Ian Bell

Several more charges were laid last week against four men accused of starting a fire that killed a man and caused $2 million in damages at the Ecusta Fibres flax straw plant near Winkler, Man. Heinrich Goetzen, 28, Johan Peters, 21, Jacob Peters, 20, and Tobias Klassen, 20, were previously charged with manslaughter in the […] Read more

The clock is ticking toward the day when Canadian hog producers will have a hard time selling their animals to major packers and processors unless they’re recognized under the Canadian Quality Assurance program. The Canadian Meat Council has set the end of this year as the target for hog producers to be recognized under the […] Read more

During the past 10 years, Paul McCaughey and Mario Therrien have devoted part of their research to developing an enhanced green needlegrass variety. It was painstaking work at times, but it resulted in AC Mallard, a new line of green needlegrass with low seed dormancy and superior seedling vigor. “It’s a grass that greens up […] Read more

Farmers were bombarded last fall with a flurry of media coverage about genetically modified organisms. The coverage drew attention to consumer unease about GM food and the potential backlash against a technology that manipulates plant genes to provide traits such as herbicide tolerance or resistance to disease and insects. Despite that attention, prairie farmers this […] Read more

McCREARY, Man. — The planting April 28 of a lilac tree was symbolic for this day-care centre in western Manitoba. “We’re putting down our roots,” said Tammy Gingras, the centre’s program director. When the Parkside Children’s Centre was first licensed two and half years ago, it was located in rooms rented from a local florist […] Read more

Four Winkler, Man., men have been charged with manslaughter in connection with a fire last week that killed a man and caused $1.8 million in damages. The charges stem from a fire that police believe was intentionally set April 18 at a field near Winkler where Ecusta Fibres was refining flax straw bales for export […] Read more

RUSSELL, Man. – There was a time when the rail line running past Wayne Bulischak’s home offered a convenient way to move grain out of the area. Three wooden elevators stood adjacent to the track not far from his yard. A small community also formed there. But the rail service was discontinued five years ago, […] Read more

Three Manitobans hope the federal government will adopt their safety net proposal to better protect farmers against times of depressed commodity prices. Les Jacobson, Allan Chambers and Bob Hopley have developed what they call the Revenue Stabilization Program as an alternative to the much maligned Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance program. Jacobson, a producer from Arborg, […] Read more

Dandelions are a perennial plant that can easily become a perennial problem. With their brilliant yellow blossoms, they are well known on the Prairies. But they’re not well loved once they get established in fields. This spring farmers have an added tool to consider when fighting dandelions. Amitrol 240 was registered this year for use […] Read more

Manitoba’s elk producers are looking for added clout to stop legislation they fear will harm their industry. The Manitoba Elk Growers Association said the province is preparing legislation that will put elk farming under the jurisdiction of natural resources rather than agriculture. The association asked Keystone Agricultural Producers last week to help it prevent the […] Read more