Horse ranchers who produce pregnant mare’s urine under contract for the pharmaceutical giant Wyeth remember the lasting implications of the first round of the Women’s Health Initiative study that crippled their industry. The U.S. study, which began in 1999 and involved more than 16,000 women between the ages of 50 to 79, was halted three […] Read more
Stories by Daniel Winters
Swath grazers debate corn and millet
Millet and corn are two of the most popular options for cattle producers looking to use field or swath grazing to reduce their winter feeding costs. A Manitoba farm production adviser says it’s a tossup as to which crop is better. “Everybody is looking at corn, but some of the guys who are into corn […] Read more
Pigeons called profitable; critics skeptical
Empty barns dot the prairie landscape. Some are dilapidated; others remain usable. An entrepreneur from Waterloo, Ont., says he has found a way to put those barns into profitable service. Empty haylofts can be used for raising pigeons, said Arlan Galbraith, founder and owner of Pigeon King International. Galbraith contracts out the raising of breeding […] Read more
Manitoba touts biodiesel for long-haul trucking
A long-haul trucking project conducted by Manitoba and a private company shows the potential of biodiesel as a clean-energy alternative in the province, according to provincial science, technology, energy and mines minister Jim Rondeau. “This demonstration conducted with our partner Border Chemical is evidence of the progress we are making in developing biodiesel as a […] Read more
Bison marketers eye major chains
Bison may be coming to a supermarket near you. Carmen Creek Gourmet Meats entered into an arrangement with Safeway in February to put a frozen ground bison product on the shelves of 218 stores in Western Canada. So far, sales have been meeting expectations, according to Dean Andres, national sales and marketing director of the […] Read more
Manitoba to compensate for flooded acres
Years of lobbying the Manitoba government for help in coping with spring flooding have paid off, according to Stan Cochrane, chair of the Assiniboine Valley Producers’ Committee. Provincial agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk recently announced a $2.39 million one-time assistance package for producers with land downstream from the Shellmouth dam, which extends from near Russell, Man., […] Read more
Bison farmers face supply crunch
The biggest obstacle facing Canada’s 1,900 bison producers is no longer a lack of slaughter capacity but instead a looming shortage of animals, according to Mark Silzer, president of the Canadian Bison Association. Consumption growth of 20 percent per year could outpace the industry’s annual production within two to three years unless producers start planning […] Read more
No-till organic gardening? No problem
For 15 years, Hida Manns, a PhD soil science student at the University of Manitoba, has delighted in breaking the rules of conventional agriculture while applying cutting-edge soil science theories in her own garden. Manns said combining the principles of zero tillage with organic practices on a mulched garden at her home an hour east […] Read more
Prairie farmers unsure about barley market
Gary Schmitke, a barley grower near Camrose, Alta., won’t shed any tears if the Canadian Wheat Board opts out of marketing malting barley instead of trying to operate in a dual market. “It wouldn’t bother me one little bit,” he said. “No big deal.” Since Schmitke is 30 kilometres away from two possible buyers, Agricore […] Read more
Horse capital marks 100 years at the fair
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair held last week in the city formerly known as the horse capital of Canada has marked a century of prairie draft horsemanship. The fair was brought to life in Brandon in 1907 by a group of farmers who sought to organize an event that would showcase the fruits of the […] Read more
