Local news & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

In Your Co-operator this week: June 20

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff June 17, 2019

Geralyn Wichers explores what happens when ideologies collide following a flock infection at an animal sanctuary. The owners say they’ve followed the letter of the law when addressing an ILT outbreak. Commercial operators counter they’re putting the whole commercial sector at risk by refusing to euthanize the animals. Allan Dawson reports on what Manitoba corn

KAP has complained for years that the current model of education taxation is unfair to farmers.

Local news, News, Other

KAP renews call for education tax reform

The farm group also calls for continued local autonomy for school boards through elected trustees

By Allan Dawson June 17, 2019

Farmers are paying too big a share of education taxes in many municipalities, the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) says in a submission to the Manitoba government’s Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education. “KAP therefore recommends that the commission explore moving away from funding education through property taxes and evaluate alternative funding methods in Manitoba,

Winter wheat crops have been hit by late frost and cool, dry conditions this spring.

Crops, Local news, Other

Winter cereals still waiting for rain

Most winter wheat made it into spring, but cold temperatures and lack of rainfall have added a sour note

By Alexis Stockford June 14, 2019

Spring was not kind to this year’s winter cereals, and the so-far patchy rains have seen little improvement. Both forage and winter cereals suffered from a cold, dry start to the growing season. Temperatures remained unseasonably cold well into May. A major frost event May 26 saw widespread lows under -2 C, with some areas

Farmers have been out in the field reseeding canola after flea beetles feasted on weakened crops suffering through a cold, dry spring.

Local news, Oilseeds

Triple threat leads to canola reseed spike

Farmers headed into the field for round two of canola seeding last week after dry conditions, frost and flea beetles sabotaged their first stands

By Alexis Stockford June 13, 2019

If you were reseeding canola last week, you were far from alone. MASC reported a sudden spike in reseed claims the first week of June, most of them from canola fields. Canola claims jumped from 182 as of May 30 to over 700 by June 7. The agency had received 850 reseed claims across all

Ashten Hawtin, 15, enjoys competing in rough stock events of junior steer or bull riding.

Country Crossroads, Local news, Other

Miniota brothers carry on family tradition

Inspired by their grandfather they continue competing in rodeo

By Darrell Nesbitt June 12, 2019

Drawing on the inspiration of a former rodeo contestant and member of the Little ‘M’ Rodeo committee, two brothers now calling Miniota home are proud to recall the livelihood of their grandfather Don Haines, even though they never got to meet him. The cowboy lifestyle for both Peyton Hawtin and his younger brother Ashten, the

Jeff and Sheila Elder with their red, “Eaton’s barn,” which stands just north of Wawanesa, Manitoba.

Country Crossroads, Local news, Other

Preserving vanishing Prairie barns a difficult row to hoe

One Wawanesa-area family has already sunk thousands of dollars into saving their heritage barns but fear the structures will succumb to the elements

By Geralyn Wichers June 11, 2019

A barn sits in a barley field, gambrel roofed, stained with red iron oxide. It could be one of dozens scattered over the more than two-hour drive from Winnipeg to Wawanesa, but to Sheila and Jeff Elder, this one is special. On the peak facing the road, it says “Maplegrove Farm 1913” in big white

Firefighters demonstrate the use of a “Res-Q-Tube” during grain entrapment rescue training put on by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.

Local news

CASA expands grain rescue training to Manitoba

The BeGrainSafe program began after seven fatal grain entrapments on the Prairies in 2015

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff June 11, 2019

A program to train firefighters to rescue people trapped or engulfed in grain is expanding into Manitoba. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is expanding its BeGrainSafe program, which includes a two-day program for firefighters, according to a May 29 news release. The training will now be available in Manitoba and Quebec. The course includes an

Local news, Other

In Your Co-operator this Week: June 13

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff June 10, 2019

Allan Dawson delves into what the future holds for Cigi. The organization has been educating customers from around the world on the benefits of Canadian wheat and barley for nearly 50 years. It was funded by farmers, through the Canadian Wheat Board, and the federal government. Since the end of the CWB, Cigi has had

Former Canadian Grain Commission assistant chief and acting chief commissioner Jim Smolik (r) contravened two sections of the Conflict of Interest Act, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said in his report released on May 30.

Local news, News, Other

Grain industry abuzz over ‘conflict of interest’ ruling of former CGC chief

Jim Smolik’s lawyer unsuccessfully argued there was no breach because there was no evidence he improperly took advantage of his former CGC office

By Allan Dawson June 6, 2019

Many people in Western Canada’s relatively small and collegial grain industry are puzzled how Jim Smolik ended up contravening Sections, 33 and 32(5), of the Conflict of Interest Act. A report prepared by the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner lays it all out. But according to several industry sources Smolik, a

Flea beetle reports are patchy, but farmers in western Manitoba say the bugs are out and they're hungry. In some cases, aggressive feeding has led to multiple spray passes.

Crops, Local news

Flea beetles in fields add to weather worries

Manitoba's dry weather, previous frost stress and recent heat means producers need to keep a close eye on flea beetle damage

By Alexis Stockford June 5, 2019

The heat is back in the forecast, and so are the flea beetles. Manitoba Agriculture reported that the beetles were, “aggressively feeding in pockets,” and that some farmers were spraying for flea beetles in the last week of May. Lionel Kaskiw, farm production adviser with the province, says beetle pressure may get worse as the

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