Temple Grandin answered questions about sow gestation stalls during her appearance in Brandon. The following is a sample of her thoughts on the topic:
Her comment may have triggered a laugh, but Temple Grandin sincerely believes livestock producers should post videos of themselves on YouTube. The renowned livestock handling expert, who spoke in Brandon May 23 as part of a book promotion tour, told an audience of 400 that the videos should provide simple, straightforward images about raising livestock, […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Compare costs by portion size
Calories vs. portions | Healthy eating’s higher price tag based on faulty logic: researchers
Grocery shoppers across Canada are frequently appalled by the cost of raspberries, asparagus, nectarines and other items in the produce section, but a United States Department of Agriculture economist has determined that fruits and vegetables aren’t more expensive than less healthy food, such as potato chips. Andrea Carlson, a food economist with the USDA Economic […] Read moreRain eases drought worries in parts of Manitoba
After several weeks of worry over dry soil conditions or drought, most Manitoba farmers can now breathe easily because 25 to 75 millimetres of rain fell on the province earlier this week. Between May 21 and May 28 steady rains dropped 60 mm of precipitation on Roblin, near the Saskatchewan border, to 40 mm on […] Read more
Man. farmers worry pesticide ban will hike weed spread
Control begins in urban areas The development of invasive weeds often starts in urban gardens and spreads to farmers’ fields
An environmentalist lobbying for a cosmetic pesticide ban in Manitoba isn’t convinced most provincial residents want a ban on lawn and garden chemicals. Amanda Kinden, manager of the organic lawn care educational project for the Manitoba Eco-Network, said people in the province want parks, lawns and school grounds to look green and well kept. Most […] Read moreProgram tells alfalfa growers when to cut
A Manitoba Forage Council program that helps alfalfa growers pinpoint the optimum time to cut their crop is now underway in the province. The Green Gold project disseminates a status report on the progress and maturity of Manitoba’s alfalfa crop to forage growers, dairy farmers and cattle producers. Interested farmers can access the information on […] Read more
Animal welfare concerns growing
Opposition to sow stalls appears to have reached a tipping point in North America. McDonald’s, Burger King, Tim Hortons, Wendy’s and Safeway have all announced plans in the last four months to eventually buy pork only from farms with open housing systems. The corporate decisions represent a victory for animal welfare organizations in Canada and […] Read more
Toronto pro-vegan ad campaign provokes frank discussion
About one million commuters ride Toronto’s subway each day, so it’s a safe bet a few of them are now vegetarians thanks to provocative ads posted inside the subway cars last fall and this winter. The ads, sponsored by the Toronto Vegetarian Association, included an image of a puppy and a piglet with the tagline […] Read more
Activists push for change
Handle with care | Consumers want to know the meat they buy in the store has come from a farm where the animal was treated well
WINNIPEG — As she leaned forward in her chair, coffee cup clasped in two hands, Vicki Burns listened to a question about her career with the Winnipeg Humane Society. Burns, who was the bane of Manitoba hog farmers during the 1990s and the 2000s for her tireless efforts to ban sow stalls, leaned back and […] Read moreNo yield boost with split application: nitrogen trials
25 years of data | Ag Canada researchers conclude there is no benefit to top dressing post emergence
A soil fertility expert has found that split applications of nitrogen do not increase crop yields compared to applying nitrogen only at seeding. Cindy Grant’s findings are based on 25 years of field studies, yet some prairie producers still believe that holding back nitrogen at seeding and applying the remainder after crop emergence boosts yields. […] Read moreBat disease may threaten prairie crops
White nose syndrome | Manitoba wildlife officials mindful of potential outbreak after disease appears in four provinces
three species of bats, the little brown bat, northern long eared bat and big brown bat, hibernate inside caves in Manitoba white nose syndrome was first detected in Canada in winter of 2009-10 in caves in Ontario and Quebec the disease, a fungus that grows on bat’s skin, causes the mammals to wake up more […] Read more
