If you thought miniature ponies were only good for teaching children how to ride or for looking cute, Clayton Hawreluik has news for you — mini chuckwagon races are hot stuff. “It started out as a little hobby but it has turned into a little more than we expected it to,” said Hawreluik, who started
Mini-chucks put on impressive performance
Suffering from a sheep-shearing shortfall
The Manitoba Sheep Association wants to increase the number of shearers, but shearers say they need more sheep
The Manitoba Sheep Association wants government help to train new sheep shearers — but shearers already in the business say they can’t get enough work. There are only about 3,000 breeding ewes and rams per shearer, said Heinz Krauskopf, one of nine shearers listed on the association’s website. “That’s maybe 30 days’ work,” said Krauskopf,Brandon rally draws 40 protesters opposed to introduction of Roundup Ready alfalfa
Opponents of genetically modified crops rallied in front of the constituency office of a local MP to protest approval of glyphosate-tolerant alfalfa, which they say could be seeded on fields in Eastern Canada as early as this spring. The demonstration, which drew about 40 protesters, was organized by the local chapter of the National Farmers
Changing climate and oil markets good for Churchill
Churchill port sees new opportunities for shipping in a melting — and rapidly developing — Arctic
The thawing of the Arctic is a chilling environmental prospect, but Port of Churchill proponents say it heralds a new era for Canada’s long-neglected and underutilized northern deepwater port. Since the port was built 70 years ago, the focus has been on grain shipments, but it’s now shifting to supplying the fast-growing communities in NunavutDrainage critics predict more water heading our way
Critics say Saskatchewan’s plan to increase crop production by 10 million tonnes by 2020 will greatly increase illegal drainage — and send more water rushing towards Manitoba. The provincial government’s ambitious plan, which also includes doubling agricultural exports by decade’s end, needs to be coupled with better water management, said Charles Deschamps, a Wadena-based resource
Which crop is your biggest money-maker?
Based on MAFRI cost-of-production estimates, winter wheat tops the charts followed by soybeans, sunflowers, and canola
With highly variable costs and prices, choosing the most profitable crop to grow each spring is a bit like throwing darts at a moving target. But farmers who seeded winter wheat last fall will be pleased to hear that their dart is likely to land dead centre, says Gary Smart, a farm management specialist withYoung farmers optimistic about the future despite high cost of getting started
Getting started in farming these days isn’t easy — but there’s plenty of young people eager to try. “Now it’s more business focused than in the past,” Simon Ellis said during a lull in the discussions at the recent Young and Beginning Farmers Conference. The 25-year-old said he’s hoping to take over his parents’ 1,200-acre
Seized horses get a new lease on life
Lakeview councillor describes filly he bought at auction as ‘pretty as a picture with a nice personality — just perfect for a little kid’
She could easily have ended up on someone’s dinner plate, but now she’s a promising student in Richard Callander’s round pen. “She’s actually pretty well put together,” said Callander, as he demonstrated the yearling filly’s quick progress since he brought her back to his ranch along with five other mares and foals from the GladstoneBIXS carcass data available
Some ranchers are getting a taste of what national traceability system has to offer in terms of finished beef
If you shipped age-verified calves that were slaughtered at one of the major plants in Canada after May 2010, there may be some interesting information waiting for you online. “There’s two million records in the system, so there’s a good chance you’ll have some in there,” said Marlin Beever, a rancher from Rivers who hasOrganic sector works on strategic action plan
Discussions at the recent forum targetted obstacles to putting local organic products on store shelves
Organic farmers from around the province gathered recently for a day-long session hosted by the Manitoba Organic Alliance to hash out ways to strengthen the sector. At tables organized into general commodity groups such as grain, beef, small livestock and horticulture, ideas from each brainstorming session were collected for later analysis by consultants who willCyber-Savvy Farmer
