Like many cattle producers in Manitoba’s northern Interlake, Joe Bouchard has spent a significant amount of the summer sky watching. Since May 1, more than 350 millimetres of rain have fallen on Bouchard’s farm near Fisher Branch. “And there’s other places (in the region) that are near or over the two foot (600 mm) mark,” […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Straw-based paper – round two?
It’s been dormant for nearly 50 years, but making paper from crop residue was once a substantial industry in North America, said Bob Hurter, a Canadian engineer who specializes in the process of turning non-tree fibres into pulp and paper. “Straw used to be used extensively in the States up until the early ’60s, when […] Read more
Frost on potato growers’ minds
Southern Alberta potato producers will need nearly perfect weather for the remainder of the growing season. Otherwise, it will be difficult to beat the frost and produce a high quality product, says Rob Van Roessel, who farms near Bow Island, Alta. “When the first killing frost comes will be very critical to how much revenue […] Read more
Producers lament loss of farm animal council
This spring’s decision to dissolve the Manitoba Farm Animal Council silences a credible third party in the promotion and defence of agriculture, says a former executive director. “We’ve lost an agricultural advocate voice,” said Shanyn Silinski, who farms near La Broquerie and worked at the council for two years. “It leaves a gap that is […] Read more
Pockets of gold in fields of blue
Despite incessant rains, hail, tornadoes and other acts of God in 2010, crops in several regions of the Prairies are faring much better than they were at this time last year.For example, the canola crop in central Alberta is in excellent shape compared to 2009, said John Mayko, senior agronomy specialist with the Canola Council […] Read more
New late blight case found in Man. potato field
Late blight has been detected on another potato field in Manitoba, this time near Carberry.”The (positive) sample was from a well managed field that is on five day protectant fungicide application program and has already had five fungicide applications,” provincial potato specialist Brian Wilson said today in a Manitoba Agriculture news release.The provincial government confirmed […] Read more
Exhibit feeds visitors food for thought
STEINBACH, Man. – It’s a well-known proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.However, it’s not that simple in the real world, said Peter Rempel, executive director of the Mennonite Central Committee in Manitoba.”What if the fisherman doesn’t […] Read more
Aussie farmers adjust to open wheat market
Deregulating Australia’s wheat market has been a triumph and a tragedy for Mark Hoskinson.The wheat grower from New South Wales says the loss of the single desk has been a blessing for a few corporate farms but a burden for most wheat producers.“The Australian wheat industry has been built on the back of the family […] Read more
Australian farmers adjust to open market
Australia’s media has chronicled a rash of problems with the country’s wheat export marketing system since it was deregulated July 1, 2008.Problems include difficulties getting grain to port and concerns about the quality of wheat leaving Australia. Consequently, many Australian farmers long for the good old days of the single desk system. Michael Schaefer isn’t […] Read more
Wet feet turning crops yellow
As he stood in a field near Carman, Man., recently, John Heard was surrounded by plants that were green and yellow.“We have wheat here that has yellow stripes, so what we have is technicoloured crops right now,” said Heard, a crop nutrition specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.Crops in the Carman area have yellowed this spring because […] Read more
