Country Crossroads & Farming Articles

A diagram of the plank drag Seager Wheeler was using on his farm in 1919. This drag had evolved significantly from the first drag he used when homesteading in Saskatchewan in the 1890s. His first drag consisted of two poplar logs pegged together. The bottom of the logs were cut flat probably using an adze.

The plank drag was an effective field tool in its day

The goal was a smooth field that would allow easy operation of horse-drawn implements

By Alex Campbell March 5, 2019

In the recent Manitoba Agricultural Museum article on the practice of backsetting, which was sometimes carried out when breaking virgin sod, the use of a plank drag in subsequent field operations was mentioned. A plank drag was somewhat more complicated than merely dragging a plank across the field and so deserves some further explanation. Seager

Wood frog embryos can suffer from exposure to cold, changing the biological nature of these amphibians for better or worse.

Did you know?, News, Other

Colder cold snaps under climate change?

The downside of climate change could have a  bigger-than-expected effect on nature

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 5, 2019

When it comes to global warming, it would appear the effect of cold temperature variability is being severely underestimated. A team of researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York, say public attention often focuses on the effect of rising average temperatures. The researchers discovered that cold temperatures make amphibians more susceptible to road

Brian McMullan spent one of his final days on the job working in the grading area at Richardson Pioneer.

Country Crossroads, Local news, Other

Bidding farewell to the grain industry

Brian McMullan retires after being a part of it for 40-plus years

By Darrell Nesbitt March 4, 2019

Hard work, dusty quarters, and small truckloads of grain have given way to much quicker means of moving large volumes of product from the bin to the port in recent years. And for over four decades, Brian McMullan of Shoal Lake has been a part of it all. But after 40-plus years, McMullan retired from

A 40,000-bushel elevator at Hargrave, on the CPR Broadview Subdivision, was built in 1928 by Manitoba Pool for a local farmer co-operative. In 1952, its capacity was increased to 85,000 bushels with the construction of a balloon annex alongside it. Traded to United Grain Growers in April 1979, the elevator was operated successively by Agricore United and Viterra. Closed in 2011, the steel tanks were disassembled and the elevator was demolished in July 2014.

Country Crossroads, Other

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: February 2019

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

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 4, 2019

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

Canada’s Food  Guide is making  broad recommendations rather than telling people how much and of what  to eat.

Recipe Swap

Your guide to a better diet

Red meat, poultry and dairy are still on  the menu, but so are other protein foods

By Getty Stewart March 1, 2019

Canada’s new food guide is less prescriptive than it has ever been. There are no recommendations for number of servings or serving sizes for any specific food. There are just broad guiding statements to help Canadians make more healthy eating choices. These statements echo healthy eating recommendations by countries around the world and reflect current

Succulent cuttings and slips are planted close together in shallow trays.

Country Crossroads, Other

Gardening projects to help get you through the winter

Here’s some things to keep you busy as you wait for spring to get outside to garden

By Albert Parsons March 1, 2019

You may think that you do not have the required space to enjoy indoor gardening but look around. Is there space in a spare bedroom for a light garden or at least room to put a table in front of a south- or west-facing window? Are there a few unoccupied windowsills? Is there space in

You can check into an escape room any time, but how soon you get out is down to your problem-solving abilities.

Country Crossroads

Escape winter in an escape room

These team-building brain-teasing facilities are now available outside the Perimeter Highway

By Barb Galbraith February 27, 2019

Feel like you’re in a rut with winter activities? Want to escape? Try an escape room. Winnipeg offers several, but the fun has spilled over the perimeter to four rural locations. Locked room challenges pit groups against a time constraint — usually one hour — to find clues to freedom. (Safety protocols prohibit locking people

Their Blackbelly sheep have horns much like the bighorn sheep in the Rockies.

Country Crossroads, Local news

Small, ethically run farm raises rabbits and sheep

Owners of Seven Bells Fold feel it’s their duty to treat animals with kindness and respect

By Candy Irwin February 27, 2019

Seven Bells Fold (SBF) is the name of the farm owned by Bonny McKay and Dale Lucey, located just off PR No. 470, between Onanole and Sandy Lake. The name came about from the fact that both sets of McKay’s grandparents were fishers or seafarers on Canada’s East Coast and in order to operate 24

Other, Our History

Dayton Dozer blades for your tractor

Our History: February 1964

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff February 27, 2019

This Dayton utility dozer blade was advertised in our February 1964 issues. The lead story on our Feb. 13 front page reported that a legislative commitee on livestock marketing in Manitoba had recommended that a provincial hog-marketing commission be established to inject more competition into the marketplace. However, it did not recommend a producer-controlled board.

Soybeans are among a small handful of crops that are dominating global agriculture, and that’s not a good development for sustainable agriculture, says U of T environmental scientist Adam Martin.

Did you know?, News

A very small number of crops are dominating globally

This concentration is coming as farms become larger and more industrial everywhere

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff February 27, 2019

A new University of Toronto study suggests that globally we’re growing more of the same kinds of crops, and this presents major challenges for agricultural sustainability. The study, done by an international team of researchers led by U of T assistant professor, Adam Martin, used data from the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to

Daily Network News

U.S. grains: Soybeans hit six-week low as Brazilian harvest looms; corn, wheat sag

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end lower, hogs mostly lower

CFIA adds controls for imports of Spanish feed ingredients after African swine fever outbreak