woman in commercial kitchen

Foodies and food developers to have new space available

Made-in-Manitoba food producers have another commercial kitchen option in Winnipeg

What do you get when you mix local food, a historic building and 7,000 pounds of brand-spanking-new equipment? Answer: the Kitchen Sync. Surveying freshly delivered ranges, ovens and other implements, owner Sheila Bennett explains that “first and foremost, Kitchen Sync is a professional licensed kitchen rental.” But its aim is to provide a creative development

snake-oil salesman

The statistics prove it — higher yields with Manitoba maple syrup

It’s now easier than ever to sell snake oil, says University of Manitoba 
soil scientist Don Flaten

It’s easier than ever to sell snake oil as a fertilizer, supplement or replacement, so for farmers it’s “buyer beware,” warns Don Flaten, a professor of soil science at the University of Manitoba. “It’s what I’d call the Wild West,” Flaten told agronomists attending an Agvise Laboratories meeting here March 18. “With the Wild West


Ron DePauw

Wheat breeder extraordinaire Ron DePauw retires from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

DePauw will continue to work for improved wheat cultivars as ‘mentor, adviser and consultant’

One of the world’s pre-eminent wheat breeders has retired, sort of. Ron DePauw, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s senior principal wheat breeder at the Semi Arid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC) in Swift Current, retired from the department March 20. Last year DePauw was dubbed the “billion-dollar man” in recognition of the close to 60 wheat

man at a podium speaking at an event

Boissevain residents keen to ‘mind their own business’

Small-town business fair an idea others should try, says Manitoba chamber president

When Boissevain residents talk about minding their own business, what they mean is, “Let’s help someone start one.” “The next time someone says, ‘You know what this town needs,’ say, ‘How can I help you get that started?’” said Marj Billaney, host of a chamber-sponsored business fair here last week. “And let’s not say to


Assiniboine river map

Assiniboine River Basin Initiative progressing, but funding needed

Manitoba has pledged another $50,000 for the basin-wide initiative, but other jurisdictions more cautious

The Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI) becomes a legal, stand-alone entity as of July 1, but where the funding to support it will come from is still in question. Manitoba has pledged an additional $50,000 beyond an initial $50,000 announced last year to start ARBI, but Saskatchewan and North Dakota have not yet put dollars

Don Flaten

VIDEO: The difference between ‘snake oil’ and crop products that work

Don Flaten, University of Manitoba professor and soil scientist says, "Does the product have a reliable track record of making farmers money?"

Since 2013 new fertilizers and plant products can be sold in Canada without first having to prove they work. University of Manitoba professor and soil scientist Don Flaten speaks to Manitoba Co-operator reporter Allan Dawson about distinguishing between an efficacious product and snake oil. Stay tuned for Allan Dawson’s companion article in the upcoming April 2,


Ag Awareness Day at the Manitoba legislature included showcasing local foods during lunch in the rotunda.

More than a decade of Ag Awareness

Canadian Prairie Garden Purées has been recognized for creating a pure product that 
makes excellent use of visually imperfect produce

It was a chance for Manitoba’s agricultural industry to step back and appreciate how far farming has come, before jumping into spring seeding. Producers, processors and politicians gathered at the Manitoba legislature last week to celebrate Agriculture Awareness Day — a non-partisan event launched in 2005. “Manitoba’s agriculture sector is soaring to new heights, which



winter wheat crop

Manitoba winter wheat OK so far, but fingers crossed for no cold snaps

An advisory committee is monitoring conditions to see if the April 10 
fertilizer prohibition can be lifted early

So far, so good sums up the condition of Manitoba’s winter wheat crop, although an extended cold snap could still damage it. In the meantime, an advisory committee was to meet Monday to consider whether to allow farmers to fertilize their fields, including winter wheat, before April 10 when the seasonal fertilizer application prohibition is

Waldo Thiessen

Celebrating 20 years of direct farm marketing in Manitoba

Organizers of the Direct Farm Marketing conference see even more growth over the next five years

Selling products directly off the farm is nothing new — for as long as crops have been grown, farmers have sold the fruits of their labour to friends, family and neighbours. But today there’s increasing demand from other consumers to buy directly from farmers, which was reflected in the themes at the 20th anniversary of