Local news & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

From top left: Martha Jo Willard, Green party candidate for Notre Dame, Terry Hayward, Liberal candidate for Lac du Bonnet, Mitch Obach, NDP candidate for Selkirk, Ralph Eichler, PC minister of agriculture and MLA for Lakeside.

Farmit Manitoba, Local news, News, Other

Election 2019: Electoral forum raises rural issues

The event saw candidates from four provincial parties duke it out over infrastructure, trade, the environment, and Crown land reform

By Geralyn Wichers September 9, 2019

An electoral forum on agriculture saw candidates get heated about rural infrastructure problems, and take swings at the Pallister government on trade and land reform. The Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association on August 27 brought together candidates from the four provincial parties to answer questions from commodity groups and farmers. Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler

Amy Johnson calls her 1976 Cessna AG Truck spray plane her baby. She’s the only one who gets to fly it.

Faces of ag, Farmit Manitoba, Local news

Young aerial applicator pilots her dreams

For two months of the year, Amy Johnson flies a crop duster and for 10 she flies MedEvac planes

By Geralyn Wichers September 5, 2019

Amy Johnson loves an early morning — cool, calm, no one around and perfect for flying. “You’re just kind of in your own little bubble in the plane,” said Amy, 23. “You really feel like it’s just an extension of your body and the wings are your own wings… I get that feeling in this

Equipment, Local news

Faster internet may bring technology to more farms

In 2017, 84 per cent of farmers were using precision ag tech, but half said their internet wasn’t fast enough

By Geralyn Wichers August 23, 2019

Rural internet improvements may have implications for precision agriculture, farm technology — and Netflix binging. “We all hate waiting for that circle of death,” said Trevor Armitage, vice-president of global operations at Farmers Edge, referring to the familiar buffering symbol used while waiting for available bandwidth to catch up to demand. He said user experience drives much

Devin Pouteau with his trusty, Soviet-era Belarus tractor on his farm near Sanford.

Farmit Manitoba, Local news

Sanford farmer finds happiness by switching fields

Young Farmers: Devin Pouteau chose cattle over a career in chemistry

By Geralyn Wichers August 23, 2019

Devin Pouteau was lining up for a career in the sciences when he heard the farm call. Devin, now 23, hadn’t planned to farm. He grew up on a mixed crop and cattle farm near Sanford and did his time driving the combine, but throughout high school he’d planned to pursue a career in chemistry.

Crop yields on Robert Brunel’s fields, near Ste. Rose du Lac, have been well below average so far.

Crops, Local news

Dry conditions impacting crop yields for some Manitoba farmers

Moisture levels across the province are variable, as are crop yields, which aren’t quite disastrous

By Geralyn Wichers August 20, 2019

Near Robert Brunel’s farm, the Turtle River has run dry for only the third time in recollection for the oldest residents of Ste. Rose du Lac. “We’re extremely dry,” said Brunel, who farms 6,500 acres of cropland. “We haven’t seen any significant rain all summer.” Brunel said his hay is yielding about half a bale

Manitoba hog producers outside the core PEDv area need to reconsider their biosecurity measures to keep the disease at bay.

Hogs, Local news

No rolling the dice on PED says Manitoba Pork Council

PEDv has broken into both central and northeastern Manitoba, and barns in newly impacted areas might not be ready for the threat

By Alexis Stockford August 19, 2019

Barns dodging PED might owe that to luck rather than robust biosecurity. Andrew Dickson, the Manitoba Pork Council’s general manager, warns that some barns outside southeast Manitoba will need to heighten their guard if they hope to repel a serious risk of the disease. “We’ve got odd stories of people saying, ‘Well I’ve never got

This crop-duster is a dual-purpose firefighting machine.

Country Crossroads, Local news, Other

Birtle crop-dusters add firefighting to their profile

First-of-its-kind multi-purpose plane that can battle blazes ready for take off

By Brenda Hunter August 19, 2019

A Birtle-area crop-duster is getting into the firefighting business. Randy and Janet Sandstrom have expanded their crop-dusting business to now offer aerial firefighting assistance to local fire departments. They are the proud owners of a serial No. 1 from Thrush Aircraft, a single cockpit plane with a switchback fire gate, the first-of-its-kind, multi-purpose aircraft capable

Justin Girard shows how 100 km/h winds bent the metal frame of a hoop house, destroying the structure.

Farmit Manitoba, Local news

Catastrophic crop loss highlights need for small-farm insurance

Four years after the Small Scale Farm Manitoba report, crop insurance for small-scale food producers doesn’t seem to be on the province’s radar

By Geralyn Wichers August 16, 2019

It was shaping up to be a banner year for Justin Girard. Hearts and Roots, which Girard runs with wife Britt Embry, is a certified organic farm that sells veggies through farmers’ markets, wholesale and Instagram-worthy subscription boxes. But on July 14, instead of shots of glistening greens or farm dog Merle, Hearts and Roots

Producers with available hay or forages are being encouraged to list them for sale.

Forages, Local news

Manitoba farm organizations urge farmers to list available feed

A serious shortfall has livestock producers scrambling for feed and alternatives

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff August 16, 2019

Manitoba’s two largest farm organizations are urging farmers to list any hay, straw or other alternative feeds they may have available. The Manitoba Beef Producers and Keystone Agricultural Producers say the province is facing a shortfall this season, amid widespread reports of below-expected hay and forage yields for the season. “Many beef producers have been

Tom Teichroeb is president of Manitoba Beef Producers.

Beef cattle, Local news

Manitoba Beef Producers releases election wish list

By Geralyn Wichers August 16, 2019

Risk management, trade and the environment are at top of mind for the Manitoba Beef Producers as provincial and federal elections loom. The organization released its election wish list in a news release on August 7, which encompassed both federal and provincial elections. “It is important that there is a policy and regulatory environment in

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end lower

ICE Weekly: Trade progress, new data threaten to break canola’s price range

CBOT Weekly: Trade awaits USDA S/D report

Local news