Roberta Rampton

WINNIPEG – Fields in Western Canada last summer were the bluest they’ve been since 1970, making the Flax Council of Canada anything but blue. Statistics Canada’s final field crop production report showed farmers planted 2.165 million acres of flax, producing 1.097 million tonnes of the seed. But some members of the council voiced concerns at […] Read more

WINNIPEG – After some unusual twists and turns, the trial of Dave Sawatzky is coming to a close. Sawatzky, a farmer from Gladstone, Man., and crown attorney Clyde Bond made their final arguments on Dec. 4. Judge Arnold Conner said he will rule before Dec. 31 whether Sawatzky is guilty of exporting wheat and barley […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Versatile Farm Equipment Operations Ltd. plans to lay off almost one-quarter of the workers at its Winnipeg plant. Dale Patterson, an area director with the Canadian Auto Workers union, confirmed the company will be laying off 46 workers before Christmas and 97 more in February because of poor sales. Patterson said the 143 […] Read more

WINNIPEG – If straw can be turned into gold in Elie or Killarney, the people at Melita think it might work in their town too. The town of about 1,500 people in the southwestern corner of Manitoba is the third community in the province to consider the prospect of a strawboard plant. Bill Russell, chair […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Grain exporters are required to provide customs officers with the appropriate licence under the Customs Act, according to a ruling made by a provincial court judge here last week. On Nov. 14, Judge Arnold Conner questioned if the law says exporters must have a licence, during the first day of Dave Sawatzky’s trial. […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Convincing more Manitoba ranchers to feed a few calves rather than dispose of them all has been a tough sell for a small co-op in the Interlake region. Ed Chrisp, a Lundar producer and one of 15 members of the Gourmet Table Beef Co-op, said his group has been trying to get more […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Stan Yaskiw doesn’t know whether the Manitoba government is right or wrong when it promises a dual marketing system for hogs will attract more investment to the province’s industry. But he told premier Gary Filmon in no uncertain terms that he’s insulted the government didn’t ask producers before taking away the monopoly marketing […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Manitoba Pool Elevators and Saskatchewan Wheat Pool took “a bold step” when they decided to form Heartland Livestock Services over a year ago, says Heartland’s general manager John LeClare. But it’s a decision that seems to be paying off. LeClare told Manitoba Pool’s annual meeting that the company had consolidated earnings last year […] Read more

MORDEN, Man. – Cattle producers in the south-central part of Manitoba have traditionally fed more cattle than in other parts, according to Morden rancher Art Petkau. And with a new environment that puts ranchers here at a competitive advantage to their Alberta counterparts, Petkau thinks more producers will be interested in finishing cattle. Petkau and […] Read more

WINNIPEG – In times of change, people tend to hope for the best and try not to think about potential negative effects. But Mona Brown, a lawyer and farmer near Carman, Man., believes you must anticipate negative changes to avoid ending up “in a situation where you have no bargaining power and where you are […] Read more