It’s a classic “chicken” scenario, with both sides waiting to see whether the other caves first. Fertilizer retailers, stuck with overpriced inventories bought during last summer’s market peak, are hoping that the fear of shortages amidst the seeding rush will force farmers to start cutting cheques. Farmers, on the other hand, are holding out for
Who picks up the tab for last year’s overpriced fertilizer?
Province Dangles Organic Carrot
The Manitoba government wants you to go organic. That’s because the industry, worth $1 billion a year, is growing by 20 per cent annually, and demand is outpacing supply. They’ll even pay two-thirds of the cost of transitioning acres, livestock or processing facilities to become certified organic. In 2008, the first year of the Manitoba
Universe In A Clump Of Dirt
“If you build it, they will come.” – KRIS NICHOLS Uproot a plant in healthy soil, and you’ll see tiny pellets clinging to the roots. To most people, that’s just dirt. But to farmers in the know, those hard little clumps represent whole towns and cities of soil biota that work together night and day
Selling Grass-Fed Beef
“The government really wants grass-fed beef to work. From the minister all the way down, we’ve had tremendous support …” – JIM LINTOTT Being 20 minutes from Portage and Main is a big advantage for Jim Lintott, who began direct marketing his beef after BSE sent auction mart prices into the tank. “My cattle have
OPAM In Recovery Mode
Organic certifier OPAM is on the road to recovery after a funding crunch that came to a head last year. Producers agreed to a voluntary $350 one-time extra fee at a meeting last fall, according to Bill Agnew, president of the Organic Producers Association of Manitoba. A misunderstanding between the group and the provincial government
Farmers Need Not Fear Food Safety Act
The grain can keep growing, the hens can continue laying and that pot of jam on the stove can keep bubbling away if the proposed Food Safety Act becomes law. Farmers raising grain and livestock for sale through conventional channels will not be considered “food premises” by the act, which has received first reading in
Herd Numbers Down To 2003 Levels
“The value of the dollar is going to drive the market.” – RICK WRIGHT January cattle herd numbers show that even with the massive sell-off of cull cows last year, the Canadian herd has only been brought back to 2003 levels – effectively quashing hopes that a shortage may boost prices this year. Cow kill
Rare Breeds Plans AGM
“We’re in the right place at the right time. There’s a growing number of people who are interested in the quality of their food.” – PAM HEATH Interest in obscure breeds of livestock, abandoned in past decades amid the push towards ever-larger farms and highly specialized production agriculture, is making a comeback. Local membership in
Low prices no mystery, says NFU
The National Farmers Union is hoping to make hamburger from some beef industry sacred cows with a series of meetings publicizing the findings of its report into the root causes of the Canadian cattle industry’s woes. The first of six meetings around the province was held in Oak Lake, where a small crowd of ranchers
Secrets of raising grass-fed beef
“The seed stock producers for many, many years now have been going in exactly the opposite direction of producing what we need for finishing cattle on grass.” – Don Armitage After raising grass-fed beef for eight years, Don Armitage has learned a few of the tricks of the trade. One of the most important is
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
