AgriPost March 26 2021

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Local Research Student Looks for Farmers That Use Cover Crops

Callum Morrison holding a PRS2 moisture probe (measures volumetric moisture at six different depths down to 1 meter) at their long-term cover cropping experiment in Carman, Manitoba which compares rotations using cover crops and those without cover crops. “I am wearing a kilt as I had Submitted photo a singing engagement after the photo was taken. I sing Scottish Traditional Songs.”

By Les Kletke Have cover crops been a part of your farm operation?

That is one of the questions

that Callum Morrison would like to have answered by farmers across the prairies.

Morrison is a graduate stu-

dent working on his Ph.D. at the University of Manitoba, School of Agriculture supervised by Dr. Yvonne Lawley

Professor of agronomy and cropping systems. Morrison has developed a questionnaire Continued on Page 2...

Bill Passes Second Reading to Strengthen Biosecurity on Farms The House of Commons recently passed at second reading a bill to address the critical issues of safeguarding the biosecurity of farms, food supply, and improving the mental health of farm families across Canada.

Introduced by Conservative MP John Barlow, Bill C-205, an amendment to the Health of Animals Act, seeks to make it an offence to enter, without lawful authority or excuse, a place in which animals are kept if doing so could result in the exposure of the animals to a disease or toxic substance.

The Act currently provides for the control of diseases and toxic substances that may affect animals or may be transmitted by animals to persons. However, the obligations and prohibitions apply in respect of the owner of the animals. Currently, there is nothing which addresses trespassers. This legislation aims to change that and would also increase the penalties for groups and organizations that encourage individuals to threaten the biosecurity of animals and workers.

Protecting Canada’s food supply is critical. Viruses like African Swine Fever, BSE, foot-and-mouth disease or avian influenza pose a real threat to Canadian agriculture.

“When activists trespass onto farm property and facilities they may not fully grasp the consequences of their actions,” said Barlow. “First and foremost, they are endangering the safety of livestock, farmers, their families and workers.”

“We have seen the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the entire Canadian economy, animal-borne diseases like ASF and FMD would equally devastate our agriculture sector from farm to table.”

Barlow stresses that the bill does not hinder an individual’s right to peacefully protest on public property. He hopes that the bill will shore up farm biosecurity and strengthen Canada’s food supply.

The amendment is now in the committee stage before it would come back to the House of Commons for a third reading and vote, and then the Senate.

March 26, 2021

The AgriPost

Local Research Student Looks for Farmers That Use Cover Crops

Continued from Page 1...

Callum Morrison standing between his research plots at their long-term cover cropping experiment in Carman, Manitoba which compares rotaSubmitted photos tions using cover crops and those without cover crops.

that farmers can answer on line to be a part of a program that is the first to examine the impact of cover crops across the prairies.

“We are looking at the benefits of cover crops, how long it took to see a benefit from cover crops and some of the challenges that producers face when they incorporate cover crops into their cropping systems,” said Morrison who is based in Altona.

He said that he was surprised by how early farmers reported seeing benefits.

“Most of the participants in the survey say that they saw benefits in the year following a cover crop,” he said.

“We thought it would take longer but farmers are seeing increased organic matter and improved soil health.

Longer term they see a further increase in soil heath and more life in the soil.”

Results from Ontario show greater use of cover crops but he says the shorter growing season and drier conditions have meant a lesser use of cover crops on the prairies.

Morrison said that these

conditions need not be a deterrent from the practice of cover crops. “We just need to use practices to manage them.”

“We are seeing some crops tilled in but we are also seeing some crops grazed and that is a good return because the nutrients are returned to the soil and spread by the animals,” explained Morrison. His research shows that some crops like fall rye are controlled by herbicide treatment.

Oats and radishes are two popular cover crops in Manitoba that are both killed by a prairie winter leaving the land ready for conventional cropping in the spring.

His study had two test sites both related to the University of Manitoba one at Carmen and the other at Glenlea.

His deadline for farmers to complete the online questionnaire is April 1 and it is available at surveymonkey.com/r/prairiecovercrops2020.

He is hopeful that the data collected will be used for future incorporation of cover crops into long term planting rotations.

Callum Morrison hammering a ring used for our infiltrometer (an infiltrometer measures how water moves into the soil) into the ground at their long-term cover cropping experiment in Carman, Manitoba which compares rotations using cover crops and those without cover crops.

Callum Morrison using a PRS2 moisture probe (measures volumetric moisture at six different depths down to 1 meter) at their long-term cover cropping experiment in Carman, Manitoba which compares rotations using cover crops and those without cover crops.

