Jane Wanjiko standing in her maize field.

African smallholders are adopting conservation agriculture techniques

When you’re subsisting on three-quarters of an acre, increasing 
maize production from 32 kg a year to 990 kg is a life-changing event

This summer Stefan Epp-Koop travelled to Kenya as part of a Canadian Foodgrains Bank learning tour, focused on the importance of agriculture in achieving numerous development goals: reducing hunger, increasing incomes, empowering women, adapting to a changing climate, and improving nutrition. Throughout the trip he visited farmers, government officials and researchers, exploring solutions that were

Soybeans.

Pulse and soybean research position to bring industry to classroom

This unique position will aid to integrate the pulse industry into the university to a greater degree

The Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) and the University of Manitoba are teaming up to create a new applied research postion to help bridge the gap between classroom and real world. “We noticed a shortage in applied research capacity,” said Francois Labelle, MPSG executive director. “Our farmers are asking some great questions. This position


Another record for insured plantings of soybeans in Manitoba

Another record for insured plantings of soybeans in Manitoba

A prediction that soybeans could challenge canola for top spot doesn't look so far fetched now

In 2013, grain market analyst Bruce Burnett predicted in five years Manitoba farmers would be planting just as many soybeans as canola. The intentionally provocative forecast was made to underscore how the combination of a warmer climate, improved soybean varieties and favourable returns can influence farmers’ planting decisions. But new soybean-planting records have been set

Lillian Wambui talks about her farm in front of a field of pigeon peas.

Low-tech, co-operative approaches support smallholder farmers

A simple plastic sheet may not look like much, but it can change lives and communities

Over 70 per cent of hungry people in the world today are smallholder farmers. Those producing food are, ironically, the most likely to go without. This summer I visited Kenya with Canadian Foodgrains Bank to explore what can be done to address hunger and support the smallholder farmers (farmers with less than 10 acres of


The Brandon Research and Development Centre held a field tour of its oats and wheat trials on August 3.

Local testing of cereal varieties key to determining productivity

Researchers at the Brandon Research and Development Centre are committed 
to testing varieties under local conditions

On paper that new wheat or barley variety looks like a winner — but how’s it actually going to perform under real-life conditions? That’s the question federal and provincial crop researchers working at the Brandon Research and Development Centre (BRDC) are hoping to contribute to with a host of ongoing variety trials at their 2,500-acre

Editorial: Peace and prosperity

Maybe it’s time for agriculture to climb down from its wartime footing. For decades now it’s been a battle as farmers fight nature, red in tooth and claw, to prevent crop damages and loss. It’s hardly surprising when you consider the historical context out of which our modern Green Revolution agriculture sprang. It took off


Gordon McPhee, Dauphin
.  1935 –

Agricultural Hall of Fame: Gordon McPhee

Four Manitobans were inducted into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Portage la Prairie July 14. Over the next few weeks, we’re featuring each one with their citations

For most of his career, Gordon McPhee has played a major role in preserving one of our most precious resources, the soil and working with the agricultural industry towards sustainable development. Together with his wife Mary, Gordon has always been able to look at what was happening on farms and then be quick to acknowledge

Patrick Walther speaks to a group of farmers during the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers annual SMART day in Carman.

There’s an economic case for strip till

The technique can save time and organic matter when it comes to soybean production

While strip till has long been shown to have ecological benefits, a recent field day at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm suggests there are also economic ones for producers to consider. “We have basically made a case study where we compare one pass, versus two passes,” said Patrick Walther, speaking to a group of


Hand going through the field

Developing a Canadian food advantage

Farmers and the industry need to actually demonstrate that their products are produced sustainably

What would you guess is the single most important ingredient in modern food production? Good seeds? Rainfall? Fertilizer? The surprising answer is that around the world, the scarcest and most precious resource for producing food is trust. Luckily, Canada has natural advantages that could allow the people of the world to view us as their

Clubroot figured out canola in Alberta. Then it began destroying canola.

Editorial: Long-term plans essential

The farms that are winners tomorrow will be run by farmers who are proactively understanding and defusing production problems today. There are a number of growing issues that could be a disaster tomorrow, but growers can prevent them if they’re committed to doing the right thing now. The best example, and the one that’s a