Construction of Manitoba’s first new federally inspected slaughter plant in decades is steaming along, and its owner expects 50-75 head of cattle per week to start coming down the ramp early this spring. “The engineers tell me we’re going to be killing cattle by the end of March,” said Calvin Vaags, owner of the slaughter
New Carman beef slaughter plant targets spring opening
Rising cost of trucking means the future belongs to small regional slaughter plants, says owner
Strong demand for direct-marketed, grass-fed beef
Successful forage-finished beef entrepreneurs share marketing strategies at Ag Days
It takes longer and costs more to produce grass-finished beef, but Jim Lintott’s customers are willing to pay the asking price. The key is quality, which he describes as job No. 1. “I’ve almost never had a consumer tell me, Jim, your rib-eye steak at $17.99 a pound — twice what it’s worth at Safeway
Many ‘little hammers’ best for organic weed control, says Maine expert
If tillage kill rate averages only 69 per cent, that still leaves plenty for next year
Controlling weeds in organic systems is a bit like balancing your chequebook, except that the goal is to get the (seed) bank account as low as possible. “When managing annual weeds, the important thing is the seed bank,” said Eric Gallandt, a weed ecologist in the latest webinar of this spring’s Western Canadian Organic Webinar
Patience pays with grass-finished beef
Retail-level profits for 30-month-old beef more than double that of 18-month-old beef
In the grass-finished beef business, keeping a yearling an extra year is worth the wait. In fact, one could hardly afford to do otherwise, because those extra 12 months can mean the difference between profit and loss, Jim Lintott told a presentation on grass-fed beef production at Ag Days. Lintott, a grass-finisher and marketer from
Manitoba pork industry to step up PEDv fight
Outbreak in Ontario heightens risk that virus deadly to piglets could spread to Western Canada
All sectors of Manitoba’s pork industry are being urged to step up their vigilance and biosecurity measures especially regarding transportation, now that Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) has been detected in Ontario. Last Friday the Manitoba Pork Council held a town hall-style conference call aimed at keeping the industry abreast of the situation. Chairman Karl
Federal cash announced for oat research, marketing
Funding to be spent on verifying benefits of oats for horses as well as recapturing U.S. market
A pail of oats is the best way to catch a horse, but capturing new markets takes a bucket of money. That’s why the announcement by federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz of $3.7 million aimed at helping the industry boost exports has the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA) feeling frisky as a new foal. The
Is the freeze-thaw effect a myth?
What if the notion that the freeze-thaw action of icy winter weather gives Prairie farmers a free pass on soil compaction problems turns out to be wishful thinking? If so, the implications should be enough to send a chill down a big-iron-loving farmer’s spine. “We often say that we don’t have to worry about soil
Role of shelterbelts misunderstood, says French researcher
French researcher argues that cultural value of shelterbelts is overlooked
Keeping shelterbelts on the landscape requires cultural changes, is the conclusion of a recent survey. “We need to redefine shelterbelts. They are not just for windbreaks and soil protection. It’s much more than that,” said Louise Bellet, who shared the results of a survey that looked at public perceptions on the subject at the recent
Healthy soil the key to healthy profits
Look beyond ‘bench-top chemistry’ in evaluating soil health, urges soil microbiologist
Jon Stika says farmers always give the same answers when asked what they want from their soil. “They want it to grow crops, infiltrate water and supply nutrients,” the USDA soil scientist told last week’s annual workshop of the Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association. “But what if we managed it to its fullest potential,
From the Ottoman Empire to Killarney, Manitoba
For Australians and New Zealanders, April 25, 1915 is Anzac Day. Almost everyone is familiar with the 1981 film “Gallipoli,” which starred Mel Gibson as a soldier in the ill-fated attempt by the French and British to take Constantinople, now Istanbul, via a sea-based invasion during the early days of the First World War. But
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
