News & Opinion & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

The Manitoba Canola Growers Association thinks an opportunity could exist for canola producers to sell their product into the biodiesel market.

Carbon tax could translate into more demand for canola

By Allan Dawson November 9, 2017

“Nobody like taxes… but there is also going to be some opportunities,” as a result of Manitoba’s climate and green plan, Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) president Chuck Fossay told the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ advisory council Nov. 2. While the plan includes a flat $25-a-tonne carbon tax starting sometime next year, it also says if

KAP president Dan Mazier says the farm organization got much of what it wanted from the “Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan,” including a carbon tax exemption on “marked” farm fuel.

Local news

Mazier defends KAP’s approach on ‘made-in-Manitoba’ carbon tax

He says the position was developed democratically and KAP got much of what it wanted to reduce the negative impact on farmers

By Allan Dawson November 9, 2017

A year after the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) opted to participate as the provincial government developed “A Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan,” some KAP members are asking why the farm organization doesn’t oppose a carbon tax. “I find this entire carbon tax thing to be a complete fiasco and I view our prime minister (Justin

Editorial, Opinion, Other

Editorial: On remembering

By Gord Gilmour November 9, 2017

Canada has a long history of respect and remembrance for citizens who served and fell in war. In fact it was a poem by Canadian physician John McCrae that first made the poppy an enduring symbol of remembrance, with the moving opening line: “In Flanders Fields the poppies grow, between the crosses row on row.”

Local residents (l to r) Ross McMillan, Bill Morrow, Chris Monk and Derek Jackson — who also serve on the local cemetery board — are committed to maintaining the community’s war memorial.

Local news, Other

Remembering the men of Margaret

Residents of this small southwestern Manitoba village  continue to attend to the care of their war memorial

By Lorraine Stevenson November 9, 2017

Pale November sunlight glints off the cold red granite where their names are inscribed. They were farm boys, seven sons of Margaret families, who never returned home to their small southwestern Manitoba village a century ago. Sgt. William David McKellar’s name is on this monument. He died in a sea of blood-soaked mud October 26,

Country Crossroads, Local news, Other

Put profitability first, conference speaker says

By Lorraine Stevenson November 8, 2017

Know your numbers. It’s key to survival. That was a repeated message among speakers at last week’s Dauphin conference, from small farm owners to artisanal syrup makers to those operating long-standing car dealerships. All stressed the importance of knowing costs of production and staying on top of financials to stay in the game. Yet, business

The Manitoba Organic Alliance announced the working group Oct. 23 during its annual meeting in Brandon.

Crops, Local news

Organic Alliance says crop insurance needs an update on organic production

Organic growers argue that insurance excludes critical production practices, but change may come with some real logistical problems, according to MASC

By Alexis Stockford November 8, 2017

Organic farmers in Manitoba hope a new working group will help solve long-standing crop insurance issues. The body will have members from both the Manitoba Organic Alliance (MOA) and Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC). “There’s definite improvements that need to be made, so we want to know what the timeline on that is,” MOA president

Katherine Stanley (l) has been named as the Manitoba Organic Alliance’s first agronomist.

Crops, Local news

Manitoba Organic Alliance names agronomist

Katherine Stanley will take on the term position over the next year

By Alexis Stockford November 8, 2017

Manitoba’s organic farmers now have an agronomist to call their own — even if it’s only for a year. The farmer organization the Manitoba Organic Alliance has teamed up with the University of Manitoba and the provincial Agriculture Department to create a one-year term position for an organic agronomist and Katherine Stanley has been named

Agritruth’s Adam Gurr (l to r) and Stephen Vajdik hope to generate robust, field-scale data on everything from nutrient management to varieties and product testing.

Machinery, News

Little farm on the big database

Plenty of farmers would like to get their heads into the cloud. So what’s keeping them grounded?

By Alexis Stockford November 7, 2017

When it comes to big data on the farm, the final destination is sunny, but the road ahead is full of bumps. That’s according to NDSU’s David Saxowsky, a professor of agriculture who’s written on the topic of data and its coming impact on agriculture. Saxowsky imagines a time when farmers are so well informed

Tom Noffsinger introduces the basics of low-stress cattle handling during a talk in Brandon Oct. 16.

Livestock, Local news

Workshops pitch less stress for cattle and farmer

Talks and workshops cover the basics of low-stress cattle handling

By Alexis Stockford November 7, 2017

It’s time to start thinking like cattle when it comes to moving animals. That’s the message Tom Noffsinger had for cattle producers during a string of low-stress cattle-handling workshops and talks near Brandon through the end of October. Three events were put on through Merck Animal Health, including a public talk Oct. 16 and field

Beef producers are being asked to fill out a survey on cattle losses during this fall’s district meetings.

Livestock, Local news

MBP seeks producer data on predation losses

Beef operators are urged to fill out a survey and help assess the extent of the problem

By Lorraine Stevenson November 7, 2017

Manitoba Beef Producers needs members to put some numbers to what they say is the impact predators are having on the provincial beef herd. They repeatedly hear about losses and producers now make impassioned pleas to have something done about the pressure on herds, particularly from wolf attacks, general manager Brian Lemon told district meetings which

Daily Network News

War is increasing food prices, insecurity say IMF, World Bank and UN food agency

B.C. agrochemical startup gets $1.2M in federal funding

Prairie forecast: Another Alberta clipper?

News & Opinion