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,


Everyone needs to be a trade policy expert

Everyone needs to be a trade policy expert

Time for those who have benefited from free trade to stand up for it

Inattention, indifference and inaction are no longer options for those in agriculture with regard to U.S. foreign policy. Free trade has remained a key, philosophical driver for U.S. feed grains for decades, benefiting corn, barley and sorghum growers — among many other commodities. Now, agriculture must answer the call to defend trade and the rewards

Manitoba’s ‘climate and green’ plan good policy, smart politics

It's often easier and safer to oppose something than to come up with a plan and implement it

The “Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan” is smart politics, but more importantly could be good policy. That latter hinges on the plan to cut carbon emissions by up to 2.6 million tonnes by 2022 working. But there’s a possibility it might not be implemented, or at least not fully. The federal government says Manitoba’s flat


Harvest goes hands free

Harvest goes hands free

British researchers have put automation to test in the farm field

A U.K. research project has planted, tended and harvested the first crop — of spring barley — that’s never seen direct human labour. Hands Free Hectare was aiming to test the concept in the field and consciously chose smaller machinery, said Jonathan Gill, a researcher at Harper University. “There’s been a focus in recent years

At Ag Days in January Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced legislation to streamline KAP’s checkoff. The legislation went from second reading to Royal Assent in just four and a half days and will take effect Dec. 1.

Streamlined, improved KAP checkoff takes effect Dec. 1

Bill 35 went from second reading to Royal assent in just four and a half days

The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) will have an improved membership checkoff in place Dec. 1, the start of its new fiscal year, thanks to legislation that was passed and given royal assent Nov. 9 and 10, respectively. Bill 35, the Agricultural Producers Organizations Funding Act, passed third reading unanimously in Manitoba legislature, following a marathon


Door opens to hog expansion

Door opens to hog expansion

Anaerobic digesters out, new barns in

New hog barns will be built Manitoba. After an all-night session at the Manitoba Legislature, Bill 24 has passed its final reading and received royal assent. Better known as the Red Tape Reduction and Government Efficiency Act, Bill 24 covers legislation ranging from consumer protection and labour relations, to residential tenancies and transportation of dangerous

grain train canola field

CN car fulfilment dropped in weeks 11 and 12

However, the company says it is bringing more crews and power online to pick up the pace

CN Rail is still struggling to fulfil grain car orders in Western Canada, according to statistics collected by the Ag Transport Coalition (ATC). A CN spokesperson says the company is committed to meeting grain company needs. To that end CN has ramped up hiring and this quarter will add another 250 new crew members, Kate


C-49 Transportation Modernization Act off to Senate

Bill C-49, the Grain Modernization Act, has passed third reading in the House of Commons and now goes to the Senate for debate. Farmers and grain companies hope if it becomes law the railways will be obliged to sign level-of-service contracts backed by financial penalties. Read more: Mixed reactions from farm groups to Bill C-49

During KAP’s Nov. 1 advisory council meeting Starbuck farmer Ed Rempel said he shared concerns raised by Butch Harder of Lowe Farm about losing farmer representation if five Manitoba commodity groups merge into one association.

Commodity merger gets chilly reception from some

Some farmers worried over loss of input

The Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) meeting room was chilly, then Starbuck farmer Ed Rempel explained why. “Well Mr. Chairman, I think hell just froze over because I agree with everything Butch Harder just said.” The room erupted with laughter. Harder, a KAP District 3 representative who farms at Lowe Farm, had just told KAP’s fall