Callum said that he was surprised by how early farmers reported seeing benefits. “Most of the participants in the survey say that they saw benefits in the year following a cover crop,” he said.

Callum Morrison explaining the benefits of cover crops at their longterm cover cropping experiment in Glenlea, Manitoba which compares rotations using cover crops and those without cover crops.

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Canola Prices Set New Record Highs

By Harry Siemens May canola hit $800 per tonne, equal to $18.14 a bushel and while that price may fluctuate day-to-day, it is at new record levels.

Jonathan Driedger with LeftField Commodity Research said the market might vary a little crop by crop, but indeed the story in Western Canada focuses a lot on canola and the phenomenal pricing.

According to Driedger, there was a lot of noise and volatility on the front March contract and so it got a little thin and had some exorbitant spike highs. And so what’s going to happen once March rolls off? Maybe it’s an anomaly. In many ways, the May contract is acting in the same way; it trades north of $800, just at record levels.

“And reflecting a market that quite frankly, we’re essentially going to run out of canola by the time all is said and done, figuratively speaking.”

It’s a market that’s extremely tight. Global vegetable oil prices, palm oil, soybean oil, some of these other vegetable oils are incredibly high.

Canola has been highly robust where it’s going through the system faster than is sustainable. At some point, the market’s going to try and tap the brakes on it. Driedger believes it’s going to do that through price and it’s trying to do that currently creating elevated price levels.

Driedger said the story is not necessarily the same looking at various futures markets. Corn, soybeans and wheat all settled into a bit of a sideways range but at elevated levels, so prices are very high, but certainly not having that substantial

upside seen in this canola market. So while the price is elevated across the board, each story has a little different plot.

Driedger said the process is still unfolding with the market continuing to work through this process where there’s a stronger pull on canola than available supplies. And ultimately, he believes, the market will get to a level where people are simply going to try and use less and buy less of it. That’s challenging for a couple of reasons.

Deliveries into the elevator and exports shipments and the other things that show up on the data is delayed.

As canola disappears and time pushes on later in the year, the job is harder for the market to ration as much as needed. An attempt to curb purchases of canola will he hampered due to the increase in value of soybean and palm oil, and some other substitutes in some of these other markets.

“So the idea of using less canola and canola oil becomes more difficult when everything else is expensive as well. Now, canola certainly has a premium… it’s relatively more expensive… but it’s not like there’s a lot of readily available and cheap substitutes around, which also makes the job harder.”

He said the demand is a function of the fact that supplies are tight. Combine a smaller crop in Canada, Europe and Ukraine, and add in the process of it unfolding over the last couple of years.

When China, for example, slowed down their purchases significantly from Canada, supplies backed up some, but now the extra demand now

Federal Government Invests to Help Keep Workers Safe at Prairie Meat Plants The Government of Canada has announced support of up to $7.8 million through the Emergency Processing Fund for 24 meat processing companies across the Prairies. This funding helps these businesses keep employees safe and the regional food supply chain running strong.

Recipients are using this funding to make adjustments to enable social distancing, purchase reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), install protective barriers, improve sanitation and develop training for employees. These changes are also

helping the food plants avoid production bottlenecks and safely keep up with Canadian consumer demand.

Winkler Meats Ltd., a federally inspected abattoir and processing plant in Manitoba, will receive up to $1,447,693.

“The funding will help us continue, to keep our employees safe with increased social distancing and make our plant resilient in supplying Valley Lea Farms Fresh Pork and Winkler’s line of Sausage products to Canadians,” said Dickson Gould, President of Winkler Meats.

has whittled that cushion down. There was a decrease in the supply-side due to the temporary glut and supplies are now a little tighter for palm and soybean oil.

“We’ve seen a big increase in Europe for biodiesel, a source of some stronger demand. China is buying commodities in general and including oilseeds and vegetable oils, so they certainly are a key source of demand growth.”

Driedger said it’s almost like burning the candle at both ends in some ways.

It’s not just one or the other; they’re both playing a part.

But the result is some extreme valuations for canola in particular.

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Just Say “No” to Yourself Negotiation is part of life.

We do it all the time on the business side of things, but have you ever stopped and wondered about how you negotiate with yourself?

Take it a step further. Are there personal things for you that are “non-negotiable”? There probably are and maybe there should be more.

We all have bad habits and a lot of times we don’t make necessary changes until something catastrophic happens. It’s just one cookie, one cigarette, one beer, one more episode in the middle of a Netflix binge watch. Do those over and over again long enough and at some point there will probably be some serious consequences.

