Happy Trails

TheManitoba Co-operatoris saying farewell this week to veteran farm reporter Ron Friesen, who after 23 years on the farm beat, has decided to pursue other interests. We hesitate to use the word “retire” because it’s hard to imagine a prolific writer and reporter like Ron quitting the keyboard cold turkey. Nevertheless, his resignation presents us

Emerald Green Or Muddy?

Why is it that Ireland is called the emerald green isle and we are called muddy Manitoba when the annual rainfall in Ireland is 730 mm and in Manitoba it is only 440 mm? The answer is quite straightforward. They have 80 per cent of their agricultural land (17 million acres) in managed forage crops,


It’s Time To Move On

Allen Oberg, chairman of the Canadian Wheat Board, spoke about the future of the CWB at the Western Canadian Farm Progress Show in Regina recently. While reading and listening to his presentation online, I was struck with just how much this debate is now focused on the plight of the reformed CWB, and not about

Letters – for Jun. 30, 2011

Paradise? Farmers rejoice! The single- desk monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board will soon be abolished and all will be well in the world. Farmers will prosper and “thousands” of jobs will be created. Or so they say. All this according to Rolf Penner; vice-president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (Manitoba Co-operator,June 23,


The Climate Change Conundrum

ith the June 20 crop insurance past, farmers and their crop insurance agents are pulling on their galoshes to assess the W damages from yet another spring with too much water. Cattle producers are worrying about winter feed supplies as they watch flood waters inundate their hayfields. We are told this year is one for

What’s The Plan For Grain Marketing?

In light of the federal government’s plan to eliminate the Canadian Wheat Board’s (CWB) single desk marketing structure, we need to ensure discussion takes place between stakeholders during this key transitional period. KAP will not stand in the way of farmers accessing profitable markets – however that may be best achieved. Nevertheless, the implications of


Letters – for Jun. 23, 2011

Bipole boondoggle continues Another week, another round of rains drowning the grains and livestock sectors, another Manitoba Co-operator in the mail, and yet another letter from Rosann Wowchuk proclaiming the economic and environmental virtues of Bipole III. The former minister of agriculture gives us the same story: west side is good; east side is bad. A

The Three “R” S Of P

We’ve often heard of the three Rs– reading, writing and reckoning (a term related to mental math dating back to the Victorian era) whenever the subject of keeping the education on track arises. Or the three Rs of garbage– reduce, reuse and recycle. Right now, Manitoba is caught up in the three Rs of phosphorus


Thy Neighbour As Thyself

The disturbing news that our provincial government had decided to breach the Hoop ‘n’ Holler bend in order to take pressure off the weakening Assiniboine River dikes raised mixed feelings. “Why do we have to be the scapegoats?” one area resident protested. Another wondered, “How can they decide to sacrifice my land to spare others’

Sell Or Wind Down The CWB

Rhetoric is “language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.” There’s been lots of it in the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) debate. But push came to shove with the election of a majority Conservative government May 2. The government says