Evaluation of Souris River’s flow data has begun evaluation in earnest, but the sheer number of scenarios promises enough data to drown in, and not everyone agrees on priorities
Lynn R. Kongslie is used to watching his ranch near Towner, North Dakota, go under water, but that doesn’t lessen the sting each time it does. Like many ranchers in the area, Kongslie believes he knows who to blame. Saskatchewan’s three major control structures along the Souris River are sore topics in Towner, Minot and […] Read more
Vermeer promises its new self-propelled unit will make baling as easy as driving down the highway
Autonomous farming has taken a step from the grain crop to the hayfield. Vermeer’s ZR5 self-propelled baler has made waves in the U.S. and now in Canada after the machine made its Canadian debut in Manitoba earlier this summer. It was a major draw at equipment demos in both Glenboro and the Manitoba Beef and […] Read more
Digging into the finer details on the ZR5’s promises and capabilities
Vermeer expects its modular design to be a selling point for the ZR5, both for ease of service and safety. The baling chamber is hydraulically connected to the power unit similar to a front-end loader. When disconnected, a switch in the cab lifts the baler from the power unit, allowing the farmer to drive away. […] Read more
An ‘acceptable loss’ can be a moving target but those who don’t measure harvest lost may be losing far more than they think
Joel McDonald of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute has seen the full spectrum of techniques for minimizing harvest loss. He has seen lead-footed farmers blaze through their acreage, but leave a substantial part of the harvest behind. He has also seen farmers crawl their combine at a mile and a half per hour to avoid […] Read more
If you’re about N loss, you may consider a late boost
Corn growers may want to wait on nitrogen application, particularly in a wet year. A nitrogen application at the end of June or early July will help limit nitrogen loss and better time it to when the plant is actually looking for the nutrient, speakers said during a recent field day at the Canada-Manitoba Crop […] Read more
The province says cover crop funding under Ag Action Manitoba only allows grazing on ‘stockless farms’
You can graze cattle on cover crops planted with help from Ag Action Manitoba — as long as they’re not your cattle, that is. Ag Action Manitoba is the province’s vehicle for funding under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program. Cover crops are among the beneficial management practices (BMPs) it promotes to improve the environment. […] Read more
The national project is the next step toward the CFGA’s goal of having farmers paid for storing carbon
Five Manitoba farmers are helping the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) put a value on carbon storage. Ryan Canart of Miniota, Allan Preston of Hamiota, Matt Van Steelandt of Melita, Jonathan Bouw of Anola and Clayton Robins of Rivers are all recognizable names on the grazing, soil health or regenerative agriculture field tour circuits […] Read more
Low feed supply prompts a second year of tax deferral
Manitoba’s forage shortage will warrant federal tax relief again this year. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has released its first list of regions eligible for the livestock tax deferral program allowing producers to defer income from cattle sales into the following tax year. For many municipalities, it will be the second year in a row for […] Read more
New uses for pea protein is good news for growers, but it has also led to some unexpected allergic reactions for people
Novel uses of pea protein are great news for growers but may be bad news for allergy sufferers. They’re suddenly faced with a world where it may be in unexpected places like sandwich meats and chicken strips. Earlier this spring Dr. Elana Lavine, an Ontario-based allergist, highlighted the issue in the Journal of Allergy and […] Read more
The province has gotten rain, but poor nutrition could affect the next calving season
Veterinarians warn that the dry start to the season may come back to roost when producers start pregnancy checking this fall. Why it matters: Poor winter rations followed by poor pastures may mean a hard calving season next year. Dr. Carl Reesink, of the Fisher Veterinary Clinic in Fisher Branch, says he is worried about […] Read more