Those are easy examples.

More difficult to judge are questions around working too hard, or not hard enough? Spending too many hours on something, or maybe not enough?

Should you be doing this job yourself, calling someone for help, or hiring it out completely?

Dan Aberhart of Aberhart Ag Solutions wrote about all this in a recent blog post and he quotes David Meister who has a book called “Strategy and the Fat Smoker”. From the title the topic is obvious but the strategies apply to more than just smoking.

Meister wants you to ask yourself three questions.

“What is it that you know you should be doing more/ less of? Why is it that you’re not doing more/less of that thing? And what is it that would help you?”

You probably know what it is you should be doing, it’s the actual doing part that usually messes people up. You know you shouldn’t have that smoke or stop for a donut every day. You know you should grease those bearings and do regular oil and filter changes on equipment.

A cigarette here and there might not hurt you until it’s time to renew you insurance policy, the blood works comes back and now your premiums go up because you’re in a higher risk category. Wait

an extra day on greasing a bearing and all of a sudden you might be down for a week waiting for parts, or longer if the weather turns against you while you’re fixing things.

Having thought about this Aberhart has come up with three reasons why adding more non-negotiable items to your life would be beneficial.

First off negotiating with yourself actually takes up a lot of time and energy. If you go through the same inner dialogue over and over again every time something comes up it will stop your momentum and steal a bit of oomph.

Multiply that over the endless number of decisions in a day and it’s no wonder you’re pooped by three o’clock!

Furthermore, “If the predetermined answer is –no-, things get very simple, and very quiet inside my head, very quickly! This is clarity,” says Aberhart.

Second are the long term consequences of poor choices, as mentioned before.

Interestingly enough we get quick pleasure hits by doing things we know we shouldn’t.

For instance By Rolf some people Penner constantly check their social media accounts for likes and replies because every time they do their brains give them a little squirt of hormonal happy juice. It’s not as addictive as nicotine but it’s not nothing either.

Aberhart identifies a more subtle benefit that accrues over time, confidence. By being disciplined and not giving in to seemingly minor things like junk food or a beer at lunch time, over the long run it will add to your selfconfidence.

Conversely every time you indulge in one of these pleasures your confidence takes a hit.

The third reason plays off the first. It’s a good way to create energy and time.

Non-negotiables around exercise, diet and sleep for instance can

Penner’s Points

lead to more productivity. Giving in to things which sabotage these will be counterproductive and in the end steal time from your day.

On the one hand this sounds like common sense on the other it’s not the easiest thing to do consistently across all of the important areas in one’s life on a regular basis. But it’s definitely something to think about.

A mea culpa, you probably shouldn’t look to the author of this column as a model for any of this. His personal attempts reflect more the words of Jordan Peterson who says, “It is better to do something badly than to not do it at all.”

Don’t Hold Your Breath Waiting to Cash in on Carbon Credits There is evidence that some farmers are very unhappy with the recent federal government roll out of a carbon offset program. Several of those farmers released a public letter saying that, for the most part, even farmers who farm efficiently and with sustainability will not get any monetary benefits.

Yes, and they are so correct.

With carbon tax escalating to $170 a tonne in 15 years, farmers can pay and pay and pay.

Saskatchewan farmer Miles Heck said “it’s incredibly upsetting to me that the federal government would roll out such a program to say everything done in the past counts for absolutely zero. And now we have to strive to do something even more than in the past, even beyond the best to receive any retribution on the carbons we sequester into the soil.”

Heck’s southwest Saskatchewan operation includes a 2,000 head cow-calf operation and a mixed grain operation that is partially irrigated.

This letter writing group calls themselves ‘A Few Concerned Farmers’. They say the requirement that

farmers show quantifiable results above and beyond what’s currently done suggests the Feds are pushing them to the sidelines from any claim to potentially billions of dollars of offset funds - calling it an expropriation of farmers’ contribution to both the economy and the environment.

“And if you value that carbon at $170 per ton like they want to tax it in 2035, it’s a huge dollar value. They have slammed the door in our faces.”

The farmer letter specifically calls out the province and federal opposition parties who appear to have gone silent on the issue.

Heck said they are trying to force some provincial and

federal government policy change by getting a hold of their MPs and MLAs. “We’ve made several motions at several Saskatchewan wheat and barley growers, asking for their support behind this carbon project. And we just got to keep on being the squeaky wheel until, hopefully, we get some grease.”

