The Manitoba Labour Board ruled June 26 that the 47 Mexican migrant workers at Mayfair Farms in Portage la Prairie are able to join a union. In a News release news, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832 president Robert Ziegler called the decision precedent setting for the 18,000 foreign workers that come to Canada […] Read more
Stories by Daniel Winters
Mexican farm workers say union unwanted
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. – The Mexican workers at Mayfair Farms are part of a union now, but some are not sure if that’s a good thing. For six seasons, Juan Perez has been picking strawberries, cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetable crops at the farm, about a kilometre from Portage la Prairie’s downtown. He and […] Read more
Wet spring ideal for fusarium
Weeks of rain and hot, humid weather have put Manitoba crops at serious risk of fusarium head blight infestation. David Kaminski, Manitoba Agriculture’s manager of farm production extension services in Carman, said although the recent cool weather has improved conditions somewhat, the risk of fusarium ranges from moderate to extreme across the entire province. “Fusarium […] Read more
Rain swells Manitoba’s Red River
Heavy thunderstorms, which sent tornadoes whirling through southern Manitoba June 23 and 24, and off-and-on rain last week have filled a number of rivers in the province almost to the bursting point. Some of the worst flooding last week was happening in the eastern parts of the province near Whiteshell Provincial Park, with campgrounds and […] Read more
Pork company recognized
Prairie Orchard Farms has been awarded the 2007 top 10 innovators in food award by Food in Canada magazine. It recognized the Winnipeg-based meat producer for being a pioneer in offering omega 3 pork products in retail markets and restaurants across North America and China. Prairie Orchard Farms is the first pork producer in North […] Read more
Equipment dealers lobby for higher depreciation rate
Increasing the depreciation tax break on farm equipment would make it easier for producers to get their hands on the latest, most efficient agricultural tools on the market, says John Schmeiser, executive vice-president of the Canada West Equipment Dealers Association. Current tax rules under the Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) allow farmers to claim 30 percent […] Read more
Sask. artist uses big canvas
SINCLAIR, Man. – Standing beside Highway 2, near Sinclair, Man., the two-storey house covered with mouldering cedar shingles looks like any of the thousands of abandoned yard sites that dot the prairie landscape. Heather Benning, the artist-in-residence of nearby Redvers, Sask., spotted the 12 foot by 24 foot derelict with a tattered roof and a […] Read more
Tornadoes ravage Manitoba
At least five tornadoes touched down in southwestern Manitoba on the evening of June 23, leaving trails of devastation. Two struck between Pipestone and Hartney, and three others were confirmed around Minto and northeast of Killarney. Although a number of farm buildings were damaged and more than 200 power poles fell, only minor injuries were […] Read more
U.S. growers take hemp to court
Two North Dakota farmers have filed a lawsuit that hemp advocates in the United States hope will remove the final obstacle in the way of their goal of growing the crop. If it succeeds, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration would not be able to prosecute North Dakota state representative David Monson of Osnabrock and Wayne […] Read more
Nordfork limits need for wrestlers
On many cattle ranches, branding is one of the traditional rites of spring. Friends, neighbours and relatives bring their roping horses and lariats and get together for a day of hard work and fun. But at the same time as the number of cattle on many ranches has grown, the available pool of strong hands […] Read more
