Taking A Position On Agriculture And Climate Change

At its 66th annual international conference in July, the Soil and Water Conservation Society released this position statement on climate change and soil and water conservation. SWCS is a scientific organization with chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada, and which has over 5,000 members around the world. The Soil and Water Conservation Society finds that

Reading The Small Print In The Soil

What is a healthy soil? It is difficult to def ine that term so we prefer to use the term soil quality. Soil quality can be measured in terms of organic matter, fertility, texture, salinity, cation exchange capacity, pH and a number of other factors, all of which have identifiable quantitative numbers that can be


Pump Septic Tank Before Winter Hits

Now is a good time to have septic tanks cleaned and pumped, according to a North Dakota State University Extension Service agricultural engineer. Septic tanks with too much accumulated sludge and other material can cause problems in the winter. Fixing a failed septic system in cold weather is diffi- cult and expensive. “Cleaning the accumulated

Apply Now For Shelterbelt Trees

Shrubs available Caragana Chokecherry Hawthorn Hedge Rose Red Elderberry Dogwood Sea Buckthorn Silver Buffalo Berry Snowberry Vilosa Lilac Deciduous trees available Bur Oak Cottonwood Green Ash Hybrid Poplar Manitoba Maple Pin Cherry Siberian Crabapple Trembling Aspen Acute Willow Peachleaf Willow Silverleaf Willow Conifers available Siberian Larch Scots Pine Colorado Spruce White Spruce It is common


Dark French Fries And Salinity Go Hand In Hand

“It dictates that you just can’t grow potatoes in those soils.” – BLAIR GEISEL, GAIA CONSULTING You know there’s something wrong with a potato if the tip of a french fry turns dark when it hits the oil. It’s a phenomenon potato processors hate: a disorder called “sugar-end defect.” The sugar caramelizes, leaving the tip

No Till No Silver Bullet For Lake Winnipeg Phosphorus Loading

It has long been a commonly held belief that zero tillage is a good way to keep phosphorus out of watersheds. But the latest research at South Tobacco Creek, near Miami, shows that the soil conservation practice aimed at covering up bare dirt with crop residue may be leading to more of the nutrient leaking


Good Shelterbelts Take Planning

The fastest-growing species may be the most sought after, but the process of putting in a good, attractive shelterbelt that will provide years of service takes time and effort. Starting a year in advance gives you ample time to plan the site, determine your mix of species, and do surface preparations, according to agroforestry specialist

Trees Add Value To Rural Properties

How much is a good shelterbelt worth? A lot, if you consider how much it would cost to have one put in. Blair English, an agroforestry specialist at AAFC Brandon, was once told by a rural homeowner how much a contractor had quoted her on the cost of putting in a row of six-to eight-foot


KAP Slams Sewage Ejector Ban

“We view this as a very rural-unfriendly piece of legislation.” – IAN WISHART Manitoba farmers want Winnipeg to stop growing until it has fully upgraded its sewage-handling system. A resolution passed at the Keystone Agr icul tural Producers annual meeting said the province should “encourage the City of Winnipeg to suspend all urban expansion” until

Sneak Peek At BMP Testing In Manitoba

“We need researchers and practitioners to work together to develop and demonstrate practical BMPs.” – Don Flaten Does off-stream watering of cattle and the use of vegetative buffer strips actually help improve water quality in Manitoba? Preliminary answers to those questions were revealed at the MCDA annual convention in early December, based on studies of