Saskatchewan’s provincial environment minister Warren Kaeding said the Saskatchewan Party government would soon post its carbon offset guidelines for public input.

Heck has very little information in that regard, and isn’t holding his breath because it appears any roll out or information is most likely a year away.

In Manitoba, we hear nothing because it is almost impossible to get in touch with ministers who were adamant about things when in opposition as MLAs but unwilling to talk even now when they actually form the government.

For some years, there is a significant attack on production agriculture. It seems anything is fair game even when it ups the costs and reduced efficiencies. Yet many farm leaders want to play along with the ‘Powers that Be’ and think there is a gift horse somewhere.

I participated in several Federal government media scrums that sounded like rhetoric. Our provincial government sadly plays a part in this by remaining quiet.

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Proposed Bill to Extend Farmers’ Exemption from Carbon Tax

By Dan Guetre Farm groups across the country are urging Members of Parliament to help farmers and protect Canada’s food supply by supporting Bill C-206, an Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (qualifying farming fuel). This Bill would extend the exemption from the federal carbon tax for qualifying farming fuels to include natural gas and propane.

On average, farmers estimated they paid almost $14,000 in federal carbon taxes in the first year it applied to them, between April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 when the carbon tax was $20 per tonne of CO2e) accord-

ing to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey. Now, the federal carbon tax is scheduled to rise to $170 per tonne CO2e by 2030, a 467 per cent increase in ten years.

C-206 was originally introduced in 2020 by Conservative MP Philip Lawrence and after a re-introduction has now passed a second reading in the House of Commons. It is currently with the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food where it would have to be sent back to MPs to vote on a third reading and then to the Senate to vote into law.

“The support of the NDP and Bloc shows that whether you agree with the Carbon

Respite or Retirement?

It has been a year since we added the word COVID to our vocabulary, 14 months ago we did not even know how to spell it and now it is the most influential factor in most of our lives.

There is little doubt that the virus has changed the way the world does things and along with that the way that we as individuals do things. It has changed our industry and it is not done yet.

March has meant the Royal Winter Fair on my calendar for a long time, COVID has cancelled two of them, something that even World Wars had trouble accomplishing, and it is not done yet. Last year summer festivals were cancelled and we all thought they would be back this year, they are not going to be and we will get through the summer just as we did last year.

The question that comes to mind is “What about next year?” A long time ago when my I started in the business of reporting on agriculture my boss told me that you had to attend an event twice before they took you seriously.

He was right, the first time I showed up at an event I was known as the guy who replaced the guy before me, the next year I had some credibility and by the third time I was taken seriously.

Our summer events rely heavily on volunteers and what is going to happen when we have two years of inactivity.

At the risk of offending some of those valued volunteers, it was an aging group that put in all the extra hours that make a fair or summer event happen. Some of them may have been considering stepping back for a while, and this is their opportunity. I don’t think that I am unveiling any supersizes when I say that some committee members will not be back after a two year break thanks to COVID. What is going to happen to our summer events and other volunteer events, will this be a time for the more experienced members of our community to step back, will some of them return recharged after a two year rest or will they say, “Thanks, but that was enough.”

Will they stay for a cycle or two to provide some advice for the new crew that is coming on board? Will that new crew be coming on board?

We are facing a turning point in so many events this summer, and at a time when we cannot build on the excitement that is generated by past and planned events.

Sure the Royal Winter Fair will be back in 2022 but it will be in a different form undoubtedly, but what about the myriad of countless events throughout our province?

This is my plea to get involved.

Tax or not, this is a necessary change to support the livelihoods of Canadian farmers,” said Lawrence.

“There was cross-party consensus that this bill should proceed and rightly so,” said Manitoba Provencher MP Ted Falk. “Farmers are one step closer to getting muchneeded relief.”

“This bill is desperately needed for Canada’s grain

farmers,” said Grain Growers of Canada chair Andre Harpe. “With no alternative fuels available, we are faced with a punitive cost when using a grain dryer to reduce the moisture levels in our grain. Without proper drying when faced with wet conditions and adverse weather, the grain will spoil, and we will not be able to take our product to market.”

“Bill C-206 is important because it provides a real and meaningful way to help farmers. While the federal carbon tax currently exempts most gasoline and diesel fuels for on-farm use, we know farmers are facing huge cost increases in the years ahead on natural gas and propane to dry grain and heat barns,” said Marilyn Braun-Pollon, CFIB’s vice-president of

western Canada & agri-business. “Certain exemptions already apply to greenhouses so we believe that fully exempting all farms just makes sense.”

