Ian Bell

Darryl Albrecht is glad he no longer grows grain. Prices for cereals are in the doldrums and canola’s shine has been tarnished. Canola was once a mainstay for the Albrecht farm. Darryl and his father, Walter, gradually weaned themselves off grain and canola production because of the high costs and low returns. Their farm is […] Read more

Gordon Peters was skeptical last week when told Omnitrax wants to buy the Cowan subdivision in western Manitoba. “I think it’s a ploy,” said Peters, president of Brandon-based Cando Contracting, the company that bought the subdivision from CN Rail. “We think people are playing political games with this.” The Cowan subdivision runs through the Swan […] Read more

Art Petkau grows corn on his mixed farm near Morden, Man., but is not enthused about a trade complaint that could push up the crop’s value in Western Canada. That’s because Petkau is also a cattle producer who worries the complaint by the Manitoba Corn Growers Association may lead to higher feed costs. The Canadian […] Read more

Manitoba farmer Ian Wishart thinkd it’s high time producers were rewarded for adopting environmentally friendly management practices. Wishart makes his living raising cattle, grain, forages and special crops near Portage la Prairie, Man. He is paid nothing for maintaining shelterbelts that trap moisture and reduce erosion. The same holds true for his decision to eliminate […] Read more

SWAN RIVER, Man. – The irony is not lost on Ray Salmon, a bison/equine specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. The coming of the railroad to Western Canada helped spell the demise of the region’s bison. Now, the bison are making a comeback and rail lines are disappearing. “Kind of interesting how history comes around,” he quipped […] Read more

Ontario livestock producers can expect tougher environmental rules as part of the aftermath from the E. coli outbreak at Walkerton, Ont., an E. coli expert at the University of Guelph predicts. “I think we will see some sort of mandatory system in place (for manure management),” said Dr. Carlton Gyles, a microbiologist who has studied […] Read more

Brian English dreamed of becoming a police officer while growing up on a farm near Rivers, Man. It was an ambition he held from the time he was 12 years old. He credits the auxiliary constable program in Manitoba for helping him fulfil that ambition. The program gave him a chance to experience police work […] Read more

Roy Robinson spent $250 to buy a membership in Focus on Sabbatical this spring. The Nesbitt, Man., farmer regards it as a modest investment compared to what he spends on inputs to grow a crop each year. If Focus on Sabbatical Inc. can convince enough farmers to take their land out of production for a […] Read more

BLUMENORT, Man. – Adam Brandt cups a chick in his hands and gently runs his fingers along its back. The chick appears tiny, even in the hands of Adam, a nine year old whose parents, Bernie and Audrey Brandt, farm near Blumenort. But the tiny tuft of yellow down is part of a growing industry […] Read more

A provincial sales tax on materials for new farm production buildings remains a burr under the saddle of Manitoba producers. Keystone Agricultural Producers president Don Dewar said the tax puts Manitoba farmers at a disadvantage when compared to their counterparts in most other provinces. KAP has lobbied for years to have the sales tax removed […] Read more