News & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Consumers and chemicals: The battle for a balanced pest management system

The preference of your customers is changing and it’s important for your business that you’re aware of it

By Spencer Myers September 13, 2019

The feud between farmers and pests is a never-ending story, and changes in consumer preferences might force producers to look at new ways to battle their microscopic foes. While farmers are in the midst of a constant struggle to protect their crops against bugs and diseases, at the same time consumers on a wide scale

On a typical farm, nozzles on a sprayer are running 37.5 per cent of the time. But at Hebert Grain Ventures, that figure is 54.8 per cent, an efficiency gain that adds 75 cents per acre to the bottom line.

Farmit Manitoba, News, Other

How one farm put data analytics to work

This grain farm makes money by assessing data on everything from employees to soil moisture

By Jennifer Blair September 12, 2019

Most people say, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” But at Hebert Grain Ventures, their motto is, “If it’s not broke, you haven’t looked hard enough.” “We don’t believe that, just because we had a good year or a good yield, that’s enough,” said Evan Shout, the Saskatchewan farm’s chief financial officer. “If we

Producers tour Western Winter Wheat Initiative and Ducks Unlimited plots at Carberry’s crop diversification centre this July. The groups hoped to demonstrate the impact of balanced fertility through the plots this year.

Crops, Local news

Rains bring relief for winter wheat seeding

Winter wheat is ready to go, but the fields slated for the cereal may not be ready

By Alexis Stockford September 12, 2019

Recent rains have brightened the outlook for winter wheat, assuming farmers can get on the drill. Western Winter Wheat Initiative agronomist Ken Gross said conditions are ideal for the crop’s first flush, despite the dry conditions that have plagued Manitoba this growing season. “As far as getting winter wheat into the ground, it may be

Livestock, Local news

‘This one’s gonna hurt’ – Interlake ranchers face drought disaster

Producers say that help they might otherwise receive is being held back because of the provincial election

By Geralyn Wichers September 12, 2019

A field down the road from Calvin Reykdal’s farm has two swaths taken out. The rest is still standing, only a couple of inches higher than the cut section. That was first cut, not worth the fuel and time to take it off the field. It’s one of many fields like that in the RM

News

Tyson Foods slowed chicken processing after recalls

The move was a major contributor to the company’s lower earnings expectations for 2019

By Tom Polansek September 12, 2019

Tyson Foods slowed chicken processing this year after it recalled millions of pounds of poultry over concerns they contained materials like rubber and metal, raising its costs, chief executive Noel White said. The higher costs contributed to a US$220-million cut to the company’s expected adjusted earnings for 2019, White said at an investor conference. Almost

Crops, Local news

Thinking of planting winter cereals? Read this

Here is the Manitoba 2019 variety selection data for winter wheat and fall rye

By Anastasia Kubinec September 11, 2019

Just in time to assist with decisions to plant winter cereals, the MCVET (Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team) yield results are in for 2019 fall rye and winter wheat varieties testing locations from across Manitoba (see tables below). In addition to yield, the agronomic and disease-resistance information for winter wheat and fall rye varieties tested

Visitors to the Verwey farm will get up close an personal with dairy calves during Open Farm Day Sep. 15.

Local news, Other

Doors prepare to swing open for Open Farm Day

Open Farm Day will run Sep. 15. This year’s roster includes 56 sites, including 23 that have never been seen on the day’s schedule before.

By Alexis Stockford September 11, 2019

[UPDATED, Sept. 12, 2019] Open Farm Day organizer Wendy Bulloch is more than ready to take a swing at the wall between farmer and the non-farm public. It’s the main point of the event, after all — to foster public trust in food production and bridge the gap between, not only farms and the urban

Colin Palmer uses his PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera system to monitor calving pens. The camera system is a step up from his first forays into fixed-view cameras and allows him to read ear tags from up to 140 feet away.

Farmit Manitoba, Livestock, Local news

Producer’s key to calving is only a click away with camera system

Calving cameras promise to de-stress the most stressful weeks for livestock producers 

By Alexis Stockford September 10, 2019

Colin Palmer no longer fits the image of the sleep-deprived, anxiety-ridden beef producer when calving starts — despite having more than double the cattle he did a decade ago. Instead, he is losing fewer calves, spending less money on gas and steps off his farm near Saskatoon more lightly in spring, since he can pull

Spotty cellphone connection and internet service might be an issue for producers wanting to stream video via a calf surveillance system.

Farmit Manitoba, Local news, Other

Cow cams may fall short without tall towers

Failure to connect: Like anything involving video transfer, calving cameras will need good internet and cell service to transmit an image of the calving pen off the farm

By Alexis Stockford September 10, 2019

Cow cams may promise peace of mind but, like most things connected to data agriculture, they also bring up the perennial challenges with rural internet. Rural internet is an obstacle for the farmers wanting to adopt cow cams, Colin Palmer (a producer and speaker on cattle surveillance systems) admits. He has reaped the benefit of

Two parties have pledged to change the province’s education tax system.

Local news, Other

Election 2019: Education tax relief promised in provincial election campaign

KAP welcomes the announcement, but says it needs details

By Allan Dawson September 10, 2019

For decades farmers have complained taxing farmland to help fund education is unfair, now two parties have promised to scrap education taxes on all property, including farmland and houses, in the dying days of the provincial election. The Progressive Conservative (PC) Party of Manitoba announced Sept. 3, education taxes on property would be phased out

Daily Network News

New strategies needed for Canadian agriculture to stand out in global trade

Feed Grains Weekly: Cash prices for wheat, barley largely flat

The Canadian GMO mustard wars: Dijon vs canola