Manitoba hay production could end up being much lower than last year, and the resulting higher prices are likely to inflict even more pain on the province’s cattle producers. Hay jumped from 2.5 cents per pound in 2007 to 3.5 cents this spring, and that was for last year’s leftover bales, according to Manitoba Agriculture […] Read more
Stories by Daniel Winters
Manitoba beef producers buy old hog plant
A producer-owned company plans to retrofit a 60,000 sq. foot Winnipeg hog plant so it can slaughter and process 250 head of cattle per day by 2010. Formerly owned by Maple Leaf Foods, the decades-old plant was closed in October when the company added a second shift to its Brandon plant. Natural Prairie Beef president […] Read more
Pork catches a COOL break
On a scale of one to five, it’s a four. That’s how Canadian Pork Council executive director Martin Rice views the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s interim final rule on mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL). “Somewhat slightly positive, not wildly positive, which would be a five,” he said. Rice said the new regulations aren’t likely to create […] Read more
The ultimate in green technology – Editorial Notebook
Fuel and fertilizer prices are rising to unheard of levels. Carbon taxes loom on the horizon. It’s comforting, then, to know that researchers have developed a solution. Call it the “ultimate” green technology. And here comes the best part: it’s ready for immediate deployment in a virtually unlimited array of urban and rural applications. How […] Read more
Quad-seeded legumes restore depleted pasture
Restoring depleted pastures doesn’t have to cost a bundle, says Michael Thiele, a grazing club co-ordinator with the Manitoba Forage Council. An all-terrain vehicle with a broadcast seeder and a few bags of legume seed might be enough. “About five years ago, we noticed that the native paddocks were going downhill real fast, mainly because […] Read more
Pot marigold tested for niche crop potential
Bright orange flowers were popping up on a one acre plot at the Manitoba Zero Till Research Association farm earlier in July as part of a project to see if calendula, also known as pot marigold, offers Manitoba farmers a crop alternative. A Dutch company is hoping to contract at least 25,000 acres of the […] Read more
Proper grounding grids keep stray voltage on leash
Beyond simple aesthetics, Grandpa’s dairy barn had something else going for it. The wooden framing, stalls and mangers didn’t conduct electricity, so the cows inside were never disturbed by stray voltage. Today, modern dairy barns built on reinforced concrete pads, steel stanchions and covered with metallic sheathing have created an environment where cows can get […] Read more
Environmental farm plan future being determined
Provincial and federal negotiations are underway over future funding for the popular Environmental Farm Planning program, said Wanda McFadyen, executive director of the Farm Stewardship Association of Manitoba. “I think this program has been the one program that has led to more changes on farms across Canada than any other,” said McFadyen. “It will also […] Read more
Colour palette determines optimal nitrogen rates
Determining optimal nitrogen application rates based on local soil conditions for specific crops can be done quickly and cheaply, said John Heard, a Manitoba agriculture soil fertility specialist based in Carman. The method was developed at Oklahoma State University for use in calibrating Greenseeker technology. The nitrogen rate “ramps” consist of three metre by three […] Read more
Modified engine runs on diesel, biodiesel, ethanol
A truck that runs on booze and B20 diesel could be the ticket for beating high fossil petroleum prices – provided you don’t live next door to the Trailer Park Boys. A 100-litre stainless steel tank containing 95 percent ethanol might be enticing for the fictitious fuel-stealing gang from the Canadian television series, but the […] Read more
