Risk taking starts young on the Canadian farm and it persists for a lifetime. Farmers know why they take risks, too; risk taking can be rewarding. It’s the name of the game in agriculture. But risk taking in the farm workplace also injures and kills farmers, their family members and workers, too. Compared with other
Risk and reward
Are injury rates in Canadian agriculture driven by farm culture?
Conference digs into safety, farm culture on Canadian farms
"People say, ‘I do things safely,’ but don’t actually do things to support that. We’ve got to figure that out.”
Most farmers believe they do their jobs safely, and most also say they have unwritten rules on their farm to do the work without anyone getting hurt. But Canadian farmers also say an injury, or a near miss, hasn’t made them change their work behaviour, nor has it spurred them to put a safety plan
For the birds
Ranchers and prairie grassland birds have something in common: they’re both endangered species
Home on Manitoba’s range, there are some discouraging words, especially when talk turns to bird habitat and populations. At a recent meeting in Winnipeg that flagged the importance of conservationists supporting the beef sector and their record of preserving habitat, it soon became clear that stemming the decline of forage-based beef production in the province
Western Manitoba community pastures named as key habitat for grassland bird species
The Ellice-Archie Spy Hill community pastures are now officially an Important Bird Area (IBA)
The Ellice-Archie and Spy Hill community pastures have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA), highlighting the western Manitoba site as key habitat for endangered birds and the role grazing cattle play to maintain it. The designation comes from Nature Manitoba, Bird Studies Canada and Nature Saskatchewan, groups that say they hope this focuses more
Conservationists should support beef sector
Land use and habitat index values for beef cattle production and other agricultural areas in Canada
Cattle producers and conservationists need to team up to defeat the perception beef is bad for the environment. Unless they do so, both sides risk losing ground. Why it matters: The conservation community and the cattle sector in Canada must put their differences aside and start telling consumers about the environmental benefits of eating beef.
Will you serve on the board?
Manitoba Agriculture is offering two seminars March 6 and March 7 to help build skills for effective leadership
Anyone who lives in a rural community knows the value of volunteer boards, and how important it is that those who serve on them know how to run them effectively. Board members for organizations large and small are regularly in high demand, and those who accept these jobs, will often attest to the benefits of
More markets, more vendors, more challenges
Increasing visitor traffic to farmers’ markets would help, says Jeff Veenstra, Wild Earth Farms owner
The perception is farmers’ markets are booming, and that’s true if you’re a consumer. More farmers’ markets with more vendors selling at them is great for customers, but it’s adding challenges for those whose livelihood hinges on how well a day’s sales goes — especially when customer traffic falls off. Jeff Veenstra, is co-owner of
Direct Farm Manitoba hopes for better connection
2016 census revealed a vibrant direct-marketing sector in Manitoba, but that hasn’t translated into memberships in the organization
There are 900 farms in Manitoba selling agricultural product of one kind or another direct to customers, and Direct Farm Manitoba (DFM) wants to connect with more of them. The farm number comes from the 2016 Census of Agriculture data which revealed both a vibrant direct-marketing sector for Manitoba and one probably a whole lot
The farmers’ market goes high tech
A small group of local food producers are taking their marketing efforts online
Squinting through blowing snow isn’t how most vendors travel to farmers’ markets across Manitoba — but that’s the sort of trip owners of Thousand Hills Ranch take once in a while. Tiina and Dean Hildebrand, who raise grass-fed beef and lamb near Morden, keep a segment of the Morden summer farmers’ market going through the
Helping hands: pilot immigration program targets rural Canada
The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program matches immigrants to jobs and could help agricultural recruiters fill vacancies
It’s no secret — finding employees to work on the farm isn’t getting any easier. Rural populations are dwindling, fewer have skills or aptitudes for farm work, or even any interest in finding out about jobs in agriculture. But a new initiative announced in late January could potentially send experienced farm managers, equipment operators, meat
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
