Ian Bell

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. – A Manitoba elk grower believes changes are needed to remove the “castration band” from his industry. With the value of elk antlers in a slump, it’s clear to people like Peter Kalden that the industry could stagnate unless there are changes. The elk grower from St. Martin, Man., said the […] Read more

Joe Millar wonders what it would be like to park his combine during harvest and then hitch onto an air seeder. He will find out for the first time this fall when he seeds a quarter section of his farm to winter wheat. Millar, an immigrant from Northern Ireland, began farming in Manitoba four years […] Read more

The founding president of the Canadian Seed Institute died Jan. 25. Graydon Bowman was instrumental in creating the institute and served as its president from its inception until 1998, when he retired due to illness, said a seed institute news release. He was born and raised in the New Liskeard area of northern Ontario and […] Read more

Dave Bryan lost another battle last week, but says the war is still not over. The Manitoba Court of Appeal struck down the Saskatchewan farmer’s constitutional challenge against the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly over prairie wheat and export barley sales. The decision was unanimous among the three judges hearing the case. Bryan, who farms at […] Read more

Duncan McKinnon doesn’t need a crystal ball to predict what will happen to coarse grain prices in 1999-2000. He bases his predictions on the laws of supply and demand. Those suggest that prices will remain largely unchanged from the current crop year. “At the world level, it looks like we still have lots of coarse […] Read more

Farmers have two choices when it comes to the food chain: They can either move up that chain or become snack food for the large corporations that control much of the agri-food industry. That was the message from George Sinner, a former governor from North Dakota, who spoke at Manitoba Ag Days held in Brandon […] Read more

Few Manitobans will forget the ravaging effects of the flood that swept through the Red River Valley in 1997. Rene and Monique Lafond are among them. The Lafonds found their home under siege that year, when the Red River spilled over its banks and created a sea above a vast area of farmland south of […] Read more

When Brian Jenks talks about weed control, one gets the impression that he also plays chess. Jenks views weed control as a matter of strategy, where farmers have to consider the consequences of each decision they make. Keeping the weeds in check requires proper crop rotations and careful management of herbicides. “A lot of guys […] Read more

Bruce Campbell broke into tears Feb. 1 while talking about the dilemma that continues to haunt him and his family. The Campbells moved from their farm home near Tilston, Man., last weekend due to concerns about toxic gases. They are now renting a home in Reston, hoping the move is temporary. “The people of the […] Read more

DAUPHIN, Man. – When Calvin Snyder wants to know what’s new in his community, he hops in his truck and heads for the south side of town. A short drive later, he arrives at Sticky’s, a restaurant and gas station nestled between an apartment building and a motel. The restaurant offers a place to chat, […] Read more