Ian Bell

A few years ago, a community in southern Manitoba set out to save its local elevator. The number of businesses on Mather’s main street already had thinned out, the local school was closed, and residents were anxious to keep what remained of their town. In desperation, a committee was formed to explore possible uses for […] Read more

Meyers Norris Penny is merging with Barr Shelley Stuart Group of Calgary. MNP is a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm with a special interest in the agriculture industry. Barr Shelley Stuart Group, which includes Tamarack Group Ltd., will provide expertise in corporate finance. “Raising capital has often been a challenge for our clients and […] Read more

Chaos prevails in Manitoba for producers trying to market their hogs, according to the president of the Manitoba Pork Marketing Co-op. Gerry Friesen said a lack of price transparency means producers have no idea of the true market value of their hogs. “Suitcase” marketers have also jumped in, he said, and are making promises to […] Read more

Doug Derksen holds up two potted plants inside a greenhouse at Agriculture Canada’s Brandon Research Centre. Both pots hold hairy nightshade, a weed familiar to Manitoba farmers. One plant is yellowed, its leaves curled and marred by dead spots. The other plant is healthy, sporting lush leaves and more growth than its sickly counterpart. The […] Read more

Doug Derksen laughs a little when he thinks about the plans afoot at Agriculture Canada’s Brandon Research Centre. The research scientist is one of the architects behind efforts to establish a weed garden at the centre. “It’s going to look very nice,” he said, describing the reference weed garden that Agriculture Canada and the Assiniboine […] Read more

A clean environment, good nutrition and a strategy for disease management are all part of preventing calf scours, according to the registrar of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. “Vaccinations won’t prevent a scours outbreak if the environment is horrible and the nutrition is horrible,” said Duane Landals. “The whole thing goes together.” Landals recommends having […] Read more

The discovery of blood in the stools of some calves prompted Nancy Biglieni to try diatomaceous earth a year ago. Biglieni owns a 50-head herd of purebred polled Herefords near Douglas, Man. She had the stools of the affected calves sent to a laboratory. Although it was not confirmed, Biglieni suspects the calves were infected […] Read more

The Canadian Plant Technology Agency vows it will clamp down on the illegal sale of protected seed in Canada. “We are going to be part of not only the education process but the policing process,” said agency board chair Bruce Howison. “We are obviously concerned about this problem.” Certified seed is protected under the federal […] Read more

Manitoba Conservation last week said it will use increased hunting to trim the number of wild elk in the Riding Mountain National Park area. The department said it wants the elk population cut to about 4,000 animals in the next five years. Park staff estimate there were more than 5,000 elk in the park last […] Read more

Midwives in Manitoba soon will mark a milestone in their profession. Some time this spring – possibly April – the province will proclaim its Midwifery Act. That will make it legal for registered midwives to practise their profession in Manitoba. It also will make midwifery a funded service within the health-care system. “The most exciting […] Read more