Colin Palmer uses his PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera system to monitor calving pens. The camera system is a step up from his first forays into fixed-view cameras and allows him to read ear tags from up to 140 feet away.

Producer’s key to calving is only a click away with camera system

Calving cameras promise to de-stress the most stressful weeks for livestock producers


Colin Palmer no longer fits the image of the sleep-deprived, anxiety-ridden beef producer when calving starts — despite having more than double the cattle he did a decade ago. Instead, he is losing fewer calves, spending less money on gas and steps off his farm near Saskatoon more lightly in spring, since he can pull

Spotty cellphone connection and internet service might be an issue for producers wanting to stream video via a calf surveillance system.

Cow cams may fall short without tall towers

Failure to connect: Like anything involving video transfer, calving cameras will need good internet and cell service to transmit an image of the calving pen off the farm

Cow cams may promise peace of mind but, like most things connected to data agriculture, they also bring up the perennial challenges with rural internet. Rural internet is an obstacle for the farmers wanting to adopt cow cams, Colin Palmer (a producer and speaker on cattle surveillance systems) admits. He has reaped the benefit of


A re-elected PC government aims to raise the ethanol requirement in fuel to 10 per cent from 8.5 per cent and the biodiesel requirement to five per cent from two per cent.

Election 2019: Provincial candidates give little reaction to biofuel mandate promise


Progressive Conservative pledge would more than double biodiesel level

Electoral candidates at a recent forum had little to say about the Progressive Conservative promise to increase the biofuel and ethanol requirements in Manitoba. “Certainly we’re excited for that opportunity,” said Minister of Agriculture Ralph Eichler, adding he hoped the other provinces would follow suit. Premier Brian Pallister announced on August 27 that a PC

From top left: Martha Jo Willard, Green party candidate for Notre Dame, Terry Hayward, Liberal candidate for Lac du Bonnet, Mitch Obach, NDP candidate for Selkirk, Ralph Eichler, PC minister of agriculture and MLA for Lakeside.

Election 2019: Electoral forum raises rural issues

The event saw candidates from four provincial parties duke it out over infrastructure, trade, the environment, and Crown land reform

An electoral forum on agriculture saw candidates get heated about rural infrastructure problems, and take swings at the Pallister government on trade and land reform. The Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association on August 27 brought together candidates from the four provincial parties to answer questions from commodity groups and farmers. Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler


Editor’s Take: Productivity potential

Editor’s Take: Productivity potential

A recent agriculture report from the Royal Bank of Canada paints a picture of a sector with big opportunities and big challenges. Farmer 4.0: How the coming skills revolution can transform agriculture is all-in on the concept of farms thriving in the digital age. It paints a picture of autonomous equipment, sensor-driven agronomy and other

Amy Johnson calls her 1976 Cessna AG Truck spray plane her baby. She’s the only one who gets to fly it.

Young aerial applicator pilots her dreams

For two months of the year, Amy Johnson flies a crop duster and for 10 she flies MedEvac planes

Amy Johnson loves an early morning — cool, calm, no one around and perfect for flying. “You’re just kind of in your own little bubble in the plane,” said Amy, 23. “You really feel like it’s just an extension of your body and the wings are your own wings… I get that feeling in this


row of cows being milked

Editorial: Farmer support complex issue

A recent call from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for more support for farmers affected by trade issues raises some interesting questions. The CFA was responding to the announcement of $1.7 billion in direct payments to dairy producers over eight years, compensation for opening a portion of the dairy market to international competition under a

The Mousseaus fed 137 people at the Farm to Fork Experience event where attendees ate a meal of locally produced and cooked food and then could relax in comfortable furniture while the cattle grazed nearby.

Face to face marketing

These farmers are meeting their customers in person... and making more sales

Some young farmers are making direct-to-consumer sales an important part of their farm business plan. They’re using creative thinking on events and bringing new skills to the expansion of their businesses. Why it matters: Direct-to-consumer marketing can be an effective way for farmers to get more of the food dollar. But they have to have


Opinion: The next trade election

Now is the time to push politicians on developing a new approach for a new era

There is a federal election coming this October. Now is the time for farmers to push for policies that will allow agriculture to deliver economic growth. Agriculture is a driver of the Canadian economy. But our jobs are spread out across Canada. So we don’t see headlines about thousands of jobs being lost because of

Plenty CEO and co-founder Matt Barnard (right) says his company is now competitive with organic 
competitors but critics say vertical farms are simply too expensive to run.

Are vertical farms ready for prime time?

Indoor farm companies say they're scaling up, but many question their business model

INNOVATION Indoor farm companies say they’re scaling up, 
but many question their business model

Reuters — Leafy salad greens grown under banks of LED lights, with mist or drips of water are having their day in the sun. Several top U.S. indoor farms say they are boosting production to a level where they can now supply hundreds of grocery stores. Plenty, Bowery, Aerofarms and 80 Acres Farms are among young companies that see a future