When it comes to managing a grazing operation, bigger isn’t necessarily better. That’s according to Dr. Allen Williams, a grazing specialist, grass-fed beef advocate, sustainable beef expert and the instructor at a two-day grazing workshop in Brandon Aug. 14-15. “They have a lot more options than they ever realized that they had in terms of
Graze better, not bigger
There’s more to grazing than leaving cattle in a single pasture all summer, attendees of the Aug. 14-15 workshop with Dr. Allen Williams heard
Mob grazing suits smaller farms
Doing the math on mob grazing and paddock size
For family farms that might be feeling the crush of ever-larger neighbours, Williams’ message to optimize land use was welcome. “This is our next step forward to keep the family farm going,” Ceri Phillips said. “It’s nice to see that smaller farmers in Manitoba can actually make a good living off smaller acres instead of
Cold tolerance and disease resistance in corn tested
Trials at Carberry’s Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre are putting corn hybrids to the test under Manitoba conditions
New corn genetics are targeting cold tolerance and Goss’s wilt resistance at Carberry’s Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre. The site’s field trials this year include three corn nurseries, part of a five-year hybridization program which involves the province, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Manitoba Corn Growers Association and the University of Manitoba. “The fundamental thing is
Pea protein under the microscope ahead of Roquette plant in Portage la Prairie
Roquette will begin contracting for its protein-based plant next year. Meanwhile, researchers are on the hunt for ways to bolster protein content in yellow peas
Pea researchers have a new focus on protein as plans for the world’s largest protein-based pea-processing plant move ahead in Portage la Prairie. The Roquette plant has been big news for Manitoba’s pea industry. In January, the French-based specialty food and pharmaceutical excipient supplier announced $400 million for the plant, expected to employ 150 people
CRSB verification turns to processors as framework consultations continue
The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef has turned its eyes to the processing industry as development on its incoming verification framework continues
Beef processors are being asked how their sustainability should be graded when the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) verification framework is released later this year. The CRSB has released a draft of its processing sustainability indicators and invited the public to comment online from June 29 to Aug. 29. Comments will be refined before
Flax agronomy in spotlight
Flax agronomy trials were one stop at WADO’s annual field day July 25
Flax has become a rarer sight in Manitoba — covering only 85,000 acres last year, down from 125,000 in 2015 — but Rachel Evans, extension agronomist with the Flax Council of Canada, hopes more agronomic knowledge will help reverse that trend. Flax Council of Canada agronomy trials are now in their third year at sites
Winter wheat harvest shows effect of winter thaw
A warm spell this past winter has left an unfortunate legacy
Manitoba’s winter wheat yields won’t be breaking any records this year. Early-season concerns over winterkill are now being realized at the grain bin as harvest progresses. Much of the east, central Manitoba and Interlake reported poor or patchy regrowth in early 2017, something experts blamed on a mid-winter melt. “In eastern Manitoba, there was a
4-H fuels Gambian youth quest for change
Gambia’s 4-H program may not have been directly involved in the recent shifting political sands, but 4-H members were in the fray, Global 4-H presenter says
A recently roused youth demographic, including 4-H members, has set its sights on social engagement in Gambia as the country takes its first steps away from the 22-year reign of former leader Yahya Jammeh. That’s according to Ousman Sonko, vice-principal of the Rural Development Institute’s Department of Community Development and a presenter at the Global
The making of a green manure mix
Grain-only operation one of several tours organized by the Manitoba Organic Alliance
For organic grain farmers without livestock such as Carnegie Farms north of Brandon, green manure has become a mainstay for nutrient management. Visitors to the fully organic operation’s field day Aug. 4 took in two green manure mixes, ranging from peas, beans, oats and buckwheat to a field with all of the above, plus kale,
Manitoba counts the cost of dry conditions on hay harvest
Hayfields and pastures have welcomed early-August rains, but some regions are still in need of moisture, including central Manitoba
This year’s hay harvest won’t match last year’s bumper crop, but there should still be enough to go around, an official with the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association says. “Last year, the hay yields were phenomenal. Every field did well,” chair Dave Koslowsky said. “This year, it’s a little bit more hit and miss but,