DFM chairman David Wiens in a file photo.

Dairy producers OK closed-door sessions

Producers seek more one-on-one time with DFM board to talk about sensitive issues

Dairy Farmers of Manitoba will add producer-only sessions to its spring and fall district meetings. The decision was made at the organization’s annual general meeting in Winnipeg last week, following a resolution put forward by Brent Oswald and Thomas Reutter. “We have a multimillion dollar industry where we are relying on nine people to run



A new dairy plant promises more milk-drying capacity for Manitoba, and the opportunity to fulfil the total quota allocation.

New milk-processing plant on deck

Manitoba milk producers will have the option of joining the Gay Lea Co-operative 
as the processor expands into Manitoba

A newly announced milk-processing plant is expected to allow Manitoba dairy farmers to increase production and make use of their entire quota allotment. Last week, Vitalus Nutrition and Gay Lea Foods announced they would partner in the refurbishment of an egg-processing facility in Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Industrial Park. The plant is already equipped with an

dairy cows

Milk producers seek added processing capacity

Lack of processing is keeping the industry from reaching its full potential 
say the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba

The Dairy Farmers of Manitoba (DFM) says the lack of processing capacity in the province is hampering its ability to reach quota. At the organization’s first fall meeting held on October 11 in Elkhorn, DFM reported being 6.4 per cent under the issued quota. “Our lack of processing ability has created a situation where, at



Sixteen-year-old Dana Andres has been a part of her local Steinbach dairy club for the past seven years.

Dairy isn’t dead

The next generation of dairy farmers from across Western 
Canada recently came together to learn, network and compete

Sometimes growing up on a dairy farm can feel like a very lonely experience. Surrounded by beef operations and grain growers and faced with the reality of ever-shrinking numbers of dairies, the next generation of dairy farmers can start to feel like they have no peers. That’s why youth dairy events like the Western Canadian

Close up of milking cluster

Lack of processing capacity leaves Manitoba milk producers short

More butterfat means more skim milk, which means Manitoba dairy farmers 
need access to more processing capacity

An imbalance in processing capacity has left Manitoba dairy farmers unable to fully use the province’s quota allocation. Speaking at a recent producer meeting in Steinbach, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba chairman David Wiens said the organization is working with processors and creating a new class of milk designed to increase investment in the province, while

Jolene Brown

Business interests can’t be dictated by family interests

Protecting both family and business interests can only be accomplished 
through prudent planning and ongoing dialogue

Ask Jolene Brown when the best time to start planning for farm succession is and you get a one-word answer. “Yesterday,” said the professional speaker and Iowa grain farmer. “It is never too soon to begin planning for the future.” Without a plan, the death of a parent can leave siblings fighting on the way


“Certainly there are benefits to reinvesting some of this money, but we also have to bear in mind producers on every farm in the country will be taking an economic hit.”
 – David Wiens

Government expropriation of dairy ‘assets’ requires compensation

A resolution to pass on personal compensation in favour of market development was defeated

It’s been called a handout, a subsidy and even a bailout. Proposed compensation for supply-managed commodities as Canada signed on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership has garnered much negative publicity, prompting some Manitoba dairy producers to put forward a bold proposal for farmers to reject cash payments. Instead, they want to see the money — should