The provincial government’s handling of the 2011 flood has come under fire from a group representing 40 rural municipalities and towns in the southwest corner of the province. The province needs to step up its efforts in the area hard hit by severe overland flooding of the Souris and Assiniboine rivers almost one year ago,
Southwest reeve slams province’s 2011 flood response record
CFIA lays charges over cattle shipments to U.S.
Three cattle operations and a veterinarian in western Manitoba have been charged for allegedly failing to accurately record ages of cattle shipped to the United States. Lisa Gauthier, a spokesperson for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said in an email that the charges under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations were approved by prosecutors
When cost is no object, things can get weird
What happens when cost of production is removed from the equation in beef ranching? The results can end up being bizarre, said Bart Lardner, a research scientist at the Western Beef Development Centre in Lanigan, Sask., who recently visited beef operations in Finland. In that Scandinavian country, which lies north of 60 degrees latitude, European
Crop disease expert shares lessons learned from 2011
Last year’s flooding may have been bad news for canola growers, but there may be a bright side. Studies have found that flooding results in reduced sclerotia inoculum present in the soil because the fungal spores rot under wet conditions. “Although sclerotia are built to withstand harsh conditions, if you have enough flooding in an
Family key to ranching success
Cattle prices are up, but for ranching families, the cost of not getting along with each other has stayed the same. Of the three fundamental principles of holistic management, “caring for your people” comes first, followed by “improving the land” and “making a profit,” says Don Campbell, a Saskatchewan rancher who teaches holistic management, which
Aiming for the “sweet spot” with phosphorus
Using low rates of phosphorus fertilizer is good for the environment and the farmer’s bottom line. But cutting corners too much can affect yields and impact long-term soil fertility, said John Heard, a soil fertility specialist with the crops branch of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. “There’s really only four rates of phosphorus application:
Project aims to make the case for more shelterbelts
Everywhere you look around the Manitoba countryside, shelterbelts and bush can be seen lying in big, ugly bulldozed piles. Farmers just can’t seem to get rid of it fast enough, it seems. A two-part, four-year project sponsored by the Upper Assiniboine Conservation District (UACD), Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute (RDI), and a handful of other
Wet soil and nitrogen don’t mix, says expert
Annoyed that you have to fork over more cash to replace lost fertilizer nutrients from last year’s flood? It could be worse, says Tom Jensen, Northern Great Plains regional director of the International Plant Nutrition Institute. On Manitoba’s relatively youthful soils deposited by glacial activity about 9,000 years ago, potassium is abundant. Farmers here apply
Bright outlook for cow-calf sector
If you thought calf prices were good this winter, just wait until next fall. During the tail end of the 2011 calf run, 550-weight feeder prices averaged around $1.60 per pound. Barring macroeconomic disasters affecting consumer purchasing power in major markets, calves could punch higher next fall to $1.75 per pound, Brian Perillat, manager and
Farmers get marketing “wake-up call”
The open market is coming and wheat farmers have a lot to learn in a hurry, marketing experts told farmers attending Ag Days in Brandon. While seminar speakers filled farmers in on the ins and outs of what is expected to be a new era for grain marketing in Western Canada, representatives of the now
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
