Amy Johnson calls her 1976 Cessna AG Truck spray plane her baby. She’s the only one who gets to fly it.

Young aerial applicator pilots her dreams

For two months of the year, Amy Johnson flies a crop duster and for 10 she flies MedEvac planes

Amy Johnson loves an early morning — cool, calm, no one around and perfect for flying. “You’re just kind of in your own little bubble in the plane,” said Amy, 23. “You really feel like it’s just an extension of your body and the wings are your own wings… I get that feeling in this

Natural vegetation on and above the slopes of the Manitoba Escarpment slows run-off, reducing erosion.

Sustainable slopes project renewed

Aproject to preserve natural cover on the steep slopes of the Manitoba Escarpment is being renewed and reconfigured with new funding. Funds will concentrate on outreach, education, and providing research management planning for landowners willing to preserve tree cover on slopes. Clearing the slopes of the Pembina Valley and Manitoba Escarpment reduces the land’s ability


Beekeepers see shorter season

Beekeepers see shorter season

Beekeepers have seen their honey supply dry up sooner than usual this year. Ian Steppler, vice-chair of the Manitoba Beekeepers Association, said almost every honey producer he’s spoken to has had a shorter crop than usual this year — especially in the Interlake. Steppler, who farms near Miami, said he usually has honey to late

cattle

Livestock producers scrambling for feed solutions

DROUGHT Two years of drought has 
the sector scrambling as winter approaches See story pg 6

Producers searching for feed may have to go off the beaten path again this year, as supply concerns mount. The province got little relief from its recent streak of poor forage this year. Most first cuts yielded between 40 to 60 per cent of normal, according to a recent report from the Manitoba Forage and


canada flag

CFA seeks risk management reform, financial aid

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is calling for financial aid for the canola, pork and beef sectors on the heels of a federal announcement that dairy farmers would be compensated for lost market access. “We cannot miss an opportunity to hammer down the message that we have farmers who require support now or they face the very real threat of losing

Plenty CEO and co-founder Matt Barnard (right) says his company is now competitive with organic 
competitors but critics say vertical farms are simply too expensive to run.

Are vertical farms ready for prime time?

Indoor farm companies say they're scaling up, but many question their business model

INNOVATION Indoor farm companies say they’re scaling up, 
but many question their business model

Reuters — Leafy salad greens grown under banks of LED lights, with mist or drips of water are having their day in the sun. Several top U.S. indoor farms say they are boosting production to a level where they can now supply hundreds of grocery stores. Plenty, Bowery, Aerofarms and 80 Acres Farms are among young companies that see a future


Pests like the corn leaf aphid could be in areas thought free of it, according to new research.

Crop pests often missed as they move into new areas

Finding where pests exist in the early stages of movement into an area are key to control

Insects and diseases that damage crops are probably present in many places thought to be free of them, new research shows. Pests that have not been reported in a certain area are usually assumed to be absent, but analysis by the University of Exeter shows many pests are “currently unobserved, but probably present” (a likelihood

Faster internet may bring technology to more farms

Faster internet may bring technology to more farms

In 2017, 84 per cent of farmers were using precision ag tech, but half said their internet wasn’t fast enough

Rural internet improvements may have implications for precision agriculture, farm technology — and Netflix binging. “We all hate waiting for that circle of death,” said Trevor Armitage, vice-president of global operations at Farmers Edge, referring to the familiar buffering symbol used while waiting for available bandwidth to catch up to demand. He said user experience drives much


Devin Pouteau with his trusty, Soviet-era Belarus tractor on his farm near Sanford.

Sanford farmer finds happiness by switching fields

Young Farmers: Devin Pouteau chose cattle over a career in chemistry

Devin Pouteau was lining up for a career in the sciences when he heard the farm call. Devin, now 23, hadn’t planned to farm. He grew up on a mixed crop and cattle farm near Sanford and did his time driving the combine, but throughout high school he’d planned to pursue a career in chemistry.

Yvonne Lawley talks cover crops during Crops-A-Palooza in Carberry in July.  
photos: Alexis Stockford

Calculating a good cover crop plan

Set yourself up for success when it comes to cover crops

Farmers will need more than a cursory plan to reap the benefit of cover crops in the Keystone province. Cover crops have gained their champions in Manitoba. The practice is cited among other alternative grazing strategies like bale or swath grazing to extend the grazing season and, arguably, improve soil, according to livestock and forage


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