In Your Co-operator this week: June 20

In Your Co-operator this week: June 20

Geralyn Wichers explores what happens when ideologies collide following a flock infection at an animal sanctuary. The owners say they’ve followed the letter of the law when addressing an ILT outbreak. Commercial operators counter they’re putting the whole commercial sector at risk by refusing to euthanize the animals. Allan Dawson reports on what Manitoba corn

Fly your ‘Rapeyield 30’ pennant

Fly your ‘Rapeyield 30’ pennant

Our History: June 1976

Some farmers were trying to beat the 100-bushel-per-acre canola challenge last year, but in June 1976 the goal was to beat the 30-bushel mark in Elanco’s Rapeyield 30 contest. The winner that year was 43 bushels. Our June 17 front page reported on a “major discovery” at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Lethbridge. Two


Firefighters demonstrate the use of a “Res-Q-Tube” during grain entrapment rescue training put on by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.

CASA expands grain rescue training to Manitoba

The BeGrainSafe program began after seven fatal grain entrapments on the Prairies in 2015

A program to train firefighters to rescue people trapped or engulfed in grain is expanding into Manitoba. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is expanding its BeGrainSafe program, which includes a two-day program for firefighters, according to a May 29 news release. The training will now be available in Manitoba and Quebec. The course includes an

The researchers started with a single seed of Amaranthus hypochondriacus, their test plant, and grew generations of the plant to produce the seeds they needed for their experiments.

New mutations for herbicide resistance rare

Most resistance seems to come from pre-existing genetic conditions

After exposing more than 70 million seeds to a soil-based herbicide, researchers at the University of Illinois were not able to find a single herbicide-resistant mutant. Though preliminary, the findings suggest that the mutation rate in amaranth is very low, and that low-level herbicide application contributes little — if anything — to the onset of


In Your Co-operator this Week: June 13

In Your Co-operator this Week: June 13

Allan Dawson delves into what the future holds for Cigi. The organization has been educating customers from around the world on the benefits of Canadian wheat and barley for nearly 50 years. It was funded by farmers, through the Canadian Wheat Board, and the federal government. Since the end of the CWB, Cigi has had

Blowin’ in the wind

Blowin’ in the wind

Our History: May 2008

The photo of dust blowing from a field near Miami was typical of many others across southern Manitoba on May 16, 2008. There were blizzard-like conditions in the Red River Valley, and Manitoba Agriculture reported that many fields had lost so much topsoil that seed was exposed. As of May 22, crop insurance officials reported


In Your Co-operator this Week: June 6

In Your Co-operator this Week: June 6

Allan Dawson drills down into the numbers on falling farm income and deciphers what it actually means for Manitoba farmers. Among other things he found some cause for hope, including the fact farmers are entering this downturn from a strong position and that some commodities still saw rising cash receipts. Alexis Stockford looks at what’s

An elevator at Domain was built in 1928 by Manitoba Pool Elevators. Nine years later, a collapsing foundation forced it to close until repairs could be made. Initially rated with a 40,000-bushel capacity, it was enlarged with temporary balloon annexes in 1951 then with a 60,000-bushel, 18-bin crib annex in 1966. The facility was fully renovated in 1992. Closed by Agricore in 2001, it was sold into private ownership that oversaw the addition of two steel tanks on its north side.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: May 2019

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

In the 1950s, there were over 700 grain elevators in Manitoba. Today, there are fewer than 200. You can help to preserve the legacy of these disappearing “Prairie sentinels.” The Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) is gathering information about all elevators that ever stood in Manitoba, regardless of their present status. Collaborating with the Manitoba Co-operator it is supplying these


A wild boar wallows in the mud.

PHOTOS: Wild pigs on the loose

How many wild pigs are roaming agro-Manitoba? Nobody knows the answer to that question, and that’s going to be a problem for the province. Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan who was educated at the University of Manitoba has the best handle, and even he admits his numbers are far from certain.

Pulverising harrow crushes clods

Pulverising harrow crushes clods

Our History: May 1887

This Acme Pulverising harrow, clod crusher and leveler was claimed as “Best Selling Tool on Earth” in the May 1887 of the Nor-West Farmer and Manitoba Miller. The paper’s editors were running a series of competitions inviting readers to submit essays on various topics. That month’s issue featured two entries on the topic “How to