4-H Reports – for Mar. 31, 2011

TheCo-operatorwill publish 4-H reports once a month. Reports can be submitted by the third week of the month by email to news@fbcpub lishing.com, by regular mail to 4-H Reports, c/oManitoba Co-operator,1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 or by fax to 204-954-1422. BINSCARTH HOMETTES “Fuelling the champions of tomorrow” is the purpose of “Project Pitstop,”

Tubing Piglets Gives A Quick Energy Boost – for Mar. 31, 2011

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Wes tern Hog Journal. His columns run every second week in the Manitoba Co-operator. Larger litters have created a new challenge in recent years when it comes to maximizing piglet survival rates. It is not unusual to see barns averaging


Colostrum — Giving A “Jump-Start” To A New Foal

Colostrum is an essential ingredient to the new life of a vibrant newborn foal. So, a foal nursing shortly after birth is a very good sign. The first milk produced by the mare is energy and nutrient dense, most renowned for its ability to “jump-start” a healthy immune system. A vigorous foal stands and easily



Manitoba Municipalities Receive Green Project Money

Twelve Manitoba municipalities will split $112,000 in grants to develop plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving the environment. The municipalities will use the funds to develop action plans to conserve energy through municipal services. That could involve redesigning municipal buildings for energy efficiency, converting to geothermal heating or simply switching to low-energy light



Record-High Food Prices? Or Just Better Than Record Lows?

Reporters and politicians are making frequent references to high food prices – some going so far as to suggest prices are nearing record levels. But for the farmers and peasants who produce the world’s food, prices are nowhere near record highs. In fact, what is currently happening to corn, beans, rice, or wheat prices would

Broodmares Are Performance Horses Too – for Mar. 17, 2011

The mental and physical health of a foal is strongly linked to the nature and nurturing of its dam. Their robustness is coupled with more than just the genetic makeup of the mare. A broodmare on a well-balanced diet in a healthy living environment is more likely to produce a well-balanced and healthy foal that


FAO Report Issues Warning

Climate change bringing floods and drought, growing biofuel demand and national policies to protect domestic markets could drive up global food prices and threaten long-term food security, the United Nations said. High and volatile food prices are a growing global concern, partly fuelling the protests that toppled the rulers of Tunisia and Egypt this year.

Letters – for Mar. 10, 2011

Time to change directions Your recent editorial “A Change In Thinking,” February 17, hits the nail on the head. Past farmer thinking has concentrated too much on income support and not enough on change and innovation. Taxpayer-sourced payments made simply for producing and selling a commodity, interest-free loans and advances, rewards for year-to-year income variability