Four fibreglass boxes, like small rooms, stand inside a bright, pristine space. Each box has metal stanchions, a hefty air-handling unit and a rubber mat that could be thought of as a bed. “So,” asks one of several journalists clad in biosecurity gear, “you trap the cow in there with their burps?” “No, no, no,
How do you make a Danish cow stop burping?
The Danish dairy sector is under pressure to curb emissions, especially methane
Hunger crisis deepening, says Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Raging drought, inflation and conflict drive food shortages
Fifty million people around the world are near to or experiencing famine, up from 40 million in May, according to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “There’ll be many malnourished. At least 20 per cent will be extremely malnourished,” said the organization’s executive director, Andy Harrington. Two out of every 10,000 of those people will die, according
VIDEO: Lord of the flies: The promise of sustainable protein in fly larvae
Danish firm sees enormous potential in black soldier fly larvae for feed and oil
A mass of writhing maggots feasting on decomposing organic matter isn’t the most appetizing mental image. In fact, for most people, the role of the fly in the circle of life is probably best not thought of while eating. But for one Danish firm, the black soldier fly belongs in the food system and is
Dairy carbon plans still on the drawing table
The sector’s net-zero plan banks on technology not yet available
The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has a goal to reach net zero on carbon emissions but admits the plan to get there doesn’t exist. Not yet, at least. “It kind of reminds me of JFK saying, ‘By 1969, we’ll have a man on the moon’ and they hadn’t invented rockets yet,” said DFC director
Cover crop learning program seeks to provide community
Manitoba Association of Watersheds rolls out federal funds for cover crops
A new cover crop mentorship program will provide the location-specific support that books and Google can’t, says one farmer. “It was just another avenue to get in more knowledge and to be able to work with peers to see what’s worked and not worked for them for our specific geography,” said Kim Wilton, who farms
OCN’s Smart Farm is a source of physical and mental health
A computer-controlled farm, on-site research and fresh produce are providing ways to combat diabetes in this northern community
It sits behind the wall that holds the community centre’s bingo board — and its name is Bertha. This ‘Smart Farm’ is Stephanie Cook’s domain on Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), more than 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. After more than six years of farming, Cook can walk into the room and smell if something is
From Peak to obsolete
Peak of the Market’s monopoly began with protests, newspaper wars and threats of violence. It ended with near silence
In the embryonic days of Peak of the Market, Wally Kroeker recalls a farmer threatening to thrash his dad. His father, Walter, was a staunch proponent of orderly marketing for his potatoes and vegetables. The other farmer was not. “My dad was a pretty conservative guy,” Kroeker said. “Some people could never understand why a
Cover crop training, peer group to begin this summer
Groups offer free courses on cover crops and other techniques
A cover crop training and peer-learning program will kick off with two farm tours this July. It’s one of three free courses through the Farm Resilience Mentorship program (FaRM) hosted in Manitoba by the Manitoba Organic Alliance (MOA) and the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA). The course is for both conventional and organic farmers.
Winkler cidery opens orchard-side tasting room
Once a vegetable farm, Dead Horse Cider is making award-winning forays into fabulous flavour
Tasting notes of tequila, lime, strawberry and… horse blanket? Think hayloft, not manure, says Dead Horse Cider founder Marcus Wiebe. He ushers a Manitoba Co-operator reporter over to the taps in the Winkler cidery’s sun-dappled tasting room. After tasting the funky crispness of the Backyard Blend, made entirely from local apples, it makes sense. There
New provincial trust to help build watershed districts’ capacity
The $2.5 million-fund means better staff training without tapping project funds
A new provincial trust will mean training staff to better help landowners without having to dip into project funding, says a watershed district manager. “It means we don’t have to… rob our project dollars to be able to deliver them more effectively,” said Justin Reid, manager of the Redboine Watershed District. “We’re able to put
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
