Bad weather and chronic problems with a membership checkoff have combined to reduce the number of Keystone Agricultural Producers members to their lowest level ever. KAP ended 2010 with 4,178 paid members, down from 4,402 in 2009, the association’s annual meeting in Winnipeg learned. KAP now has fewer members than at any time in its
KAP Memberships Plummet, Checkoff Problems Blamed
Manitoba Growers Edgy About GM Alfalfa Release In U.S.
Manitoba forage seed producers are dismayed, but not surprised that American regulators have released Roundup Ready alfalfa in the U.S. without restrictions. “Whoever thought that Roundup Ready wasn’t going to come to the market was living in a dream world,” said Adam Gregory, an alfalfa seed producer from Fisher Branch. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
Report Eyes Reducing River Flows
Aplan to reduce the flow on the Red River during flood stage is feasible but would come at a huge cost, a yet-to-be-released study says. Reducing peak flows by 20 per cent is doable but the price tag would be at last $1 billion, according to a model developed for the Red River Basin Commission.
Flood Threat Looms In Red River Basin
Asilent threat lurking in the snow-covered uplands of the Red River basin has officials warning residents to brace for a major flood this spring. High river flows, above-normal water content in the snowpack and an expected cool, wet spring will produce near-record flood conditions along the Red River, Manitoba Water Stewardship announced Monday. The province’s
Bioproducts Become Part Of The Rural Economy
Mark Myrowich describes his product as a big sandwich, with nets instead of bread and straw instead of meat, rolled up like a carpet and delivered to construction sites for erosion control. This strange-sounding item is one of many the Manitoba government plans to support with $20 million over the next 10 years as part
World Teetering On Environmental Catastrophe, Conference Warned
Floods inundating parts of Australia. Blizzards shutting down the eastern United States. Mudslides killing hundreds of people in Brazil. All three events in the last few weeks have one thing in common. They’re a sign the earth is reacting after centuries of human abuse, an international flood control conference heard last week. “This is telling
Long-Term Flood Solutions Urgent For Red River
News of an expected major flood along the Red River this spring created an undercurrent of urgency at the Red River Basin Commission’s annual convention last week. A focus on flood control reflected the inescapable reality that the river is a perennial flood risk waiting to happen. The reason is simple. “We live in the
National Science Agency Axes Food Research
Agricultural scientists and farm groups are expressing dismay at a decision by a federal research agency to stop funding food research. The decision by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council sends a negative message, both at home and abroad, that Canada is not interested in research which a hungry world urgently needs, say researchers
Roundup Ready Alfalfa Nears Approval In U.S.
The American government is imminently expected to approve the commercial release of Roundup Ready alfalfa in the U.S. – a move which deeply worries Manitoba forage seed producers. Growers fear it’s just a matter of time before genes from the GM variety enter Canada, cross-contaminate non-GM alfalfa and wreck forage seed sales to Europe, which
St. Joseph Wind Farm Nears Completion
Manitoba’s newest wind farm may be up and running in six weeks, weather permitting. All 60 wind turbines at the site should be fully commissioned by the end of February unless winter storms delay construction, said Amin Shakill, project manager for Pattern Energy Group LP, which owns and operates the project. As of last week,
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
