The hog industry is planning ahead and learning from the past
The Manitoba pork sector says it won’t be caught flat footed if African swine fever (ASF) makes its way here. The virulent disease is wreaking havoc in China and industry and government both concede it could be just a plane ride away from Manitoba. “In my opinion, I think you can never be prepared enough,” […] Read more
Ken and Sharon Johnson of Elkhorn, Man., took home the top honours when Manitoba’s bison industry met for its annual meeting, sale, show and awards gala this past March
The winner of this year’s Bill Lenton Memorial Award can tell a story or two about Manitoba bison. When Ken and Sharon Johnson first introduced a handful of bison to their farm in the late ’90s, the industry was a very different place. Manitoba’s producers were just starting to organize — a national bison group […] Read more
Are plant and animal proteins competitors or complementary under the province’s new ‘protein strategy’?
The provincial government wants Manitoba to be a protein province, but the jury is still out on where that investment will fall between livestock and plant-based protein. The province has said both plant and animal protein sectors will benefit from the government’s Manitoba Protein Advantage Strategy. “We’re positioned so well, probably better than any other […] Read more
Plainview Colony has had a good few years at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair pork quality competition, chalking up another win this year
Plainview Colony was the best in show for the second year running at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair’s annual pork quality competition. The colony’s north barn successfully defended its grand champion spot. Last year, the barn claimed both first and second in the annual winter fair competition on top of a fourth-place finish in December […] Read more
Bison producers have their own opinions and concerns when it comes to Crown land changes
Manitoba’s bison producers are hoping for a bigger piece of the pie when it comes to Agricultural Crown Lands. The Manitoba Bison Association is among the producer groups weighing in as the provincial government looks to overhaul Crown land allocations. In fall 2018, the province changed the Crown Lands Act to include open auctions instead […] Read more
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair put on a real push to educate an urban audience on agriculture
Most people will never live a day in the life of a veterinarian. But for a booth tucked into the most kid-focused corner of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair the goal was to give attendees just a taste of it and provide a little practical ag education while they’re at it. At one table, staff […] Read more
Experts are urging farmers to be more deliberate when defining ‘acceptable’ harvest loss
Joel McDonald of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) 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 […] Read more
Farmers already had little margin for error with stretched feed going into winter
Manitoba’s feed supplies are running low, with little to tide producers over after a dismal harvest last year and cold weather in January and February. Ration plans already left little margin for error, said Ray Bittner, Manitoba Agriculture livestock specialist in the Interlake. Producers in the northwest, which had better moisture and hay harvest last […] Read more
Precision farming data can help identify problems, target treatments and boost productivity, but how do farmers turn it into something useful?
Sean Stanford doesn’t have a degree in computer science. He isn’t set up with the latest precision agriculture equipment. In a world where some look at individual rates for each spray nozzle, Stanford still seeds and sprays at a uniform rate. He is not set up for any variable-rate application and sees little value in […] Read more
Demonstration tool shows how data can be put to use on the farm
Sarah Lepp has another tool in the tool box for agronomists and farmers who want to analyze farm data. The senior research associate with Niagara College Research and Innovation leads a team developing Crop Portal, a free tool which allows users to upload yield and input data, elevation mapping, soil tests and weather information. The […] Read more
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