Janet Smith, program manager with Manitoba Farm and Rural Support Services and Leanne Brackenreed, councillor with Manitoba Farm and Rural Support Services accept the $10,000 donation from Derrall Farmer, managing partner with the Western Financial Group and Earl Martin, account executive with the Western Financial Group. [Martin (l to r), Smith, Brackenreed, Farmer]

New app launched to assist farmers in combating stress

The new tool helps farmers understand stress and offers strategies for increasing resiliency

Citing repeated floods in some parts of the province, Farm and Rural Support Services of Manitoba has launched a new web-based application to help farmers manage stress. “Working with the Manitoba Farm and Rural Support Services Manitoba, I have seen a definite need for this service,” said Janet Smith, program manager with Farm and Rural

human bone density graphic

Weak bones? Agriculture may be to blame

Lack of loading rather than lack of nutrition may be the reason

The invention of agriculture may have allowed for many human advances, but strong bones may not be one of them, say researchers at the University of Cambridge. Writing in the journal PNAS, they say that human skeletons have become much lighter and more fragile since the invention of agriculture. Hunter-gatherers from around 7,000 years ago


beekeeper with hive

If you see beekeepers rubbing their heads…

Propolis, which bees use to seal hives, may have another use

Apparently it works on mice, so millions of men may be hoping it works on them too. Scientists writing in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry say the material that honeybees use to seal their hives may promote hair growth. In an ACS release, Ken Kobayashi and colleagues report that propolis,

cattle in a pasture

Beef 911: Kidney disease in cattle more common than realized

If symptoms are noticed early enough, treatment can be effective

Early recognition and treatment of kidney disease in cattle can often have a favourable prognosis. The capacity of the kidneys is great so often we may not see any specific clinical signs until two-thirds of the total kidneys’ capacity are damaged. There are many causes of toxic damage to the kidneys but this article will


 photo: thinkstock

Even just a little dairy is good for you: researchers

Taiwanese who eat no dairy have higher blood pressure than those who do


A little dairy food daily, even for those who haven’t traditionally consumed it, may reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke, say researchers at Australia’s Monash University. A study of nearly 4,000 Taiwanese was led by Professor Mark Wahlqvist. “In a dominantly Chinese food culture, unaccustomed to dairy foods, consuming them up to seven

Workers in hog barns can become carriers of drug-resistant bacteria.   photo: thinkstock

Hog barn workers carry drug-resistant bacteria even after they leave the farm

A small study of North Carolina hog barn workers turned up surprisingly high levels of persistent and resistant bacteria

A small-scale study of hog barn workers in North Carolina found nearly half carry livestock-associated bacteria in their noses, and that this potentially harmful bacteria remained with them up to four days after exposure. Researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tested 22 workers over a period of two weeks during the


Beef producers: reading this will lower your blood pressure

Beef producers: reading this will lower your blood pressure

As long as you’re not producing well-marbled carcasses

Penn State University researchers say that contrary to conventional wisdom, a growing body of evidence shows that eating lean beef can reduce risk factors for heart disease. “This research adds to the significant evidence, including work previously done in our lab, that supports lean beef’s role in a heart-healthy diet,” Penny M. Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor

VIDEO: 2014 Crop Diagnostic School

Technology playing a key role in crop scouting, providing value and efficiency in field management

Manitoba Co-operator reporter Allan Dawson interviews John Heard of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development about the 2014 Crop Diagnostic School organized by Manitoba Agriculture and the University of Manitoba at the university’s Carman facility. Video by Allan Dawson


Nutrition label on a consumer product.

U.S. proposes major update to food labels in bid to combat obesity

Under the new rules, serving sizes would reflect typical amount consumers eat

Packaged foods sold in the United States would display calorie counts more prominently and include the amount of added sugar under a proposal to significantly update nutritional labels for the first time in 20 years as health officials seek to reduce obesity and combat related diseases such as diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration said