“It was a successful model. It seemed like everybody was winning.” – VICTORIA SOLDEVILA Large-scale hog farming worked wonders for the Catalonian economy – for a while. Economically depressed for decades by a long civil war and later the rule of fascist dictator Francisco Franco, the Spanish autonomous territory bordered by France on one side
Environmental Regulations Squeeze Spanish Hog Farmers
Base Commander Losing Battle For Hearts And Minds, Say Farmers
Canada’s military is staging a highly publicized battle for the hearts and minds of Afghan peasants and villagers on the other side of the world, but it’s dealing with some alienated locals on the home front too. Due to peculiarities of geography – with the meandering Assiniboine River on one side and the irregular shape
Train Foals Early, Urges Expert
When is the best time to start training a horse? One hour after birth isn’t too early, according to Robert Miller, a retired veterinarian and world-renowned horse behaviourist from Thousand Oaks, California. “By two weeks of age, my horses are trained with everything they need to know for the rest of their lives,” said Miller,
Flood Risk Downgraded
“In a few months, we’ll be trying to find water to irrigate the garden.” – JOHN SNYDER The rising waters of the Souris River appear to have spared Melita residents, with the expected crest about three feet lower than previously feared. Two weeks ago, with the provincial flood forecaster predicting a flood to rival that
Clinician Trains Horses To “Think”
“It’s what I see arranging inside the hide and hair that tells me when to quit and when to add pressure. My pressure is only to encourage her to think – she’ll take care of the rest.” – LEE SMITH, HORSE CLINICIAN Ahorse that won’t jump into a trailer easily can be a real pain
Heavy Calf, Cow Losses
Huge livestock losses in North Dakota from heavy snow and flooding last winter show that ranchers are not immune to Mother Nature’s fury. Emily Tescher-Johnston, a livestock agent with the Ward County extension service based in Minot, North Dakota, said that a perfect storm of circumstances that began last summer led to the loss of
Wheeling and dealing in the new Wild West
“We had some equipment over there and the farm manager decided he would keep my passport until he was sure that the equipment worked well.” – KEN KOTOWICH Doing business in Russia is exciting and lucrative, but not for the faint of heart. “It’s like having a pet 980-pound Kodiak bear. He’s with you, he’s
Frost Seeding Cheaper, But Results Can Be Sketchy
“If I had some really rough land and the stand was really bad and I wanted to get some legumes in, I might try it on some parts. I certainly wouldn’t go out and seed 160 acres that way.” – jane thornton There are two ways of reviving pastures that are past their prime. The
Souris River Threatens Town With Flooding
With the latest word from flood-watch information services on both sides of the border that a substantial crest was on the way, officials in Melita were shoring up dikes along Hwy. #3 on the southeast side of the town April 16 in expectation of a Souris River flood on par with 1999. The crest, which
Bright Future For Forage Growers, Says Wishart
“There’s huge opportunities there. We’re great at sequestering carbon. In six inches of topsoil, how many tons of fibre are in an acre? About 150 tons. That is 10 times the amount of C02 in the atmosphere above that acre.” – WISHART The field of opportunities for Manitoba’s forage producers is growing. Far from just
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
