vintage newspaper article

Southwest Manitoba goes from dry to drenched

Our History: June 1999

Manitoba’s southwest has historically been considered a bit on the dry side, but that reputation was beginning to change in 1999. Our June 3 issue featured several stories on dealing with that year’s deluge. Many farmers were said to be seeding from hilltop to hilltop, aerial sprayers were hoping for federal government approval to apply



highway road

Province says highway ditches not part of weed control ban

The AMM wants some areas to be exempt from new restrictions on cosmetic pesticides

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) is concerned a newly enacted ban on cosmetic pesticides will increase municipal weed control costs tenfold. “We are very concerned about this… the regulation is unreasonable,” said association president Doug Dobrowolski. Describing the regulations that came into effect on May 1 as “contradictory,” Dobrowolski said that he would like



Rene Heijmans of Wingssprayer

VIDEO: Wingssprayer system eliminates spray drift

Manitoba Ag Days Inventor's Showcase: Invention from the Netherlands could make big impact on the Prairies

Invented by Harrie Hoeben of the Netherlands, Wingssprayer is designed to allow producers to use fine droplets while crop spraying without worrying about spray drift. The system virtually eliminates wind interference at the spray heads while also opening the canopy so herbicides or pesticides properly cover the plant and treat it further down. Wingssprayer’s Manitoba office is located in Rivers,

USDA report says no risk from pesticide residues

USDA report says no risk from pesticide residues

Reuters — More than half of food tested by the U.S. government for pesticide residues last year showed detectable levels of pesticides, though most were within levels the government considers to be safe, according to a report issued Dec. 19 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA looked at fresh and processed fruits and


Dotted blazingstar (Liatris punctata) is a native plant species especially attractive to pollinating bumblebees.

Video: Exhibit shows pollination isn’t only done by bees

Museum curator Diana Bizecki Robson hopes it helps public deepen their understanding 
of all types of pollinators and to take actions that help these organisms thrive

account_id=”2206156280001″ player_id=”ryGLIkmv”] Diana Bizecki Robson is the Manitoba Museum’s curator of botany who created the Prairie pollination exhibit to help enhance public appreciation of all types of wild pollinators, and motivate people to make positive changes to save them.[/caption] Bizecki Robson has spent a decade researching Prairie pollinators and their habitats, helping make new discoveries

photo: thinkstock

The neonic debate: science or sensationalism?

Laying the blame for a collection of environmental issues at the feet of a 
single technology is very convenient, but hugely overly simplistic

Bold, apocalyptic headlines make for great front-page news stories, there’s no question. Unfortunately, when it comes to highly complex and scientific issues, these kinds of headlines usually do a disservice to the topic at hand. Scientific research is filled with intricacies and rarely yields answers that can be conveyed in a single headline. Far too


Pesticide labels and our reputation

Pesticide labels and our reputation

The costly consequences of breaking the rules

Will Rogers once said, “It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute.” That is a quote that applies to every part of the Canadian grain industry, including farmers. Canada has a strong reputation for consistently delivering high-quality grains, oilseeds and special crops to our domestic and

healthy groceries, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and vegetables

Study documents benefits of organic farming

Organic crops had 18 to 69 per cent higher concentrations of antioxidant compounds meaning consumers get more nutrition per calorie

Washington State University – The largest study of its kind has found that organic foods and crops have a suite of advantages over their conventional counterparts, including more antioxidants and fewer, less frequent pesticide residues. The study looked at an unprecedented 343 peer-reviewed publications comparing the nutritional quality and safety of organic and conventional plant-based