Local news & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

A recent KAP meeting saw farmers chide officials for 'awful' implementation of Class 1 licence plan.

Frustrated KAP members say Class 1 truck licence transition flawed

Some have waited months in vain for a semi licence road test because commercial truckers get most of the openings

By Allan Dawson August 15, 2019

[UPDATED: Aug. 19, 2019] Good luck if you’re a farmer trying to get a Class 1 semi licence before harvest. And it might not be much easier between now and next harvest either. That’s because starting Sept. 1 everyone has to take Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT), a 121.5-hour course designed to provide new semi

The Alameda reservoir in southeastern Saskatchewan, one of three water control structures in the Souris River system that some communities downstream say could do more in terms of flood mitigation.

Local news, Other

Souris river: feast or famine

Evaluation of Souris River’s flow data has begun evaluation in earnest, but the sheer number of scenarios promises enough data to drown in, and not everyone agrees on priorities

By Alexis Stockford August 14, 2019

Lynn R. Kongslie is used to watching his ranch near Towner, North Dakota, go under water, but that doesn’t lessen the sting each time it does. Like many ranchers in the area, Kongslie believes he knows who to blame. Saskatchewan’s three major control structures along the Souris River are sore topics in Towner, Minot and

With almost no carryout hay stocks in 2018, some producers will soon be under pressure to sell off their herds.

Local news

Manitoba’s West Interlake hay situation dire

Interlake region described as "abnormally dry"

By Marlo Glass August 14, 2019

MarketsFarm – The Rural Municipality of West Interlake has called on provincial and federal governments for assistance as the region faces critically low rain levels and crop yields. Current hay yields in the region are about 50 per cent of average. Typically, an average hay crop produces about one bale of hay per acre. Alternative

From top left to right: Ralph Eichler, Minister of Agriculture (photo courtesy of the PC Party of Manitoba), Dougald Lamont, leader of the Manitoba Liberal party and MLA for St. Boniface, Winnipeg (photo courtesy of the Manitoba Liberal Party), Wab Kinew, leader of the New Democratic Party and leader of the official opposition (photo courtesy of the Manitoba NDP), and Kate Storey, agricultural critic for the Green Party of Manitoba. She lives on a mixed farm near Grandview, Manitoba (photo courtesy of the Green Party of Manitoba).

Local news, Other

Provincial parties talk vision for agriculture ahead of election

Ahead of releasing official agricultural platforms, the parties talk trade, rural health care, African swine fever, and climate change

By Geralyn Wichers August 13, 2019

With campaign season officially in full swing for the provincial election, the Manitoba Co-operator caught up with the parties to talk agriculture. The parties we spoke to all polled regularly above five per cent for the past year. All parties had plenty to say about their vision for agriculture in Manitoba, bridging the rural/urban divide,

Vermeer’s ZR5 self-propelled baler demonstration was a major draw during a hay and silage day at Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives north of Brandon earlier this year.

Equipment, Local news

Is this baler yet another step toward driverless machinery?

Vermeer promises its new self-propelled unit will make baling as easy as driving down the highway

By Alexis Stockford August 13, 2019

Autonomous farming has taken a step from the grain crop to the hayfield. Vermeer’s ZR5 self-propelled baler has made waves in the U.S. and now in Canada after the machine made its Canadian debut in Manitoba earlier this summer. It was a major draw at equipment demos in both Glenboro and the Manitoba Beef and

“You really don’t do anything on this machine but steer it.”– Corey Dalman, Vermeer.

Equipment, Local news

Boots on the ground with Vermeer’s ZR5 baler

Digging into the finer details on the ZR5’s promises and capabilities

By Alexis Stockford August 13, 2019

Vermeer expects its modular design to be a selling point for the ZR5, both for ease of service and safety. The baling chamber is hydraulically connected to the power unit similar to a front-end loader. When disconnected, a switch in the cab lifts the baler from the power unit, allowing the farmer to drive away.

Shoal Lake Grade 12 student Austin Tataryn received his laptop from Richardson Pioneer representative Rick Kienas at a June 12 presentation at Shoal Lake School.

Country Crossroads, Local news, Other

Gently used laptops find a new home

Former Richardson employee works with the company to donate surplus machines to high school graduates

By Brenda Hunter August 13, 2019

Thirty high school students from Shoal Lake and Strathclair each recently received a refurbished laptop thanks to a joint initiative by Shoal Lake School alumna Jennifer Stefansson and Richardson International Limited. The new program is for high school graduates who have contributed to their community but do not have a laptop and intend to pursue

Dry pasture conditions and rising feed prices could see higher cattle volumes at auction this fall.

Livestock Markets, Local news, Markets

Dry conditions may drive cattle to market this fall

Fed cattle, bulls also expected to head to market sooner

By Marlo Glass August 12, 2019

MarketsFarm – Dry pasture conditions in Manitoba mean cattle markets may make for a busier fall than normal. “The yearling run is right around the corner,” remarked Robin Hill of Heartland Livestock Auction Ltd. in Virden. Dry pasture conditions and rising feed prices are expected to speed up cattle volumes to auction in the fall,

Andreas Zinn interacts with a customer at the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market.

Farmit Manitoba, Livestock, Local news

Free-range farmer benefits from raising animals the old-fashioned way

‘Mother Nature never had a confinement operation,’ Andreas Zinn says

By Geralyn Wichers August 12, 2019

Andreas Zinn says he was born to raise animals. If the autobiography he wrote at age six is an indication, that’s true. It documents his plans for the future: get up early, raise crops, raise chickens and pigs. It was a solid prediction. At age 13, Andreas got his first goat as a birthday present.

People climb a dike formed by wind soil erosion during a field tour at the Global Forum on Soil Stewardship.

Farmit Manitoba, Local news

Soil degradation a costly global issue

About a third of the world’s soil is degraded, which has economic and food security implications

By Geralyn Wichers August 12, 2019

When Prairie-dwellers think of soil erosion, they may think of iconic photos from the Dirty ’30s: towering clouds of black soil blowing across desolate land, teacups turned upside down against drifting grit. But as Francis Zvomuya told the classroom of farmers and agronomists at the Global Forum on Soil Stewardship, soil degradation is far from

Daily Network News

U.S. grains: Soy hits 17-month high, corn to four-month top as trade braces for U.S. data

Federal budget shows remaining disconnect between agriculture, policymakers, panelists say

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures continue downward