Tracy Tjaden

The following are results from the Seager Wheeler Pedigreed Seed Show held Jan. 13-16 in Saskatoon in conjunction with the Western Canadian Crop Production Show. Cereal Hard red spring wheat: Champion (AC Domain) Wagon Wheel Seed Corp., Churchbridge, Sask.; reserve (Columbus) William H. Wolf, Craven, Sask. Durum wheat: Champion (Wascana) Glen & Donne Seymour, Stewart […] Read more

A new two-year pilot program to protect British Columbia farmers from financial disaster is good for producers, but one industry spokesperson is worried the federal government is backing away from picking up its portion of the tab. Judy Galey, who works with B.C.’s potato industry development committee, said farmers, the province and the federal government […] Read more

Brandon workers have no reason to fear a future tainted by labor unrest once the giant Maple Leaf pork plant sets up shop here, said the country’s foremost pork baron. Michael McCain told a packed Brandon auditorium that because messy labor disputes tarnish four other Maple Leaf plants in Canada, it doesn’t mean Brandon will […] Read more

An investigation into a tuberculosis-ridden cattle herd in southwestern Manitoba has ended with no more cattle being killed beyond the original 125 animals. And so far, no new diseased animals have turned up, according to Terry Whiting, a disease control veterinarian with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Tuberculosis showed up three months ago in routine […] Read more

Plummeting hog prices being predicted by some provincial livestock market analysts couldn’t come at a worse time for Manitoba’s swine industry. But Janet Honey, who watches the markets for Manitoba Agriculture, said new investors and producers who have been around for a long time should have a long-term vision. “Over the last two years they […] Read more

A new sunflower variety drawing hype in the United States could soon be available to farmers in Canada. Nusun produces a new class of sunflower oil that hopes to crack into the snack food market in the U.S. and replace the traditional cottonseed oil used for frying. With fast food giants like McDonald’s interested, the […] Read more

An extra year off can make all the difference in managing diseases in canola, according to a recent study by Manitoba Agriculture. Debbie McLaren, an integrated pest management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture’s soils and crops branch, said results from the first year of a canola crop rotation study show the incidence of disease in canola […] Read more

There might not be 2,200 would-be meat cutters looking for jobs in Brandon, but community development officials here say Maple Leaf won’t have a problem finding workers for its new meat packing plant. Ted Eastley, with the agriculture and rural enterprise division of Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, said only two-thirds of grade 12 students […] Read more

A 23-year old Baldur, Man., farmer is behind bars after a provincial court judge sentenced him to two months in jail and $2,500 in fines last week for illegally selling a truckload of barley south of the border. Clayton Desrochers was convicted in November of two customs-related charges for failing to report his barley exports […] Read more

From hogs to hemp, Manitoba’s agriculture minister says you won’t catch this province slow off the starting blocks. Harry Enns said the province will apply to Ottawa to grow 5,000 acres of hemp this year to secure a first-place spot in the new industry that could someday match the returns Manitoba makes on canola. “We’re […] Read more