Only weeks after extreme cold warnings blanketed the area, warm temperatures and February rain saw fields west of Brandon lose their snow cover.

Avoiding grain spoilage when temperatures get wild

Grain storage advice for when winter swings from extreme cold to unseasonably warm

With unusually high temperatures interrupted by two deep freezes, it’s been a challenging winter for grain storage on the Prairies and one requiring diligence to protect stored crop. Anne Kirk, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, advises aeration and vigilant monitoring of bin moisture and temperature. The latter is particularly important when outside temperatures fluctuate.



Flooding along the Rat River near La Rochelle in southeastern Manitoba in 2020.

Manitoba expected to dodge spring floods

No serious threat of major flooding in Manitoba, province says

Manitoba’s latest flood outlook isn’t flagging major flood issues on the horizon. The February forecast published by the Hydrologic Forecast Centre March 1 put the risk of spring flooding at low to moderate through the province. Fall soil moisture levels sat at normal to below-normal soil moisture at freeze up, the centre noted. That has



At the end of December, the railways had about 35 per cent of the crop, which is low, Quorum Corp president Mark Hemmes admitted. He attributed that to price increases from both railways between August and October last year.

Railways weather winter woes

Grain shipments on track despite January cold blast

At the midway point of the 2023–24 transportation year, grain shipments are moving at a good clip. “In the last 12–18 months, we’ve seen some really good performance from both of the railroads,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, Canada’s grain monitor, at the Feb. 15 CropConnect conference in Winnipeg. “The exception was the





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Prairie forecast: More much-needed moisture expected

Issued Feb. 29, covering Feb. 29 to March 6, 2024

Cold Arctic air has invaded the Prairies much to many people’s surprise. We have gotten so used to mild spring-like weather that some people may be put off that winter has returned. For those who read my last column, this type of weather shouldn't be surprising since we are now moving into what can be the snowiest time of the year.

Tour attendees check out Brett McRae’s solar fencing system during a January 2024 field tour.

Life hacks for winter fencing

Tips for temporary fencing when corn grazing

The humble pigtail is a common sight on most cattle operations that use rotational grazing. They’re light, easy to stomp into the ground, easy to pull out and it takes only seconds to insert the wire. They’re a key labour-saving tool for the miles of temporary fencing that farmers string and unstring every season. When