Feeding the wrong mineral can compromise cattle immunity and take a bite from the next calf crop. The more attention producers pay to mineral sources, management and supplementation, the healthier their herds can be, says an industry expert. Laurentia van Rensburg, global head of commercial nutrition with Alltech, was at the Manitoba Beef and Forage […] Read more
Miranda Leybourne
Miranda Leybourne is a Glacier FarmMedia reporter based in Neepawa, Manitoba with eight years of journalism experience, specializing in agricultural reporting. Born in northern Ontario and raised in northern Manitoba, she brings a deep, personal understanding of rural life to her storytelling.
A graduate of Assiniboine College’s media production program, Miranda began her journalism career in 2007 as the agriculture reporter at 730 CKDM in Dauphin. After taking time off to raise her two children, she returned to the newsroom once they were in full-time elementary school. From June 2022 to May 2024, she covered the ag sector for the Brandon Sun before joining Glacier FarmMedia. Miranda has a strong interest in organic and regenerative agriculture and is passionate about reporting on sustainable farming practices. You can reach Miranda at mleybourne@farmmedia.com.
Stories by Miranda Leybourne
Cover crops pose challenge for Prairie farmers
Practice called difficult, although not impossible, within existing production systems such as herbicide-tolerant canola
Glacier FarmMedia – Cover crops can provide benefits, but incorporating them into other cropping systems, especially when growing herbicide-tolerant crops including canola, can be a challenge. That’s the topic of the latest research by Yvonne Lawley, an associate professor in the University of Manitoba plant science department. She was the key speaker at a July […] Read more
Bird survey focuses on regenerative farming
Manitoba initiative looks at how regenerative agriculture affects bird populations, species at risk as well as biodiversity
Bird experts across the province have partnered with the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association to conduct its second annual bird survey. Tim Poole, species at risk biologist with the provincial government, and Marissa Bedard and Meredith Stoesz from Important Bird Areas, recently wrapped up field visits to nine regenerative agriculture farms operated by members of […] Read more
Study looks for ways to tackle volunteer canola
A researcher from the University of Manitoba says harvest loss and herbicide options underpin management efforts
Research from the University of Manitoba aims to get a better handle on the problem of volunteer canola in soybeans. It begins with preventing canola from escaping the back of the combine the year before. There’s already been a lot of work on volunteer canola issues and canola harvest loss. Rob Gulden, U of M […] Read more
Man. canola oil researcher enters agricultural hall of fame
Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame says Michael Eskin’s work on canola since its early days was integral to oilseed’s rise
Michael Eskin’s long career as a canola researcher has landed him a spot in the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. “I’ve been very lucky,” he said. “I’m originally from England, and I came to Canada in ’68, to the University of Manitoba. It was being at the right time, at the right place.” Eskin, along […] Read more
Farmers relearn wet hay management
Mother Nature has not co-operated with the first hay harvest in parts of the Prairies, but there are some tips that can help
Glacier FarmMedia – After years of drought, livestock producers are now managing excess moisture in hay fields. The first cut in Manitoba hit speed bumps. June was cool, and widespread rains left little window to harvest dry hay. Farmers had a difficult time targeting ideal protein and digestibility and some fields were inaccessible due to […] Read more
Ample precipitation sets stage for wheat midge
Conditions favourable to wheat midge development should prompt farmers to closely monitor their fields
Plentiful precipitation over much of the Prairies has created near-perfect conditions for wheat midge, which may emerge later this month and into July. Wheat midges overwinter in the soil as fairly mature larvae and emerge as adults when the crop is heading, said John Gavloski, an entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture. “Now, if you have your […] Read more
New sclerotinia tool now available
Glacier FarmMedia – Xarvio, BASF’s digital farming arm, has added a sclerotinia risk advisor tool to its Field Manager platform. It is based on a model created by xarvio agronomists and was tested through field trials conducted by BASF throughout the Prairies. “Sclerotinia stem rot is one of the most prolific and devastating diseases impacting […] Read more
Wet conditions stoke sclerotinia fears
The Canola Council of Canada said split fungicide applications will protect canola longer if the bloom period is delayed
Glacier FarmMedia – Manitoba canola producers are hoping this season will echo last year’s scarcity of sclerotinia, but recent wet conditions may have laid groundwork for the fungus to return. Dry weather last year tamped sclerotinia. The yearly disease survey found that, of 129 surveyed fields, only 13 per cent showed signs of the disease. […] Read more
AI reaches into the meat locker
Once commercialized, the high-tech meat management system promises gains on efficiency, sustainability, quality
Glacier FarmMedia – Artificial intelligence is digging footholds in agriculture and agribusiness, from crop and herd monitoring to traceability and weed management. For one Manitoba-born company, AI has become a tool for carcass quality control in the meat sector. Cameron Bergen is chief executive officer and co-founder of mode40, a technology services company that helps […] Read more
