The U.S. space program is taking to the skies again in southern Manitoba this summer. They’ll be using a Second World War-era DC-3 airplane to make multiple early-morning north-south passes over farm fields around Elm Creek, Carman and Roland later this summer. It’s all part of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) flight
NASA conducting aerial soil moisture data collection over south-central Manitoba
The NASA aircraft carries a radiometer instrument similar to the one on board the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite launched in 2015
The ‘broadband gap’ still divides Canada despite investment, rural leaders say
Municipal leaders gathered in Winnipeg for the national Federation of Canadian Municipalities held a Rural Forum special assembly June 4 to draw attention to needs and policy issues for rural areas
Municipal leaders hope a $500-million commitment in this spring’s federal budget for expanding broadband Internet services to underserviced areas of rural and remote Canada achieves its goal this time. The “broadband gap” still divides rural and urban Canada despite significant investments already made trying to close it, said councillors and mayors attending the Federation of
Manitoba delegates inspired by 2016 Citizenship Congress
Youth delegates met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and held a mock parliamentary debate in the Senate Chamber at the annual 4-H event
Marika Dewar-Norosky is seeing farm and rural life in a new light following a once-in-a-lifetime trip as a 4-H delegate to Ottawa this spring. The Grade 11 teen from Newdale 4-H Club was one of six Manitoba delegates visiting the nations capital in early May to participate in the 4-H Canada Citizenship Congress. 4-H Canada
Fruit Crops Branch begins monitoring for SWD
The Manitoba Agriculture Crop Industry Branch’s Fruit Crops Program began monitoring for spotted wing drosophila last week
Commercial fruit growers in Manitoba welcome all visitors, but the one no one wants to see this summer is spotted wing drosophila (SWD). The tiny vinegar fruit fly was first detected in 2013 in Manitoba but that year — and in 2014 — showed up in early August after most fruit crops were already harvested.
Lundar School students build for the future — and help others
The school will auction off a finished RTM built by the students as part of their Industrial Arts program integrating home building in their studies
Lots of students haven’t nailed down what they plan to do after high school but 16-year-old Cauy Kinkead definitely has. He plans to become a journeyman carpenter, and he credits his school’s unique Industrial Arts program, with its emphasis on home construction, for piquing his interest in a trade. The Grade 10 student at Lundar
Everyone’s pitching in to help pitch at Threshermen’s Reunion
Organizers expect more that 125 threshing machines to be on hand for the world-record event
The pioneer harvest to be staged at the 2016 Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede in Austin next month won’t just be the largest in this organization’s 62-year history. It will be the grandest display of operating threshing machines the world has ever seen, and that’s no publicity pitch. Harvesting Hope: A World Record to Help
MWI flags lack of public bus service
The rural women’s group says better use could be made of existing Handi-vans
Expanding use of Handi-vans could bring some relief to rural Manitobans who no longer drive and now struggle to find rides to out-of-town appointments, the Manitoba Women’s Institute says. The aging population of our small towns is increasingly reliant on family or volunteers to drive them, but there are also those who don’t even have
Zooming in on climate change impacts
A new atlas outlines climate change scenarios from a local perspective
Municipal officials and planners can now catch a glimpse of the future for their jurisdictions under different climate change scenarios. A new climate altas released by the Prairie Climate Centre (PCC) outlines how living and growing conditions in Western Canada might be affected, including a worse-case scenario showing desert-like summer heat enduring for weeks by
Is there a ‘stalk’ market in rhubarb?
Research at Portage la Prairie explores potential for commercial production of rhubarb
My parents had a rhubarb patch they harvested for years and years. A sturdy crown divided off it still grows full bore in my backyard. Just how long can rhubarb last? A much bigger patch being established at the Agriculture Canada station (formerly the Central Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre) at Portage la Prairie this summer
St. Claude farmer recognized for his work creating the Manitoba Dairy Museum
Raymond Philippot is one of five Manitobans to receive an award this month from Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon for long service promoting history and heritage
Years back, when talk began about setting up a museum in St. Claude, everyone was all for it, except no one knew where to start. It wasn’t just a matter of collecting old stuff. The provincial Culture and Heritage Branch urged them to try something different. Manitoba already had plenty of pioneer museums. “They said
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
