Learning how to attract and keep volunteers is vital to a rural community’s survival, a longtime community organizer told an Ag Days audience. Wendy Bulloch, who has extensive experience working with nonprofit, rural and youth organizations said volunteers are the basis of communities. Treating volunteers as you would employees is one way to maintain interest.
There Is Hope For Rural Manitoba
Ethanol Production Boosts Demand For Corn
The USDA released a report Jan. 12 stating that corn crops will be the tightest than ever before, Mike Krueger, host of the “Money Farm” told farmers attending the 2011 Ag Days. “The single biggest thing that has changed the corn market worldwide and certainly our market is ethanol,” said Krueger. Ethanol production has increased
“ I – for Jan. 27, 2011
had someone ask me this week what my goals were for five years down the road. I gave it some careful thought and realized I probably did not have any goals past the next 24 hours. “So it made me think. Is this really a bad thing? Why get caught up in the future when
First Open Farm Day A Success, More To Come
Last September’s first-ever Open Farm Day in Mani toba was an astounding success with more than 4,000 people, mostly from urban centres, visiting the 37 farms that participated. As a result, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives has decided to make it an annual event, MAFRI agritourism specialist Susan Nicoll told an Ag Days seminar
Stress Helpline Goes Viral
After operating a call line and responding to 17,578 calls, Manitoba Rural and Farm Support Services (MRFSS) is marking their 10th anniversary with the launch of their new web services, announced Janet Smith, Farm and Rural Support Line manager at this year’s Ag Days. Their website now has Skype, live chat and direct email to
Farmer To Farmer Workshop Series Expanded
Aprogram launched last year to help farm families cope with stress and depression is being expanded. What started as an umbrella project of the Manitoba Farm and Rural Support Services, formerly the Manitoba Farm and Rural Stress Line, last year will offer an expanded range of workshops at soon-to-be-announced locations and times this year. “We
Barn Fires A Continued Problem In Manitoba
There were 37 barn fires in Manitoba last year resulting in more than 7,600 animal deaths and $26.7 million in damages, statistics released by the provincial Fire Commissioner’s Office show. No human lives were lost. However, animals lost their lives in 15 of the 37 barn fires, including 6,600 hogs and 900 dairy cows. The
Ag Days 2011 Set To Kick Off January 18
Ag Days organizers expect that Brandon’s Keystone Centre in Brandon will once again be packed with visitors this year. Manitoba’s largest farm show starts Tuesday Jan. 18 and ends Thurs. Jan. 20. Admission is free and organizers are promising a great event, with a strong lineup of speakers and exhibitors coming from all across North
New Rural Economic Development Tool
Anew assessment tool that took several years to complete is now ready to be used by Manitoba municipalities to improve economic growth. The Central Plains Inc., a Manitoba Regional Development agency, developed the exercise called “Community Economic Cluster Assessment and Targeting Exercise” (CECATE). The goal is to identify the supports needed to attract and maintain
Early Spring Was The Saving Grace For Some Crops
The drought-to-downpour conditions on the Prairies made Environment Canada’s No. 3 of the its Top 10 list of extreme weather stories of 2010; just behind the mild weather conditions for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Hurricane Igor descending on the Maritimes. MAFRI meteorologist Andrew Nadler detai led just how extreme the Prairie conditions were
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
