Two new studies, published late March in the journal Science, indicate low doses of insecticides interfere with bees’ sense of direction and the insect’s ability to reproduce. In two separate experiments, researchers in Britain and France studied the interaction between bees and neonicotinoid pesticides, one of the most popular insecticides in the world, used on […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
New phosphate rock mine planned
Paris Hills project | Close to 40 new phosphate facilities expected
A Canadian company is expected to open a phosphate rock mine in Idaho in late 2014 or early 2015. It will be the first underground phosphate rock mine in the United States and will add to the expanding global supply of phosphate rock and phosphate fertilizers. Stonegate Agricom Ltd. is a junior mining company based […] Read more
Manitoba looks at rural doctor education options
Medical school proposal | Brandon University could train doctors
Government funded feasibility studies too often wind up on a high, dusty shelf in an unused office, ignored and unread. Doug Dobrowolski, president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, hopes that isn’t the fate of the Brandon Medical Education Study. The study is crucial for rural Manitoba because smaller communities across rural Manitoba are losing […] Read moreTim Hortons responds to animal welfare pressure
In response to criticism about its animal welfare policies, Tim Hortons released a video on YouTube last month illustrating how it is working with farmers and suppliers to ensure that eggs in its supply chain are produced humanely. Curiously, the video uploaded to YouTube March 23 features interviews with Tim Hortons’ egg suppliers in Ontario, […] Read more
Man. farmers get early jump on seeding
Ted Tkachyk, who farms near Elm Creek, Man., probably isn’t the first farmer to seed a crop in Manitoba this year. However, Tkachyk can claim he is one of the first in 2012 because he was planting spring wheat on his farm April 2. While it is an early start, April 2 doesn’t represent a […] Read more
New phosphate rock mine planned
A Canadian company is expected to open a phosphate rock mine in Idaho in late 2014 or early 2015. It will be the first underground phosphate rock mine in the United States and will add to the expanding global supply of phosphate rock and phosphate fertilizers. Stonegate Agricom Ltd. is a junior mining company based […] Read more
Firm makes construction material from hemp fibre
An American company is planning to build a manufacturing plant in Ontario that will turn hemp into a compostable construction material. American Lime Technology, a Chicago company that specializes in low carbon building materials, wants to manufacture a ready to install insulating product made from hemp at a plant near Toronto, said sales manager Matt […] Read more
Wheat bright in N.D.; durum gloomy
Canola, wheat acres expected to soar | More lucrative crops to keep durum in the dumps
Canola and spring wheat acres are expected to rebound in North Dakota this year following a soggy 2011. However, durum will struggle to regain acres this year because growers are leaning toward other crops, says a North Dakota Wheat Commission representative. “A lot of guys are not overly excited about durum,” said Erica Olson, marketing […] Read more
Driving biocomposites forward
Exterior automobile parts | Researchers study composite made from hemp, agave and other fibres
Automobile makers have touted their green credentials for the last few years, using words like “sustainability” in nearly every television ad and turning trademarks like EcoBoost into household names. Besides manufacturing more efficient engines, automakers are also greening their vehicles by using biomaterials for minor components, such as storage compartments made from wheat straw. However, […] Read moreManitoba association touts grass fed beef products
WINNIPEG — A middle-aged woman paused for a moment in a downtown Winnipeg health food store as she looked at a sample tray of grass fed beef in the store’s meat department. She tried the grass fed sausage on the platter and seemed to like it, but her puzzled expression and tilted head suggested that […] Read more
