Farmers and agribusiness want to use drone sprayers, but regulations for applying crop protection products lag
Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian farmers are looking forward to the day their battle against pests has a better air force, but government says they’ll have to bide their time before pesticide-spraying drones are an option. Drones can be used in the United States if the product label covers aerial application and all other drone operation rules are […] 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
$5 million aimed at barley research
Glacier FarmMedia – The federal government has earmarked more than $5 million for barley research, aimed at creating more resilient varieties that can handle climate change. Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay on June 12 announced $5,257,073 for the Canadian Barley Research Coalition. The funding echoes similar announcements for research clusters dedicated to commodities […] Read more
Wireworms remain persistent pest for producers
Nestled in the soil and hard to kill, this insect is a constant headache for growers across Western Canada
Glacier FarmMedia – They’ll survive things that would kill other crop pests. Some species will eat each other. If food is scarce, they might reverse molt to become smaller and harder to starve. They’ll go after grain crops, potatoes, onions, carrots, strawberries or almost any other field crop. Their tendency to feast on germinating seeds […] Read more
Bee U pilot an urban outreach for honey sector
Urban beekeeping project bridges urban-rural gap, aids pollinator conservation and boosts biodiversity
Glacier FarmMedia – Warmer weather in western Manitoba has turned a rooftop at Brandon University into a literal hive of activity. It’s the third year for the university’s five-year “Bee U” urban beekeeping pilot, which has introduced the first urban honeybee populations in Manitoba’s second-largest city. Grant Hamilton, the university’s director of marketing and communications, […] Read more
Alternative protein industry eyes new horizons
Processors join forces as they look for ways to use fewer resources during production to overcome climate challenges
Glacier FarmMedia – Satisfying customers and reducing biodiversity loss, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are all top priorities for today’s alternative protein industry. That’s what attendees heard during the “Feeding the Future with Alternative Proteins” online event hosted by Manitoba Agriculture May 23. Speakers delved into global trends in the sector and dissected experiences, […] Read more
Clean water improves the efficacy of herbicides
Farmers urged to drop the water volume in their mixes when using hard water because cations can tie up herbicide
Glacier FarmMedia – Water cleanliness should be a top priority for producers when sourcing water for spraying said Kim Brown, Manitoba provincial weeds specialist. Spraying with dirty water risks contaminants tying up active ingredients in herbicides, rendering them ineffective. “If you’ve got dirty water, (substances in there) will actually antagonize or will tie up glyphosate […] Read more
Dry beans need to get off on the right foot
Crop specialists advise producers to watch for seed damage and ward against weeds as the growing season begins
Glacier FarmMedia – Dry bean growers across Manitoba hope recent wet weather tapers off and creates good seeding conditions. Most producers began seeding their dry beans over the May long weekend, those at the May 22 webinar hosted by Manitoba Agriculture heard. The outlook for late May had notes of caution for the dry and […] Read more
Man. soybean seeding on early side this year
With adequate rainfall and warmer soil temperatures, soybean seeding across Manitoba is well underway. Manitoba Agriculture’s May 21 crop report placed soybean planting at 34 per cent complete. If nighttime temperatures don’t warm up more than they have recently, soybean plants will likely emerge around 15 to 17 days after planting, said Dennis Lange, a […] Read more
New project puts fababeans in the spotlight
Companies sign onto Protein Industries Canada initiative to boost plant protein, and fababeans are one of the stars
Glacier FarmMedia – A new $24.5-million project backed by Protein Industries Canada includes a group of plant protein companies working to tackle some of the sector’s biggest hurdles. The national cluster for protein is teaming up with Roquette, Prairie Fava, BioNeutra and Plant Up to improve innovation, come up with more diversified products and improve […] Read more
Recovering Farmer speaks up
Glacier FarmMedia – Gerry Friesen is doing an uncomfortable thing. He’s putting both his name and internal struggles out for the world to see, in an effort to break the silence around farmers’ mental health. The Recovering Farmer, as Friesen has long been known on his blog, has taken his message from the digital space […] Read more
