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Opinion

Letters – for Nov. 5, 2009

Cattle business future a sensitive subject First of all, I would like to apologize to any seniors who took offence to my comments on the beef business in the article “High Dollar, Bad U. S. Economy Hitting Cow-Calf Producers,” in the Oct. 22 Manitoba Co-operator. Over the years I have learned a lot from some
Livestock, Opinion

More Downsizing Not The Answer

In the Oct. 22 article “High dollar, bad U. S. economy hitting cow-calf producers,” Michael Buchen of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives says, “We’re in a bunch of trouble. We’re just going to have to sell the cattle herd down some more.” Who benefits from downsizing our cattle herds? Will downsizing reopen XL Beef
Opinion

Sow Stalls: Ethics, Perceptions, And Animal Welfare

By
What if we granted that, of course animals can be raised for food, but that tightly caging them in gestation stalls is unethical because they are mammals? Dana Medoro is associate professor of American literature at the University of Manitoba and a member of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee with the Winnipeg Humane Society. The
Beef cattle, Livestock, Opinion

Should You Stay Or Should You Go?

By
There’s a lot of soul searching on cow-calf operations across the country. Producers are wrestling with whether to stay in the business or cut their losses and get rid of the cows. With the fall calf run now in full swing, the immediate economic outlook has worsened. The rapid increase in the value of the
Opinion

Stop The Blame Game

By
It goes without saying tensions are running high in the agricultural community right now. Early reports from the fall calf run indicate prices this year could actually be worse than when the border closed in 2003. The main culprits appear to be the languishing U. S. dollar, which is bringing the loonie closer to par,
Opinion

Defining “Natural” Is A Tricky Proposition

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Indirect or implied “natural” claims are everywhere already and the industry will continue to get bolder. With a public suffering from chemical paranoia, there is a growing consumer demand for more “natural” products. Growing doubts about the meaning of “organic” and the spotty regulatory efforts to limit the amount of misleading labelling led the food
Hogs, Opinion

Letters – for Oct. 29, 2009

By
Consumer and producer disconnect growing While I appreciate and share Laura Rance’s concern for the world’s needy “Stuffed and starved,” Manitoba Co-operator Oct. 15, 2009, I can’t help but feel her editorial is, in itself, a prime example of the growing consumer/ producer disconnect that Rance refers to and which many fellow producers wish to
Opinion

More Phosphorus Study Not Needed

According to “In briefs” (Manitoba Co-operator Oct. 22.) the province has implemented new management regulations for phosphorus, plus a $300,000 grant for yet another study. The study is needed, according to the water stewardship minister to determine the relationship between phosphorus build up in the soil and “how” it later gets into Manitoba waterways. The
Livestock, Opinion

Sow Stall Issue Won’t Go Away Until Sow Stalls Do

In reference to Ron Friesen’s article: I attended the debate at the University of Manitoba referred to in Ron Friesen’s Oct. 22 article “Debate Reflects Deep Divide Over Sow Stall Ban.” I was shocked that the activists, the Office of the Chief Vet represented by Dr. Wayne Lees and the proponents of sow stalls represented
Hogs, Livestock, Opinion

Looking Beyond The Bars

By
One of the perks of writing a column about agriculture in a major city daily is the feedback one gets from urban folks about farming issues. The level and intensity of interest is surprising at times. For instance, a column last summer outlining the gist and possible implications of the proposed federal support package for

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