Canola is harvested north of Deerwood, Man., in September 2023.

Grain sector plans new sustainability approach

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops to replace controversial code of practice with a new plan

Glacier FarmMedia – Responsible Grain had a short life. The controversial code of practice, unveiled in 2020, only lasted about 18 months. It was designed to “allow Canadian grain farmers to demonstrate their care and commitment to the environment,” according to one document from the initiative. It was also touted as a tool that could

Assiniboine Community College staff and supporters stand outside the college’s Valleyview Building, the future home of the Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture in 2020.

ACC enters hopeful home stretch

Funding gives college a big boost towards ag expansion

Assiniboine Community College is holding out for federal funds that would top off what it needs to start construction on its Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. The provincial government has committed around $90 million, college president Mark Frison said, and as of the third week of January, the private fundraising campaign had met its


Left to right: Mario Tenuta (University of Manitoba), Curtis Rempel (Canola Council of Canada), Lawrence MacAulay, federal agriculture minister, University of Manitoba dean Martin Scanlon. The men spoke during a funding announcement at the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre at Glenlea, Man.

Canola sector gets research funds boost

The federal government and canola sector team up for another five-year research cluster

The federal government is putting up $9 million in funding to drive sustainable growth of the canola sector. The money will support a new canola cluster, said Lawrence MacAulay, federal agriculture minister, at a Nov. 14 media event at the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station. The 2023–2028 Canola AgriScience Research Cluster follows a similar

A concept of the promised Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

College’s sustainable ag centre draws campaign commitments

ACC's planned ag programming hub a topic at pre-election debate

Assiniboine Community College’s new hub for agricultural programming has been years in the making but, in a rare show of political common ground, all three of Manitoba’s major parties now say they’d like to help see the project done. The college’s promised Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture came up Tuesday during a leaders’ debate

Wetland restoration is among the projects eligible for funds.

S-CAP projects confirmed

54 projects have been greenlighted for funding under the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program

The federal government and province have added to their S-CAP (Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership) program announcements. Several were made days before a 60-day pre-election provincial media blackout, which came into effect Aug. 4. Announcements confirmed funding levels for the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP). The two levels of government have approved more than $1.9 million for


Funding is available for upgrades to hog barn ventilation systems, which can help stop the spread of diseases such as porcine epidemic diarrhea.

Tight S-CAP deadline raises concern

The new funding focuses on sustainability and food safety

While the ag sector is welcoming the latest program announcement under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP), farm groups say there’s not a lot of time to get the paperwork in. “I think there are benefits for farmers across the board and I do give credit to [Manitoba Agriculture] minister Johnson and the department for

Grant application deadline nears for livestock producers

Manitoba Beef Producers is urging its members to consider funding avenues that could benefit cattle farmers

As deadlines approach, Manitoba Beef Producers urges members to take advantage of new funding programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership, the new five-year funding agreement between the federal government and provinces. “I encourage producers to look into the Sustainable Agriculture Manitoba (SAM) program and all the potential available offerings underneath it,” said general manager

S-CAP rollout getting mixed reviews

S-CAP rollout getting mixed reviews

Newly announced funding streams target beneficial management practices for climate resilience and environment: government

As the province rolls out program information about the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, reactions are mixed from Manitoba commodity groups. On April 28, the province announced funding for two new S-CAP programs. The first, the Sustainable Agriculture Manitoba (SAM) program, provides funding for farmers and land managers to implement beneficial management practices that increase environmental


Too often, governments reach for the regulatory stick rather than providing incentives for positive action, even though the incentive-based path will lead to greater success.

Comment: Go for the carrot, not the stick

Regulations not the best move for real ecological progress

There are two ways to get a horse to carry a heavy load. You can hit it with a big stick, or you can provide a reward for work well done. Think of agriculture as the horse and government sustainability goals as the load that farmers are being asked to carry. Too often, governments reach

It’s not going to be enough to have the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy on paper, it needs to work on the ground and it needs to make economic sense, local farmers stress.

KAP members give two cents on federal sustainability strategy

Cost management and a local approach to policy dominate sustainable ag discussion at KAP’s spring advisory council meeting

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) should develop a report card system to help farmers assess their environmental footprint. That was one idea floated during a robust discussion following an AAFC presentation on the in-development Sustainable Agriculture Strategy. AAFC representatives reported on the federal strategy’s progress during the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) spring advisory council meeting