Garden Soil

Freelance contributor As we perform the task of cleaning up our gardens and preparing them for the winter, many of us take advantage of present conditions to enhance the soil in our gardens. Many of the plants have been removed or at least their tops have been cut off, allowing access to the surrounding soil.

Letters – for Oct. 20, 2011

We welcome readers comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator.In most cases we cannot accept open letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications. Letters are subject to editing for length or taste. We suggest a maximum of about 300 words. Please forward letters to ManitobaCo-operator, 1666DublinAve.,Winnipeg,


Canada Working On Low-Level GM Presence Policy

Just a trace of an unapproved genetically modified (GM) plant can close borders costing grain traders and farmers millions in lost sales, something Canada knows all too well. In 2009 flax exports to the European Union (EU) were disrupted after they were found to contain low levels of CDC Triffid, a GM flax approved in

Ottawa Accused Of Revising Wheat Board History

Regardless of how western farmers feel about the Canadian Wheat Board s (CWB) single desk today, the vast majority strongly supported it when it was created in 1943 and for years after, says Duke University history professor, John Herd Thompson. The Manitoba-born academic accuses Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz of trying


Canola Futures Recovering On Fresh Chinese Demand

Dwayne Klassen CNSA Canola futures on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform managed a rally during the week ended Oct. 14, recovering some of the losses experienced in the previous reporting periods. Confirmation of fresh Chinese demand for Canadian canola helped to generate some of the price strength, as did the reluctance of Prairie producers

U.S. Hog, Poultry Firms To Extend Use Of Feed Wheat

chicago/reuters The surprise drop in U.S. corn feed demand this summer may be only the beginning of a yearlong reduction as chicken and hog producers break a long-held aversion to blending more wheat into rations. What initially began as a summer fling sparked by an unprecedented premium for corn prices over wheat has turned into


Cargill Earnings Tumble

U.S. agribusiness and trading firm Cargill Inc. posted a steep drop in quarterly earnings Oct. 10, citing economic uncertainty and volatile commodity markets. Minneapolis-based Cargill, one of the world s largest privately held corporations, reported $236 million in earnings from continuing operations for the quarter ended on Aug. 31, down 66 per cent from $693

A Fresh Look At Our Organic Roots

Janine Gibson isn t surprised when she hears about studies that find organic farming to be as productive as conventional production methods. To think that it couldn t be, well that s just garbage, said the organic inspector and cofounder of the Organic Food Council of Manitoba. According to an American study released this year,


Product Awareness

Priscilla Reimer heads the Manitoba Organic Alliance, an umbrella organization for organic associations and producers. The organic inspector said sound scientific research is an important aspect of promoting organic production methods, but added current findings are not unexpected. To me it s a non-argument … yes, we can feed the world using organic systems, she

2011 Harvest Nearing The Finish Line

Southwest Region Rainfall was general with amounts ranging from 10 to 20 mm. The precipitation was welcome in most areas. Harvest is almost complete. Spring cereal and oilseed acres were down due to wet conditions in the spring. Yields and quality for wheat, barley, oats, winter wheat, fall rye, canola, and flax were average. Sunflower