News & Opinion & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Merle Tomyk, secretary treasurer and Doug Pickell, chair of the Stonewall-Rockwood Kurelek Tribute Citizens Committee hold a calendar with “The Manitoba Party” painting of William Kurelek. Their committee will unveil a monument in honour of William Kurelek August 23. The monument was designed to look like the tent in the painting.

Hometown artist William Kurelek honoured near Stonewall

Few know the world-famous artist grew up on a dairy farm near the community north of Winnipeg

By Lorraine Stevenson August 14, 2015

Some know a great artist grew up on a farm near here and was inspired by the Interlake landscape around them. But not many. Later this month, a small local citizens’ group hopes to begin to change that by unveiling a monument dedicated to Canadian artist William Kurelek. The site is at the corner of

High tunnel production has potential to extend the Manitoba grower’s season, says MAFRD’s fruit crops specialist Anthony Mintenko. He and the provincial vegetable crop specialist are evaluating fruit and vegetable crops for high tunnel production at the AAFC site at Portage la Prairie.

Crops, Local news

Researchers study how to extend the growing season

MAFRD is looking at how well these oversize cold frames  can extend horticultural growing seasons 

By Lorraine Stevenson August 13, 2015

A production system that extends the growing season, offers growers a competitive edge in the marketplace and potential to make more money sounds mighty tempting. That’s why fruit and vegetable growers were out in large numbers at Hort Diagnostic Days in late July to hear more about construction of high tunnels. This is the first

Crops, News

CP Rail says it’s ready to move this year’s crop to market

The company is investing billions to move even more grain as western Canadian production continues to increase

By Allan Dawson August 13, 2015

A senior executive with CP Rail says the company is “well positioned” to move this year’s grain crop despite recent cutbacks in staff and locomotives. Grain is, was and will continue to be Canadian Pacific Railway’s biggest cargo, John Brooks, vice-president of sales and marketing for bulk commodities, said in an interview Aug. 6. And

Local news

Agricultural Hall of Fame: Harry Airey

Five new members of the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame were  inducted July 17 at a ceremony in Portage la Prairie.  We’re featuring each in the next few weeks

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff August 13, 2015

Harry Airey was born and raised on a farm in the RM of Daly. He attended Rivers High School, and following that, he began farming with his father. In 1965, he took over the home farm and began his own mixed farming operation. Two years later, Harry married Joan Bennett. Harry and Joan have three

Crops, Opinion

GMO labelling may not discourage consumers: Vermont study

Study finds labelling actually increased  support in some demographic groups

By University Of Vermont August 12, 2015

A new study reveals that GMO labelling would not act as warning labels and scare consumers away from buying products with GMO ingredients. The five-year study of Vermont residents focuses on the relationship between two primary questions: whether Vermonters are opposed to GMOs in commercially available food products; and if respondents thought products containing GMOs

Crops, Local news, Weather

Manitoba Crop Report and Crop Weather report: Issue 15

Conditions as of August 10, 2015

By Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development August 12, 2015

The 2015 harvest was slowed by the continuing wet conditions in Manitoba. However, some harvest operations did occur where field and weather conditions allowed. Winter wheat yields are ranging from 55 to 90 bushels per acre, with good quality. Swathing or preharvest management of the earliest-seeded spring cereal and canola crops continues. The return to

Crops, News

Promoting conservation agriculture in Africa

Canadian Foodgrains Bank will receive federal funds to scale  up smallholder adoption  

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff August 11, 2015

Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) has received $14 million from the federal government to scale up conservation agriculture programs in three African countries. The funding provided on a three-to-one matching basis, will enable the organization to assist 50,000 farmers in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, up from 5,000 farmers it is currently assisting, it says in a

A group of Filipinos who arrived to work at the Springhill Farms hog-processing plant in Neepawa last January. Immigrants now make up almost a quarter of Neepawa’s population.

Local news

Prairie towns lack settlement services for immigrants

Rural Development Institute study surveyed 29 towns across Prairies and B.C.

By Lorraine Stevenson August 11, 2015

Rural towns exist because of immigration, but they aren’t easy places for immigrants to move into nowadays. Lack of employment or foreign credentials going unrecognized are only part of the problem, according to a new report released by the Brandon-based Rural Development Institute. Newcomers go wherever language training, affordable housing, child care, public transportation, and

Dairy cattle, Opinion

Opinion: Dairy farmers get (undeserved) bad rap during TPP negotiations

By John Morriss August 10, 2015

The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement involves 12 countries representing about 40 per cent of the world’s economy, but some of Canada’s national media coverage would have had you believe that there is only one issue holding it up — access to Canada’s dairy market. The Globe and Mail was the worst offender —

Oilseeds, Opinion

Editorial: We might need 100-bushel canola

By John Morriss August 10, 2015

The Canola 100 Agri-Prize for the first to achieve 100-bushel canola makes for an interesting challenge. Despite a favourable lingering PR image as the “Cinderella crop,” a look at the numbers suggests canola is showing signs of middle age. A few patches in a good growing year might even approach 80 to 90 bushels now,

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle fall back, hogs continue slide

U.S. grains: Soybeans retreat after rally, wheat holds at three-month high

Klassen: Feeder market drops sharply

News & Opinion