“...if you own a dog, a companion animal, pets or livestock animals, all those species are protected on the Animal Care Act... ” Dr. Enoch Omololu.

Animal Care Act governs standards of care

Agriculture students learn of provincial oversight and investigations

When Dr. Enoch Omololu began to show case studies of animal abuse on Manitoba farms, he assured the University of Manitoba agriculture students he was showing them “middle of the road” cases. “These are not the very worst ones we’ve seen,” the provincial livestock animal welfare veterinarian said. Even so, the images in his presentation

Chithra Karunakaran prepares a plant for imaging at the Canadian Light Source.

Canadian Light Source aids agriculture projects

The synchrotron at Saskatoon is giving researchers a new view of old subjects

Agriculture researchers facing difficult challenges might want to consider shining a light on their problems — a really bright light. The light in question is the Canadian Light Source, a synchrotron located at the campus of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Researcher Chithra Karunakaran spoke recently during a Zoom presentation hosted by the University of Manitoba.


Take a systematic approach to improving the ecosystems beneath your feet.

There’s a teeming world of diversity and complexity in your field’s soil

This soil ecologist says six principles can be applied to improve soil health

Soil is more than just dirt, a place where plants put down roots to grow seeds. It’s a complex ecology, teeming with infinite varieties of flora, fauna, microbes and minerals that provide both the raw materials and machinery to build crops and livestock. It’s a factory floor with a lot of moving parts and we’re

... the health of one soil can be very different from the health of another and both are healthy.” – David Lobb, University of Manitoba.

Soil health a moving target

There’s no one-size-fits-all measure of soil health, David Lobb says

Saying a soil is ‘healthy’ isn’t something simple like running through a checklist. David Lobb, a soil scientist at the University of Manitoba says it’s a moving target that takes many variables into account. There are hundreds of different soils across the province, thousands across the country and the development of each one moves toward


Michelle Schram, with her young son, on the farm she co-runs with husband Troy Stozek near Cartwright.

Women more likely to run non-conventional farms: report

EQUALITY | Access to land, social capital and difference in interests, skills may account for the trend

While women are less likely than men to farm in Manitoba, inequality appears to be lower for women in direct marketing or non-conventional farms, according to a recent report from the University of Manitoba. “There is a dynamic that women face that young men don’t face entering farming, but I also think that that’s changing

drone pilot in cornfield

Young farmers spurred by fundamental human reasons: study

Land access the No. 1 obstacle to starting or continuing farming

Land access the No. 1 obstacle to starting or continuing farming

Young farmers’ motivations to farm despite the obstacles they face are striking and important, says an author of a new study from the University of Manitoba. Researcher Annette Desmarais said she was glad, perhaps a bit surprised to see young farmers wanted to farm so they could spend time with family, be closer to nature, and feel


Annemieke Farenhorst hosts University of Manitoba researchers Emma McGeough, Doug Cattani and Francis Zvomuya in a webinar explaining their intermediate wheatgrass study on October 21.

Study looks at economics of wheatgrass as dual-purpose crop

University of Manitoba researchers will look at the economics of intermediate wheatgrass and its environmental footprint

A new study is looking at intermediate wheatgrass’s potential to be both cash crop and quality forage in the same year. Intermediate wheatgrass is a perennial grain sometimes known by the trade name ‘Kernza.’ It has historically been used as forage in North America, but in its recent years has been pegged as the most

Don Flaten.

Flaten recognized for outreach and community engagement

The soil science professor has been presented an award from the University of Manitoba

Don Flaten’s tireless efforts to engage and reach the province’s agricultural community have been recognized by his employer. The University of Manitoba has given him its Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Campbell Outreach Award “for meritorious service in outreach activities.” The honour is given to university staff members who “consistently invest countless hours of time and


U of M student Calum Morrison, along with Professor Yvonne Lawley, are digging into cover crop use on the Prairies in an ongoing survey.

Survey looks for those who’ve grown cover crops – or haven’t

The University of Manitoba study looks to quantify cover crop production across the Prairies

University of Manitoba researchers want to hear from producers growing cover crops – and those who’ve yet to grow them. The survey of cover crops on the Prairies is in its second year, and is calling on all farmers to tell them if they grew a cover crop in 2020 — and if they didn’t, what they

Jessica Nicksy visits her plots at Libau, Manitoba.

Urban waste shows promise as fertilizer

A University of Manitoba study looked at how to incorporate phosphorus from the city as plant nutrition in the field

Three products made from urban wastes show promise as organic fertilizers — and as ways to cycle nutrients from the city back to the farm, a University of Manitoba study shows. “It’s really important that we start the conversation about having a circular food system rather than a linear food system,” said Jessica Nicksy, a