Tracy Tjaden

Potato producers heading into contract negotiations with North America’s french fry giants may have to fight to keep talks focussed on the challenges facing farmers in their own backyard, warns one industry watcher. “What’s realistic is what fits for the local area, not something that happened half a continent away and this is what the […] Read more

A consumer battle is heating up across rural Manitoba as natural gas co-operatives provide a workable alternative to the province’s sole distributor Centra Gas, says one consultant. “Natural gas is almost half the price of electricity so when you’re heating a house, shop and maybe a hog barn, it adds up,” said Keith Arthur, of […] Read more

There is relief in sight for producers worried about buckling under heavy input costs this spring. It might not be enough to offset low wheat prices, but one farmer committee says producers should not be paying more for fertilizer or fuel this year. “It’s bright in the fact that the trends seem to be the […] Read more

Burning the midnight oil to finish seeding might pay off in more ways than one, according to one weed researcher. Because the seeds of many plants need a brief flash of light to induce germination, planting by the light of the moon could be the secret to slowing weed germination. And that could allow crops […] Read more

Close to 500 cattle – 450 from one farm – will be slaughtered as part of a traceback investigation following an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis in southwestern Manitoba. The animal in the Virden, Man., herd that tested positive for TB on a skin test, and again in an organ examination, was purchased from Rossburn, Man., […] Read more

Manitoba chicken farmers are spreading their wings as part of a scheme that’s under way to boost the province’s national share from 3.5 in 1994 to four percent in 2000. New facilities and barn expansions are part of the plan that will see production in the province soar 25 percent over three years, according to […] Read more

Making the decision to set up a website is an exciting venture, but there are pitfalls that could land consumers in court if they’re not careful, says one Manitoba internet designer. The problem comes down to who owns the legal rights to a website’s name and the site’s domain. Most people who want to set […] Read more

The trend toward closer-to-home, day-trip getaways and a push for people to connect with their past are some of the latest tourism crazes, and Manitoba rural businesses want to cash in on the ride. Their approach is co-operative marketing through agri-tourism networks, and the numbers show it’s paying off. “These agri-tourism networks are linking together […] Read more

In today’s fast-paced, high-tech world, people are longing to slow down, enjoy their lives and take time out for tea. Tea, and the atmosphere it often creates, is like saying ‘Let’s talk.’ The owner of one rural tea room says the increasingly popular niche market is ready to rise to the challenge of creating places […] Read more

The border will remain closed to American bees, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced March 5. An industry-driven push to uphold the import ban, in place since 1987 and reviewed every two years, is designed to delay the spread of the deadly varroa mite, which has wiped out colonies south of the border. But according […] Read more