Small-scale producers are welcoming the formation of a new working group headed by the province’s former chief veterinarian to help develop local food-marketing chains. “This is the venue that we hoped for,” said Leanne Anderson, a Cypress River-area farmer and chair of the Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative, which last month ran into a snag
Province sets up roundtable group for small farmers and processors
Needs and issues of Manitoba’s emerging ‘small-farm sector’ will be raised
The iconic Irma Harding returns
Recipe Swap: Carrot Cake Jam
Those of you who remember International Harvester (IH) farm equipment may also recall the company’s fridges and freezers — and maybe Irma Harding too. Postwar rural electrification was in full swing and farmhomes were installing freezers in the late 1940s when IH, maker of cream separators since the 1880s, seized upon another opportunity to sell
It’s time to get moving
Recipe Swap: Three Seed Yogurt Muffins, plus Buckwheat Shepherd's Pie
My friend and I live far apart, and only occasionally see each other, but when we do, she sees more of me than I of her. That’s because there is, um, more of me to see. Once upon a time we were both sticks. Then we learned to cook. She’s been able to burn off
Volunteer birdwatchers keep tabs on local species
The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas is a scientifically designed, five-year project to assess the status, distribution and abundance of bird species that breed within Manitoba
A five-year effort to identify breeding bird species in Manitoba has confirmed golden eagles are back, snowy egrets have made unexpected appearances, and several species of native grassland birds are all but gone from most of agro-Manitoba. “We’re certainly seeing things that are indications of change,” says Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas co-ordinator Christian Artuso, who
Manitoba Agricultural Museum sows seeds for its future
The Manitoba Agricultural Museum will host a music festival, military heritage displays as part of its effort to make the facility more accessible to a wider audience
Bright-coloured quilts are a welcome sight these chilly first days of spring, and the Manitoba Agricultural Museum (MAM), dedicated to all-things-Prairie, is the place to see 100 of them this weekend. This is the second year the Austin-area museum will gives visitors a warm welcome, as part of expanding programming, and new events and attractions
Secrets of a Hutterite Kitchen
Recipe Swap: Author Mary-Ann Kirkby takes us with her into the kitchens and dining rooms of colonies across Western Canada
Intercom systems may have replaced the large cast-iron bells that once sat atop the community kitchens on Hutterite colonies, but the tradition of “first call” remains. Fifteen minutes before everyone else is summoned to the dining room, elderly colony members, new mothers and caregivers of the sick are invited to eat. First call is one
MLA wants red tape removed from farm group
Blaine Pedersen says the rules deter rural businesses
A Manitoba Conservative MLA says it’s time to inject “some common sense” into the rules that govern direct-to-consumer sales by farmers. Blaine Pedersen, (PC-Midland) has gone to bat for a small group of farmers recently outed for using a web-based ordering system and delivering uninspected chicken and ungraded eggs to customers in Winnipeg and other
A new oil for the Prairies
Recipe Swap
It’s a healthy oil that tastes great and hits several other high notes when it comes to what customers want from the food they eat. The code on the bottle, for example, tells you the name of the southeastern Saskatchewan farmer who produced the crop for it. Three Farmers Camelina Oil is a golden culinary
New ways to eat pulses
Recipe Swap
If you seldom eat beans, peas, lentils or chickpeas, your kids will probably someday wonder what you were eating. All kinds of pulse-based foods are popping up on store shelves, and are increasingly popular among a younger generation trying to eat healthier and smarter than their parents. That might have sounded like mission impossible not
Will it be millet?
It’s time for the Great Manitoba Food Fight and St. Claude’s Millet King is among 10 contestants hoping for a taste of victory
It’s technically a seed, but categorized as a grain because it’s one of the world’s most commonly cooked and eaten staples. Yet North Americans have either never heard of millet, or know it as livestock feed or birdseed. Gluten-free, nutritious millet has a fighting chance to gain popularity with health-conscious consumers too, says a Manitoba
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
