As usual, growers have had to 
keep a close eye out for blackbirds.

Sunny harvest improves

Sunflower growers have been trying innovative blackbird-repelling techniques

It’s too soon to know for sure, but early indications are that Manitoba’s sunflower growers will harvest a higher-yielding crop than they have in recent years. “I think it will still be a strong year for yield and I think the quality will be better this year than last year too,” said Troy Turner, an

young African girl

In Zambia, investing in farmers keeps kids in school

Families who see improved yields under conservation agriculture use the extra income to pay school fees

Juliette, the eldest daughter of Olipa Tembo and her husband Dickson Nkata, came home from school early one day. She was crying. The child, who would have been about eight at the time, had walked the four kilometres to the local school, only to have the teacher promptly send her home again. The family had


Grasshopper on a sunflower under attack from red mites.

Invasion of the body snatchers

Southwestern Manitoba grasshoppers being preyed upon by parasitic red mites

This grasshopper munching on a sunflower in southwestern Manitoba is being devoured by parasitic red mites (Eutrombidium locustarum), says Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) entomologist John Gavloski. The mites feed on the blood (hemolymph) of grasshoppers. They also prey on grasshopper eggs. Each female mite can lay up to 4,000 eggs, providing mite

Garden Hideaways

Children love to play and hide in “secret” places and a sense of thrill accompanies creating a fort from scratch. This summer, why not create a special place for your child or grandchild in your garden? Go beyond the traditional roads and pathways to create a miniature town or “main street” for the little ones