Opinion & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Putting some meat on the bones of the beef industry ‘straw man’

By David Andrews, John Kolk, Kim McConnell August 23, 2013

Last year, a report analyzing the Canadian beef industry stimulated a discussion involving all sectors of the Canadian beef value chain at a summit last November. The outcome was that three of us with a solid knowledge of, but not a vested position in, the beef industry agreed to develop a draft industry strategy and

News & Opinion, Opinion

C’mon in! Australia’s farmland is up for sale

By Roger Crook August 23, 2013

Hard to believe isn’t it? Australia really is for sale! This advertisement appeared in Queensland Country Life, an Australian farmer’s magazine, earlier this month. A few months ago I wrote about the high level of rural debt in Australia. Now it looks like the banks and the farmers, or the farmers and the banks, have

News & Opinion, Opinion

I could forgive Pamela Wallin for ‘clerical errors’

By Matt Gehl August 22, 2013

CORRECTED, Aug. 22, 2013: When Bill C-18, the legislation wrecking the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) was rapidly making its way through the House and Senate in 2011 it became clear that neither of the two standing committees on agriculture were going to come to the Prairies. As a result nearly 40 farmers from across the

News & Opinion, Opinion

Editorial: Getting the beef industry to communicate

By John Morriss August 21, 2013

Some of us used to think that the grain business was rife with too much politics, but as you learn more about the beef cattle business you start to wonder if it’s even worse. The debate over the wheat board consumed many gallons of ink in these pages over the years, not to mention the

Livestock, Opinion

Editorial: My beef with fabricated beef

By Laura Rance-Unger August 14, 2013

I’m a bit confused by all the saving-the-planet hullabaloo over that $330,000 hamburger manufactured in the laboratory — the one the people tasting it said was ‘almost’ like the real thing. It was animal protein all right, fried in butter no less, not one of those concoctions of soy, brown rice, black beans or quinoa

Opinion

No one happy with RINsanity solution

By Robert Campbell August 9, 2013

Eight months after the legal deadline the Obama administration has released the 2013 Renewable Fuels Standard rule. More importantly it promised waivers next year that will supposedly keep this badly designed law from inflating gasoline prices. Hardly anyone will be truly happy with this decision. The agricultural lobby will be dismayed by the tacit abandonment

Opinion

An ode to the Prairie garden

Letter Five from Northern Blossom Farms: In his fifth instalment from Northern Blossom Farms, Gary Martens  reflects on the value a garden brings to a farmer’s life

By Gary Martens August 8, 2013

In previous letters I have discussed three major components of a complete farm; crops, livestock, trees and the whole that results from these components. I propose that there is a fourth component that is already present on many farms and that is the garden. Gardening is an activity that is common to many people in

Opinion

It’s a little, but it’s a start

By Laura Rance-Unger August 8, 2013

Conservation districts in Manitoba won’t exactly be swimming in cash after last week’s announcement of $750,000 out of the federal-provincial Growing Forward 2 pot for water management projects on farms. In fact, we wondered whether there wasn’t a zero or two missing after all the research that’s come out lately about the need for a

Opinion

Can’t cut the mustard — it’s everywhere

By Ronald Doering July 25, 2013

Since Canada’s new food allergen labelling regulations came into force on Aug. 4, 2012, the most common category of recalls has been undeclared mustard. There have been eight national voluntary Class 1 product recalls on a broad range of products, including kosher frankfurters, macaroni and potato salad, pizzas, barbecue kabobs, various wiener products and, just

Cereals, Oilseeds, Opinion

Leadership takes many forms

By Laura Rance-Unger July 17, 2013

It’s safe to say that Wilf Harder of Lowe Farm and Ernie Sirski of Dauphin have been on different sides of a debate in agriculture a time or two over the years, but there is one thing upon which these farmers do agree. This industry needs more people willing to step up, speak their minds

Daily Network News

Moroccan fertilizer maker OCP expects output to drop 30 per cent in Q2, sources say

Feed Grain Weekly: Demand rises despite war uncertainty

How farmers can manage stress, anxiety during spring seeding

Opinion

Putting some meat on the bones of the beef industry ‘straw man’

C’mon in! Australia’s farmland is up for sale

I could forgive Pamela Wallin for ‘clerical errors’

Editorial: Getting the beef industry to communicate

Editorial: My beef with fabricated beef

No one happy with RINsanity solution

An ode to the Prairie garden

It’s a little, but it’s a start

Can’t cut the mustard — it’s everywhere

Leadership takes many forms

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