Notice Anything Different?

We ve been working on an updated look for theManitoba Co-operator for several months now, and finally decided to take the plunge. What you re seeing this week is the culmination of a number of design changes intended to make the paper look more visually interesting and easier to read without compromising our commitment to

Can Ritz Deliver On His Promises?

The federal government has promised western Canadian farmers they can have the Canadian Wheat Board and an open market too. Most farmers assume the only major change to the wheat board will be the loss of its monopoly over the sale of western Canadian wheat and barley destined for export or domestic human consumption. The


OUR HISTORY: October 5, 1961

Cattle marketings up& Drought was responsible for a sharp increase in the number of grazing livestock delivered to the Western Livestock Co-operative (Western) Ltd. Crop estimates revised& The wheat crop for all of Canada was estimated at 260 million bushels. Egg price support hiked& In the pre-supply management era, farmers were receiving federal deficiency payments

Letters – for Oct. 6, 2011

We welcome readers comments on issues that have been covered in the Manitoba Co-operator.In most cases we cannot accept open letters or copies of letters which have been sent to several publications. Letters are subject to editing for length or taste. We suggest a maximum of about 300 words. Please forward letters to ManitobaCo-operator, 1666DublinAve.,Winnipeg,


Moving Beyond Invisible

Some are saying it s been a ho-hum campaign so far as Manitoba politicians head into the final stretch of their race to the polls Oct. 4. But from this desk, one of the outstanding features of the 2011 election has been the farm and rural communities collective efforts to move beyond invisible. For far

American Homestead Act Celebrates 150 Years

Already deeply engaged in a bloody war, a young, untested president did not hesitate when Congress delivered legislation that might spark a new beginning for a tiring nation. When Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act of 1862 he sent a clear signal to all Americans that he believed the Union would endure and it would


Market Power: 50 Years Forward, 50 Years Back

As a farmer, I m alarmed at an elected government denying farmers a say in arguably the most important question in the history of Prairie farming. Without the marketing and representative power of the Canadian Wheat Board, grain farmers would be a scattered bunch of thousands peddling their wares to a handful of powerful grain

Letters – for Sep. 29, 2011

Farmers deserve freedom of choice It is correct that 62 per cent of eligible farmers, deemed by the CWB, voted in favour of protecting the monopoly of the CWB, a foregone conclusion. When the math is done right, confirmed by Sidney Green, it is in fact only 34 per cent of all farmers. However, whatever



Is Supply Management Next?

The Conservative government s decision to end the Canadian Wheat Board s monopoly has supply management s critics in the media, business and academia sharpening their knives. Not surprisingly, the detractors are saying it s also time for an open market in milk, eggs, chicken and turkey. If marketing freedom and open markets are good