Much of our past investment in water management infrastructure has been dedicated to either keeping water at bay or getting rid of it as quickly as possible.

Editorial: Division or unity on water?

Wab Kinew wouldn’t be the first Manitoba premier who came into office vowing to represent all Manitobans or to preach the politics of unity. However, he may be looking at a steeper slope. He comes into office as post-pandemic discord has created deep societal polarization and faces a quagmire of intersecting crises, including the escalating

A flooded field in St. Andrews, Manitoba. A new paper says Canada’s water policies, management and research efforts are under-developed and uncoordinated.

CAPI pitches national agri-food water strategy

Think tank says farmers have been let down by lack of a national plan

Glacier FarmMedia – Canada should use its enormous water resources to become a sustainable food powerhouse and a global water research superpower, says a new paper from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. The country’s water policies, management and research efforts are under-developed and uncoordinated, it said, which leaves water resources and challenges largely unaddressed. That’s something a national plan should fix, says the report written


“Early emergence was the one thing that stood out. The potatoes were up and out of the ground quicker than they normally would be because we had some warmer weather in the spring.” – Susan Ainsworth.

Manitoba potato harvest expected to hit records

After a string of hard years, 2023 looks decidedly friendlier to the potato sector

After several years of below-average to poor harvests, Manitoba potato growers have finally caught a break. “There have been some challenging years, so it’s nice to have a strong, good-quality crop,” said Susan Ainsworth, general manager of the Keystone Potato Producers Association. “They were due for a good crop.” Why it matters: Potato yields were

The McDougall Creek wildfire burns outside West Kelowna, B.C. on Aug. 18, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Chris Helgren)

AgriRecovery feed, freight, breeding herd aid set for Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C.

Feds, provinces announce combined $365 million in aid programs

The federal and Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia governments are jointly putting up $365 million to support ranchers and farmers up against this summer’s drought and wildfire damage. The feds on Friday announced their 60 per cent, or $219 million, share of AgriRecovery program funding for the three westernmost provinces. “I’ve had the opportunity to

Manitoba’s incumbent NDP ag critic Diljeet Brar and Tory ag minister Derek Johnson appeared with Green Party leader Janine Gibson and Liberal candidate Neil Stewart (l-r) on Sept. 12, 2023 at a forum hosted by the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Geralyn Wichers)

Manitoba legislature’s agriculture leaders to return under new management

NDP scores majority over incumbent Tories

Manitoba’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition agriculture critic are headed back to the legislature — but under a new seating plan. Opposition leader Wab Kinew’s New Democrats are expected to form a majority government coming out of Tuesday’s provincial election, unseating incumbent premier Heather Stefanson’s Progressive Conservatives. Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, NDP candidates


Chad Berry of Under the Hill Farms speaks at a 2020 field tour of his potato operation.

Potatoes see big benefits from water stewardship project

Farmers studied the benefits of in-field and field edge projects for themselves and the community

Improved water stewardship on potato fields in the Lake Winnipeg basin could provide a surprising amount of community benefits, a recent project showed. “Those numbers were way bigger than I would ever expect,” said farmer Chad Berry. Berry, who owns Under the Hill Farms near Cypress River, was one of four farms (covering 34,000 acres)

Pink rot symptoms on full display.

Potato processor warns against pink rot as harvest gets underway

There are a number of strategies to avoid pathogen spread and potato spoilage in storage

One bad potato can spoil the batch, which is why processor J.R. Simplot is reminding producers to beware of pink rot as they begin harvest. “If you know there’s rot in there, tell your harvest operator, ‘when you come to that low spot, pick up the harvester, drive over, and don’t harvest those certain areas,’”



Kelsey Sunaert speaks with a tour group beside a now-empty irrigation reservoir built on his Deloraine-area farm.

Tile recycling opens path to water Goldilocks zone

Tile drainage, capture and recycling system shows promise in face of increasing wet and dry extremes

A system to recycle tile drainage discharge is helping Kelsey Sunaert keep his field moisture levels just right. The system, installed on Sunaert’s Deloraine-area farm, uses tile to reclaim flooded fields, but that water doesn’t disappear downstream. Instead, it is retained and used for irrigation later in the season. “Not only do we get to farm those acres, but we

File photo of Diefenbaker Lake in southern Saskatchewan. (IanChrisGraham/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan ag minister to oversee water agency

Marit gets additional duties in cabinet shuffle

Saskatchewan’s minister of agriculture will take on added responsibility for the provincial Water Security Agency following a cabinet mini-shuffle. Premier Scott Moe on Tuesday named David Marit, MLA for the southwestern riding of Wood River since 2016 an minister for agriculture and Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. since 2018, as minister responsible for the WSA. In