University of Manitoba seeks nominations for agricultural award

The University of Manitoba wants to hear from you about outstanding graduates of its agriculture diploma and degree programs. It’s seeking nominees for its annual certificate of merit, typically granted annually to a graduate of each program. The honour is in recognition of leadership with agricultural organizations and outstanding service to the community at large. Nominations

KAP is asking interested members to join its new Grassroots Advocacy Team to aid KAP’s lobbying efforts, general manager James Battershill said during KAP’s recent advisory council meeting.

KAP creates new Grassroots Advocacy Team

The effort is hoping to get more farmer-members involved in the group’s lobbying efforts 


Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), which advocates on behalf of Manitoba farmers, is asking interested members to join its new Grassroots Advocacy Team and play a direct role in lobbying too. “We’re asking members who are willing to pick up the phone and make a call, who are willing to send a letter, let us know


Brady Deaton, a University of Guelph agricultural economist and McCain Family Chair in Food Security, was the University of Manitoba’s 2017 Kraft Lecturer.
His lecture underscored the importance of communities, such as First Nations, progressing when they have authority to manage themselves instead of being constrained by rules such as the Indian Act. This was the 9th annual Kraft Lecture created in memoriam of renowned University of Manitoba agricultural economist DarylKraft.

Local control key to better resource management

Brady Deaton, the University of Manitoba’s 9th annual Kraft Lecturer, says the Indian Act prevents First Nations from taking action to improve their citizens’ well-being

Justin Trudeau has promised to end boil-water advisories on First Nations, but some could fix the problem themselves by working with neighbours if First Nations controlled their land, says University of Guelph agricultural economist and McCain Family Chair in Food Security, Brady Deaton. “With respect to land, I am arguing the Indian Act basically removes

Bovine tuberculosis was one of two major issues brought up during a recent meeting of the Manitoba Beef Producers and Manitoba Sustainable Development, members are told during a Nov. 8 district meeting in Roblin.

Manitoba Beef Producers sets eyes on 2021 TB-free goal

Manitoba Beef Producers hopes to get the province back on the USDA’s tuberculosis-free list, saying negative tests from wildlife proves its point

Beef producers around Riding Mountain National Park have their hopes riding on a good hunting season. Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) is waiting on the newest round of bovine tuberculosis tests, sampled from deer and elk harvested near the national park, in a bid to convince the U.S. Department of Agriculture that Manitoba is free of


Beef Producers sees carbon policy as a win, but still has some worries

Beef Producers sees carbon policy as a win, but still has some worries

Manitoba Beef Producers saw some of its priorities reflected in the province’s proposed carbon plan, but say input prices are still a concern

Manitoba Beef Producers has checked exemptions for on-farm emissions and farm fuel off its carbon policy wish list, but it’s not done yet. MBP general manager Brian Lemon says there’s still plenty of advocacy work to be done on the details on the plan. Read more: Manitoba carbon plan targets lower rates Read more: Mazier defends

Manitoba bean producers faring well following harvest

Manitoba bean producers faring well following harvest

Weaker Canadian dollar is offsetting the effects of a weakening in the bean market

After a decent dry bean harvest in Manitoba the market is quieting down as the crop begins to ship to the American and Mexican markets. “We’ve had active movement here right at harvest time… during the next four weeks we’ll see it quiet down over the Christmas period,” said Grant Fehr, market segment manager for


A high school rodeo competitor teaches how to grip the bull rope to students from Earl Oxford School Oct. 26.

Students see rodeo first hand

Ag Ex once again brought in the region’s Grades 6-8 students for a look behind the scenes at rodeo

If you asked Brandon’s middle schoolers how a bull rider grips his rope on Oct. 25, you would probably get silence. If you asked the same question a day later, they might be able to answer. Riding rough stock was one, but not the only, topic at the Keystone Centre’s main arena as the region’s

Grade 3-5 students “bid” on animals during the mock auction at Moo!Mania Oct. 24 in Brandon.

Bridging the gap between urban and beef farm

Elementary students from southwest Manitoba beat the Ag Ex crowds Oct. 24 with an agricultural education event around cattle

The day before Ag Ex is all about setup for most, but the festivities were already in full swing for 360 of the region’s Grade 3-5 students. Moo!Mania, the fair’s nod to public education and the cattle industry, returned in the lead-up to the fair. One of three major events organized by the Provincial Exhibition


Wetland restoration in Pembina Valley ‘a rarity,’ said CD officials

About 160 acres have been converted back to wetland after the landowners farming it saw more advantage using the acres to hold water than farming it at a loss

Brenda and Cliff Seward had known for a long while a certain piece of farmland wasn’t very productive — but they kept on cultivating it anyways. This was about 40 acres, once slough, and drained more than 30 years ago, explains Brenda who farms southwest of Morden in the Kaleida area. Read more: A watershed

Dr. Alan Moulin takes tour attendees through the field.

Mixing and matching inputs and rotations

Brandon researchers spent 18 years combining three different input levels and crop rotations to study the impact on nutrients, soil quality, yield and implications for climate change

Farming for short-term yield will be different than long-term soil benefit. That’s not a new idea, but it has been driven home by 18 years of research spearheaded by researcher scientists Alan Moulin and Taras Lychuk of Brandon’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research station. From 1994-2003, the pair’s team cross-compared organic, reduced- input no till,