Roberta Rampton

WINNIPEG – Marlene Cowling took a little bit of the Prairies to Taiwan this month on a parliamentary trade mission. The Manitoba MP took samples of grains and oilseeds from her hometown of Grandview, Man. elevator, and pulses from the Manitoba Pulse Growers’ Association. And Cowling said she brings encouraging news back from the rapidly […] Read more

WINKLER, Man. – The recent rail strike cast dark clouds over the operations of most companies that ship grain. But owners of a small sunflower seed processing company said they were able to find the proverbial silver lining. Keystone Grains competes in European markets with processors from the northern United States, who also ship through […] Read more

ARBORG, Man. – It’s a dog-eat-dog campaign in Manitoba’s Interlake riding. As New Democrat incumbent Clif Evans talks to Shirley Oleson on her doorstep, her dog Princess lets out an ominous growl. Evans recalls that during the 1990 provincial campaign, the dog pinned him up against his car. “Must have thought I was a Conservative,” […] Read more

ALTONA, Man. – For farmers in the southeastern corner of Manitoba, deciding who to vote for could be as hard as deciding what to plant this year. The Conservative and Liberal candidates are both farmers. They share similar visions for the future of agriculture, and both are prominent rural candidates for their parties. But the […] Read more

BRANDON, Man. – For many hog producers at Manitoba Pork’s annual meeting, the winds of change carry an unpleasant odor. They’re worried about a provincial government report that recommended the single-desk selling system for hogs be removed. The government wants hog production to double in the province in the next five years, and it believes […] Read more

BRANDON, Man. – It’s been a long haul for members of the Hudson Bay Route Association. For more than 50 years, the group has met annually to talk about why grain should be shipped through the northern Manitoba port of Churchill. But recent developments including a new task force report on the fate of Churchill, […] Read more

MINNEDOSA, Man. – They’ve struck Fibrotein! The Mohawk Oil plant in this southwest Manitoba town will soon produce a high fibre and protein product from leftovers of wheat it distills into ethanol. Mohawk recently announced it will spend $1.5 million on upgrades to the plant so it can sell Fibrotein to Canadian companies that make […] Read more

WINNIPEG – A pellet of an idea germinated in Fred White’s mind when he heard that United Grain Growers would likely raze its elevator in Hartney, Man., when it builds a high throughput elevator in nearby Souris. “It would make quite an impact on the town,” White said, adding the town of 500 can’t afford […] Read more

SWAN RIVER, Man. – Between sliding into the ditch on a treacherous country road and navigating the puddles and slush on Main Street one day recently, Rosann Wowchuk has got her shoes full. She’s also got her hands full with the current provincial election campaign. The pundits have tagged the campaign in Swan River as […] Read more

BRANDON, Man. – They cuddled with sheep, gazed in awe at the Clydesdales and giggled at the ostriches. Kids were everywhere at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. Jennifer Bruneau, who helped her family run the petting zoo, said more than 1,000 kids a day flocked to hold, touch, cuddle and shower affection on baby farm […] Read more