Manitoba Dogs Monitored For Lyme Disease

Manitoba’s veterinarians are tracking the incidence of Lyme disease in dogs to contribute to veterinary and public health official understanding of the geographic presence of this bacterial infection transmitted to animals and humans through deer tick bites. A simple in-clinic blood test typically run in conjunction with heartworm testing identifies to veterinarians if a dog

Urban Agriculture Offers New Possibilities For Industry

“It’s going to grow.” – IAN BARNETT, FORT WHYTE ALIVE It’s been a late, cool spring but lettuce and spinach are finally starting to poke through the soil on Simon Hon’s farm. Hon and three fellow workers are already watering the emerging plants and getting herb and tomato seedlings ready for planting. As he carefully


Screwing Up Plots… On Purpose

“Some of the winter wheat in the plots looks poor now, but it might be OK by July.” – KIM LIVINGSTON-BROWN While most farmers were headed for their fields trying to beat the rain May 12, John Heard and his colleagues were busy preparing to screw up some plots at the University of Manitoba’s Ian

Push For GM Wheat Resurrected

Five years to the month after Monsanto shelved its controversial Roundup Ready genetically modified (GM) wheat, farm groups in Canada, Australia and the United States are pushing for the “synchronized introduction” of biotech wheat. The Grain Growers of Canada, Wes tern Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) and Alberta Winter Wheat Producers Commission are leading the


Calculator To Determine N Rate

“I think there is tremendous potential for this calculator. I can assure you that something like this is going to become a valuable tool in the farming community.” – DON FLATEN When nitrogen prices went through the roof a few years ago, farmers flooded John Heard with queries about determining the optimum economic application rate

What’s Up – for May. 21, 2009

Please forward your agricultural events to [email protected] call 204-944-5762 May 27 – Winter wheat spring clinic and weed seedling identification day, University of Manitoba research station, Carman. Wheat clinic runs 10 a. m. to noon, weed ID day from 1 to 3 p. m. rain or shine. For more info call Doug at MAFRI in


Ask Reena

HI REENA, Can you please tell me how to reopen an envelope that was sealed too soon? I really enjoy your columns and hope to get your books very soon. Thanks. – M. P. M. P., Use a kettle or a small pot and boil water till it starts steaming to its maximum. Take the

Health Improvements In Eight Weeks

Those suffering from a disease that thickens leg arteries and makes walking difficult can see an improvement in their condition simply by consuming more pulse foods such as beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils on a daily basis, according to a new clinical research study conducted in Manitoba. Researchers at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research


Campaign Against GM Alfalfa Intensifies

“The genie’s out of the bottle.” – JIM LINTOTT, MANITOBA FORAGE COUNCIL Acoalition of 80 farm and food organizations, including Manitoba forage producers, is calling for an immediate halt to field testing of genetically modified alfalfa in Canada. The groups want existing test plots of GM alfalfa uprooted and full-scale commercialization of the crop blocked.

Wheeling and dealing in the new Wild West

“We had some equipment over there and the farm manager decided he would keep my passport until he was sure that the equipment worked well.” – KEN KOTOWICH Doing business in Russia is exciting and lucrative, but not for the faint of heart. “It’s like having a pet 980-pound Kodiak bear. He’s with you, he’s