Reading Time: 3 minutes Petitions bearing almost 6,000 signatures calling on the federal government to halt its proposed closure of the Indian Head Agroforestry Development Centre were presented to an opposition MP last Friday at an event timed to coincide with what many fear will be the tree farm’s last harvest. Citing changes in farming practices over past decades, […] Read more
Event marks what could be Indian Head’s last seedling harvest
Canadian plowmen — and ladies — turn the black earth
Tough furrows Rock-hard ground didn’t stop enthusiasts from competing earlier this month
Reading Time: 3 minutes A full week of plowing competitions wrapped up here Oct. 6, with entries from as far away as Ontario and New Brunswick doing their best to turn perfect furrows. Weather conditions ranged from broiling hot sun, to light snow, strong winds, and rain. However there was one constant through the Manitoba Provincial Plowing Association matches […] Read moreNo till doesn’t mean never-till, says adviser
heresy? Shallow plowing once every seven years could help rather than hurt soil quality
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s still possible to catch a glimpse of a moldboard plow now and then on the Prairies. Usually, they can be seen rusting away peacefully in the bushes near an abandoned farmyard, or taking one last ride on the back of a scrap metal truck. That’s where the older plows belong, said Pat Lynch, an […] Read morePrairie Soils and Crops website gets an upload
Reading Time: 2 minutes For hammock-swinging city folk, there’s the summer reading list. But for farmers, it’s the long winter months that are best spent curled up with a good book near the wood stove. For agriculture-related additions to the off-season reading list, Guy Lafond, a research scientist at AAFC Indian Head, has recently uploaded a fifth volume to […] Read more
Bale grazing may increase nutrient loading, say researchers
Not so green Practice of in-field winter feeding may not make the Beneficial Management Practice list
Reading Time: 3 minutes Winter feeding cattle on pasture has long been pitched to ranchers as one of the best things they can do to help the environment and their own bottom line. But new research on the Pipestone Creek watershed in Saskatchewan shows that it may not be as green as earlier suggested. “It’s controversial only because you […] Read moreHome for the good bugs, birds and bees
Creating habitat Bees and insect predators can help boost yields and cut losses, but farmers have to provide a suitable home
Reading Time: 2 minutes Shelterbelts don’t just keep topsoil from blowing way. They also provide homes for pollinator species, a group that includes butterflies, beetles, birds, wasps, flies — and even monkeys in some countries. But far and away the most effective of all are the bees, said Mark Wonneck, an ecologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “They are […] Read moreMoisture key for canola stored in grain bags
Reading Time: 3 minutes Grain bags have a lot of attractive features for farmers, but are they good for storing canola? The answer is both yes and no, says Digvir Jayas, a University of Manitoba professor. “They market these bags as sealed, air tight, but our research shows that they are not as air tight as the companies would […] Read more
Lake Manitoba ranchers fear another year of losses — and that compensation will dry up
Worried Soggy ranchers appeal to province to extend last year’s compensation programs to include this year
Reading Time: 3 minutes Manitoba’s 2011 flood waters have receded, but residents and ranchers along the shore of Lake Manitoba are still dealing with the damage they caused. Flooded fields, clogged drains, downed fences and cattail-filled pastures where now only seagulls graze are common sights. Jonas Johnson and his wife Lydia live in a 94-year-old house about half a […] Read moreIn the hazy world of organic grain marketing, growers turn to “speed dating” to meet buyers
maintain rotations Experts say growing last year’s hot sellers inevitably leads to a glut and low prices
Reading Time: 3 minutes Growing organic crops can be tough. Finding reliable buyers even tougher. A recent matchmaking event was aimed at helping the two sides of the organic supply and demand equation meet in the hopes that the industry might go forth, be fruitful, and multiply. “It’s speed dating,” said Laura Telford, an organic business development specialist with […] Read moreModerate temperatures South Dakota-style winter may have compensated for the lack of snow cover
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Prairie winter wheat crop may have been left looking a bit worse for wear due to unusually low snowfall cover, but there’s still life lurking below those browned-off stalks. That’s because it takes more than just a tap on the head to kill winter wheat, said Outlook, Sask.-area farmer Dale Hicks, who is also […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
