Is soil fumigation worth it in Manitoba potato crops?

Should Manitoba potato growers be following the example of their counterparts south of the border and begin incorporating soil fumigation with Vapam into their management practices? Mario Tenuta, a soil scientist with the University of Manitoba, has been looking into the question, but says drawing conclusions would be premature. “We’re really just starting to get

Oversights on seeds and fertilizers chopped

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is cutting back its oversight on laws governing seeds, fertilizers and other sectors that impact farmers. While it has yet to announce the measures, changes in the administration of the Seeds Act and the Fertilizers Act are already under development. The agency wants to introduce plans, some of which have



Rossburn Elementary receives WRAPP grant

An ongoing project at the Rossburn Elementary School is definitely not for the squeamish, but it plays a very important role in waste reduction. Overseen by resource teacher Iris Furman, students in each classroom take turns doing worm chores. “Composting has been an initiative of ours in the past, but thanks to a $4,293 grant


Plenty on the plate for food security groups

Residents of Winnipeg’s St. Vital neighbourhood are digesting the results of a newly released study that reflects what matters to them about food. The Winnipeg suburb is one of several sites in Manitoba to undergo community food assessments in recent months, an initiative to better understand where residents buy or access food, if they grow

Safe manure handling vital

Recent cases of people becoming ill in Europe from vegetables contaminated with human fecal matter remind producers that handling animal manure safely is important. “Animal manures contain pathogens that can cause health issues in animals and humans if the manure isn’t managed properly,” says Chris Augustin, nutrient management specialist at North Dakota State University’s Carrington


Turning waste into black gold

Manitoba’s first composting co-operative, Compostages Manitoba Services Cooperative, is now ready to offer municipalities and agricultural producers an affordable and eco-responsible alternative to dealing with organic matter. Compostages Manitoba Services Cooperative will be hosting its first organizational meeting on Tuesday March 27 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cabane a Sucre in St. Pierre

Experts search for ways to cut food waste

Reuters — Cleaning your plate may not help feed starving children today, but the time-worn advice of mothers everywhere may help reduce food waste from the farm to the fork, help the environment and make it easier to feed the world’s growing population. Hard data is still being collected, but experts at the Reuters Food


KAP Uses Winnipeg Sewage Issues To Defend Farm Record

Unt reated Winnipeg sewage flowing into the Red River and eventually Lake Winnipeg has given Doug Chorney a platform to complain about how hog farmers are unfairly blamed for excessive phosphorus levels in the lake. According to the president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers regulations restricting the construction of new hog barns and the expansion

Compo-Stages Manitoba Services Co-Op Demonstrates Advantages Of Composting Manure

co-operator staff / st. pierre-jolys Farmers saw Manitoba s first industrial-sized manure windrow turner in operation last week. Next month they can hear more about joining the new cooperative that owns it. The Compo-Stages Manitoba Services Co-op, an agricultural composting co-operative and a first for both Manitoba and Canada, conducted demonstrations on six farms around