closer look at the association's trout depot near Minnedosa, as the group takes delivery of 70,000 hatchery-raised baby fish from Buffalo Gap, S.D. in May.


Tile Drainage

Research farm to test tile drains

Co-operator reporter Bonnie Baltessen checked out the beginning of a new research project on the effects of tile drainage on heavy clay soils and water quality, taking place at Richardson Kelburn Farm near St. Adolphe, in our Sept. 11, 2008 issue ("Test drains sunk into heavy soils," page 26). In this series of photos we see what it takes to lay tile in the "gumbo" soil on the banks of the Red River.


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  Farm economic indicators, 1988 vs. 2007

Darrin Qualman, director of research for the National Farmers Union in Saskatoon, recently delivered a paper on the effects of free trade on agriculture at a conference in Minneapolis. The paper included a table comparing current statistics on farm returns, input costs and industry consolidation with 1988, when the North American Free Agreement came into effect. The NFU's full list of statistics, the reference point for a condensed table that appeared in the Co-operator (Nov. 22, 2007, page 5), is posted here.
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