Veggie tales: Peak of the Market will top up its promised donation of $40,000 to the Canadian Red Cross for Haiti earthquake relief based on 20 cents for every bag of vegetables sold last month. Manitobans bought 259,341 bags of vegetables during that period, which equalled $51,868. “We are so exhilarated by the support Manitobans have shown us, we decided to increase our donation to $60,000,” Peak president Larry McIntosh said in a release. “Due to your support, this is Peak of the Market’s single-largest cash donation in our 68-year history.”

Nuffield scholars sought:

The Canadian Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust is accepting applications for their 2011 program. Applications are due by April 30, 2010 and forms can be downloaded from the Nuffield Canada website at http://www.nuffield.ca.

Nuffield Farming Scholarships are awarded to enthusiastic individuals, between the ages of 25 and 45, who wish to explore topics of their choice in agriculture, land management, horticulture or the food chain. Three scholarships of $15,000 each are available for 2011. In the rings: Monsanto’s deal with the Curling Association of Canada for sponsorship of the Brier and other curling championships has come under fire from the National Farmers Union, the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), and the Ecology Action Centre. “Many curling fans might be shocked to learn that the Brier sponsor Monsanto is at the centre of farmer and consumer battles over genetically engineered seeds and increasing corporate control in farming,” said a release. As of press time, there had been no complaints from curlers. – Staff

National credit unions:

The federal government will introduce legislation to allow Canadian credit unions to incorporate federally, paving the way for credit unions to expand beyond provincial borders. The announcement, included in the March 4 federal budget, was hailed by Credit Union Central of Canada as “an historic announcement for the evolution of the credit union system in Canada.” Canadian Central has been actively lobbying for this provision. More than 100 years ago, Alphonse Desjardins campaigned for federally incorporated credit unions. – CCA release