Roberta Rampton

WINNIPEG – Most farmers would be surprised if a herbicide sales representative suggested a competing company’s product to combat weeds. But that’s exactly what two companies plan to do. Cyanamid and Ciba want farmers to realize that herbicide-resistant weeds are a serious problem in Western Can-ada and they’re prepared to give up a sale if […] Read more

WINNIPEG – A few years ago, Judy Olson started paying closer attention to wildflowers during long walks with her two children near Woodlands, Man. The more she looked, the more she wanted to know about them. “It’s just swallowed me up, it really has,” Olson said. Now, she’s taking a new prairie horticulture home- study […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Canola growers’ associations believe the new canola futures contract, which moves the pricing point from Vancouver to Saskatoon, will lower the price that farmers receive. With the help of a Calgary law firm, they launched an 11th-hour attempt in the Federal Court of Canada to stop the change. The matter was to be […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Another group of farmers is attempting to get the justice system to break the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on wheat and barley marketing. Jim Pallister of Portage la Prairie, Man., on behalf of a group called Farmers for Justice, filed documents with the Federal Court of Canada asking that farmers be given “freedom […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Pea growers say they are looking forward to a more transparent price for their product when a new futures contract starts trading later this year, and won’t be scared away by an offshore pricing point and trading in U.S. currency. Earlier this month, the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange announced it will launch the world’s […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s lone Reform MP said if the RCMP won’t start an investigation based on the evidence he has collected on the business practices of the Canadian Wheat Board, he hopes the United Nations Human Rights Commission will. And Jake Hoeppner (Lisgar-Marquette) said he and his wife Fran may decide to “force the issue.” […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Manitoba will soon have only two major chicken processing plants. Officials at Friendly Family Farms, based in Steinbach, Man., announced the plant is closing sometime next year. The plant has processed chicken and turkey for more than 30 years. It also has three chicken farms and a hatchery, which will continue operating. “Basically, […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Dale Adolphe’s first job when he graduated from university 23 years ago was to help rapeseed growers move from using high-erucic acid varieties to ones with low levels. Ever since, he’s been working with the Cinderella crop in one way or another. And now, he’s the new president of the Canola Council of […] Read more

WINNIPEG – The Aussies are definitely interested. And as long as other international exporters and consumers of feed peas use a new futures contract, people in the Canadian industry say it will probably fly. “We think it has some real potential to bring in other players that we don’t usually see in the Winnipeg market,” […] Read more

WINNIPEG – Perry Stefaniuk’s great grandfather came to Canada from Ukraine 98 years ago – the same year the railways agreed to the Crowsnest Pass freight rate. He settled near Beausejour, Man., northeast of Winnipeg. Now that the Crow Benefit has ended and it’s time for Stefaniuk, who grows mostly wheat, to receive a payout, […] Read more