Biting into a shapely petite red Norland apple, newly picked from my tree and still warm from the sunshine, would not have been possible a century ago. Tree fruits then were too tender for the western Canadian climate, but thanks to the Morden Manitoba Research Centre, the horticulture department at the University of Saskatchewan and […] Read more
Farm Living
Needing to be perfect
Q: I am a perfectionist. I used to think that was a good thing and I was proud of my perfectionism. It seemed to me that people who are more successful set high expectations for themselves and that is what I thought perfectionism was. Lately my wife has been on my case. She says that […] Read more
Four jobs for every ag grad: university
It’s a great time to be an agriculture student. Maybe the best time ever. Students at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College should have no trouble finding a job because there are four jobs in Ontario for every OAC graduate. “It’s great news for students entering and coming out of the programs because of […] Read more
Rest and relaxation critical to injury-free harvest
Fatigue, lack of familiarity with equipment and cutting corners to save a few minutes can result in a lifetime of regret
Every harvest season on the Prairies is memorable for one reason or another. Last year’s harvest will likely be remembered for the unwelcome rain and snow, the mud, the ruts and the millions of unharvested acres. Fingers crossed, the 2017 harvest might be remembered as a line-to-line event — a harvest season that went from […] Read more
CGC report looks at quality of spring harvested canola
Western Canadian canola growers who were unable to harvest their crops before winter last year now have a more accurate picture of how their spring harvested acres fared in terms of quality and grade. According to the Canadian Grain Commission, western Canadian growers planted nearly 20.3 million acres of canola in 2016 and harvested just […] Read more
Fire damages ranches in southwestern Alberta
Damage has been reported to farms and ranches on the perimeter of Waterton Lakes National Park as a wildfire continues to burn in southwestern Alberta. Residents in the region east and north of the park were evacuated last night and the area under mandatory evacuation was expanded twice as the fire doubled in size, fed […] Read more
Farmland price boom may be ending: FCC
The era of booming farmland values may be coming to an end, says a new report from Farm Credit Canada. From 2011-16 farmland values in Canada increased, on average, more than 10 percent annually. Those double digit gains could be over, for a while, because the FCC is predicting farmland values to rise only one […] Read more
Couple’s hard work a ‘labour of love’
Manitoba cattle producers striving to improve and expand herd, minimize workload and enjoy family life
LAURIER, Man. — Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmer nominees know the value of hard work. “Everything we have, we’ve worked for,” said Clint Desjardins, who operates Cattle Drive Ranch east of Riding Mountain national park with his wife, Shannon. “Clint is never happy unless he’s doing something. He needs to be busy,” said Shannon, citing how […] Read more
Homemade master mixes a valuable time-saver
When preparing meals for the field or school lunches, master mixes are convenient. The large batch measuring and mixing of the dry ingredients and fat make the ingredients ready for quick preparation of a variety of fresh baked items like biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins and cookies. Commercially available biscuit or pancake mixes are comparable products. […] Read more
Family provides comfort after crop disaster
After being wiped out by hail, Dad heads north to earn a living for the family, but soon faces further tragedy
Disaster can happen to anyone at any time. Both the memory of the event and the victims’ reaction to it will affect their decisions for the rest of their lives. Harold and Louise Hathaway, my parents, were 100 percent hailed out in 1947. This single devastating event caused a landslide of tragedies that transformed them […] Read more
