Crop irrigation in the U.S. withdraws 118 billion gals. of water daily while its livestock sector uses an additional two billion gals. a day.

Comment: Brother, can you spare a cup of water?

Agriculture is a very thirsty industry and that could spell trouble

Humanity depends on three critical threes: Without oxygen, most humans will die within three minutes; without water, life expectancy is three days; without food, we’ve got three weeks. Few here give three seconds of thought of any of these life-ensuring elements because, here, food is safe and plentiful, air quality laws are in place and

Shrub willows, on the left, planted on marginal land adjacent to a corn crop.

Energy crops a benefit

If the land isn’t growing cash crops give energy options a shot, say researchers

There’s always some section of a farm that’s perennially too wet, too dry, or just doesn’t produce. It may be time to give up and sow them down to something like shrub willow or switchgrass, perennial bioenergy crops. That’s according to a report tabled recently at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.


Environmental farm planning workshop season now underway

Over 6,000 producers covering more than 9.3 million acres of land have participated in workshops and completed EFPs since 2004

Environmental farm planning season is now well underway again as field work wraps up and producers enrol in workshops. Taking a workshop and developing an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP), which is voluntary and confidential, both increases a producer’s environmental awareness of their farm, by identifying the farm’s assets and risks, and enables them to develop

Editorial: Stuck in the middle

Manitoba farmers are caught in the middle of a nasty spat between Ottawa and Broadway. The province recently scrapped its carbon tax proposal after learning Ottawa would be imposing its own. That concerned local farm groups as the provincial proposal had some hard-fought recognition for the precarious position of the province’s farm business community. Most


Souris River study team seeks public input

Water engineers need to hear adjacent landowners’ particulars on how the river’s flows affect them

A team of researchers is seeking input from landowners along the Souris River about the condition of the Souris River and how its flows are affecting them. The responses will help the International Souris River Study Board, which has posted an online questionnaire, as it reviews the operating rules and eventually makes recommendations that best

A local councillor is concerned about the condition of culvert and bridge crossings, which in some cases are reaching the end of their life span with limited funding in place to upgrade them.

Western Manitoba conservation districts oppose merger

Province says TRWCD and IMCD must amalgamate, but can retain separate mandates

Municipal leaders opposed to merging two western-area conservation districts say the move won’t save a cent, and the new ‘super district’ to be created will cost more and not less to operate. Turtle River Watershed Conservation District (TRWCD) and Intermountain Conservation District (IMCD) met with provincial authorities last week to argue their case for not


Seeing is believing when it comes to adopting green energy

Seeing is believing when it comes to adopting green energy

People are more likely to invest in renewable technology when they see it being used in the community

Governments at all levels need to invest more heavily in promoting renewable energy if they want citizens to adopt these technologies, new research suggests. University of Alberta environmental sociologist John Parkins led a study to find out what motivates Canadians to use renewable energy, specifically solar panels, in their everyday lives. After surveying 2,065 people

Manitoba’s Pelly Lake water-control project is cited as one example of how natural features can control flooding more cheaply than engineered structures.

‘Natural infrastructure’ — retain what you have; restore what’s lost

A new report says natural infrastructure can be cheaper than built infrastructure for controlling floods

Saving and carefully managing of wetlands, forests and other working natural landscapes can save Canadians millions in yearly flood damage costs, says a new report supported in part by the Insurance Bureau of Canada. This ‘natural infrastructure’ is also a viable and cost-effective alternative to traditional — and often much more expensive — built flood


Global warming could boost Canadian farm production, according to a new report.

Climate change likely to boost Canadian farm production

UN report says temperate areas like Canada will actually benefit from a warming globe but others will hurt

A new United Nations’ report suggests just how climate change will reshape agriculture by 2050. It says international trade will play an ever-larger role in helping to feed people in food-deficit regions as warmer temperatures and less precipitation will damage yields in many tropical areas. Temperate areas, such as Canada and the United States, are

Pollinator study looks for producer buy-in

Pollinator study looks for producer buy-in

A University of Manitoba researcher is looking for land to measure the impact of pollinator strips

Jason Gibbs of the University of Manitoba wants to know more about how pollinator strips impact the field, and he’s hoping local producers will help him. The professor of entomology has put the call out for producers willing to volunteer about one acre for pollinator habitat. Gibbs plans to plant a strip of flowering plants