Large Canadian presence at Big Iron

The 32nd Big Iron farm equipment and services show here is like a huge handshake between U.S. and Canadian farmers and equipment manufacturers that do business across the 49th parallel. More than a dozen Manitoba- and Saskatchewan-based companies were exhibiting at the annual event, which typically marks the last of the summer shows in the

Farm building plans available online

The Canada Plan Service is a co-operative provincial network of agricultural engineers, design draftspersons and livestock specialists. It is concerned with the planning, design and construction of modern farm buildings to serve the needs of Canadian agriculture. Each provincial Department of Agriculture has engineers and other extension specialists who work with farmers who request help


Farm buildings: Pieces of the puzzle

Doug Gaudry says the days of traffic backups behind the huge barn being transported down the highway are pretty much a thing of the past. These days, most new large buildings or workshops destined for agricultural and rural properties are transported to the site in pieces. “These structures are not traditional in the ready to

Original Versatile 4-WDs on display at Austin museum

While the name Versatile is usually associated with four-wheel-drive tractors, Versatile began by manufacturing augers and sprayers then harrow bars. After the company moved from Toronto to Winnipeg to cut shipping costs to its Prairie customers, Versatile moved into the production of swathers and combines. In 1966, Versatile designed an articulated four-wheel-drive tractor and put


Stolen tractor found at bottom of manure pile

A pile of poo wasn’t enough to conceal the crime, and now a pair of suspects charged with stealing a tractor worth $300,000 off a dealership lot near Stonewall are finding themselves in deep doo-doo. Acting on a Crime Stoppers tip, RCMP recovered the 2009 Case IH Steiger 485 last week underneath an enormous pile

Create a lawn area with sod

When I am going to establish a lawn area in my garden, I find that using grass seed is frustrating and I am not always assured of good results. Even if the soil is kept constantly moist for a couple of weeks, germination can be spotty, particularly if the weather turns hot and there is


Shiver me timbers… again

J Neufeld didn’t intend to start an environmentally sustainable business when he and Grant Dyck launched Wood Anchor in 2005 — he just loved the look and texture of reclaimed wood. He’s now a passionate advocate of both sustainability and repurposed timber, and has made unique furniture and architectural products out of everything from downed

Buhler Industries Entering Combine Market

I would like to see the next 100,000 before I retire, said a smiling Dmitry Lyubimov, who became president of Buhler Industries when the Russian combine manufacturer Rostselmash bought a majority stake from Manitoba entrepreneur John Buhler in 2007. The company, which has been shipping the Canadian-made tractors to Russia since the acquisition, is now


Crowds Watch Plowmen Compete

Co-operator Staff | alexander The horses are catching up to the tractors at least they were at this year s Manitoba Provincial Plowing Association s annual plowing match. Seven horse-drawn teams were featured in this year s event , and they joined an equal number of tractor entrants competing on a field owned by Jim

Control Basement Water Seepage

If the water table in your area is above your basement floor, you may be dealing with water seeping into the basement. Water can get into the basement where the walls and floor meet and through cracks in the floor. Sometimes water also will come through cracks in the wall, but that usually is the