Agriculture association representatives are hoping for a swift passage through the remaining stages in the House of Commons and through to the Senate in the next few weeks.

March 26, 2021

Another Year Where Seed Companies Can’t Keep Up with Demand

By Joan Airey

Last weekend I decided to see if I could locate gloxinia seeds to start later this year under lights so they would bloom next winter.

I hadn’t seen any listed in the numerous catalogues I receive so I googled to see where I could locate some seed and Stokes Seeds came up as a place I frequently order from. When I tried to order seeds, I received the message we have closed our online ordering until further notice as staff couldn’t keep up with demand for seeds. If you see seeds or plants available I would buy immediately because they may not be available later.

Earlier this year I watched a webinar on gardening under cover and wanted to try the lettuces the grower recommended so immediately tried ordering. The company was kind enough to put me on a waiting list and said that they will contact me when the varieties are available. Two months later the seed isn’t available so I may have to wait till next winter to try it out.

I decided that I wanted Niki Jabbour’s book, “The Year-Round Gardener” and ordered it online. Niki lives in the Maritimes. She included the varieties that work for her and when to plant to have a continuous supply of certain crops. I noticed that several of the varieties do well in Manitoba as I have grown them too. The book includes directions for building cold frames as well as information on which lettuces are extra cold resistant such as “Winter Density”. That is one of the varieties that the lady who grows lettuce in a cold frame all winter in Manitoba recommended.

Seems numerous people are having trouble with gnats in their houseplants or plants that they are trying to winter over for their flower beds this spring. Della at our local hardware said she couldn’t keep a supply of Sticky Stiks Houseplant Traps in stock which attract fungus gnats and are organic because of demand for them.

Cousin Amy found the following recipe online for Kitchen insect spray: This all-purpose insect spray was developed by the editors of Organic Gardening magazine. To make a batch, combine one garlic bulb, one small onion, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a food processor or blender and process into a paste.

Mix into 1 quart of water and steep for one hour. Strain through a cheesecloth and add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Mix well. The mixture can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator.

The following website is where you can find more info on the subject. Amy used the recipe on houseplants and it worked. Visit thespruce.com/control-whiteflieson-houseplants.

Looks like spring is going to be early for 2021. Have a great gardening season everyone.

The AgriPost

Farm Incomes on Track for a Record Year

Agriculture continues to be a strong driver of Canada’s economy, with farmers playing a key role in ensuring Canadians have access to affordable, high-quality food. Agriculture and AgriFood Canada has completed an analysis of farm income for 2020 and 2021, and the results show that Canadian farm income and the value of farms is expected to be at an all-time high. This puts many farmers and farm families on a stronger footing and positioned to contribute to Canada’s economic recovery.

The agriculture sector is expected to see significant growth in key financial areas for 2020 and 2021. In spite of recent challenges, notably COVID-19’s impacts on the food supply chain, the growth in farm income shows that the sector is

weathering these disruptions well and adjusting farming decisions accordingly.

Net cash income (NCI) is forecast to have grown by 21.8 per cent in 2020, from $13.5 billion in 2019 to $16.5 billion in 2020. In addition, farm-level income is also forecast to have increased in 2020, with average net operating income (NOI) per farm increasing by 25.4 per cent, from just under $76,000 in 2019 to approximately $95,000 in 2020. Average farm family income is forecast to have increased by 8.6 per cent to just over $194,000 in 2020, driven by increases in NOI from farming.

The grains sector had a very strong year, contributing to an 11.9 per cent increase in overall crop receipts. However, disruptions to the workforce, shifting

international trade patterns, and fluctuating commodity prices have caused challenges, including for some parts of the crop sector, such as horticulture. Livestock receipts were forecast to have declined 1.9 per cent, largely due to negative impacts of COVID-19 on the red meats sector.

Looking ahead to 2021, there continues to be uncertainty surrounding COVID19. However, based on the expectation that the current situation continues to return to normal market conditions, NCI is forecast to further grow in 2021 by 6.8 per cent to $17.6 billion. Average farm-level NOI is forecast to increase 8.5 per cent to approximately $103,000 per farm, and average farm family income is forecast to grow 7.2 per cent to just under $208,000. Net worth

is forecast to reach $3.5 million per farm, up 2.9 per cent from 2020 levels.

Building on this income forecast, the sector also had a strong export showing in 2020, reaching nearly $74 billion up from $67 billion in 2019. This brings the government close to achieving its target of $75 billion in agri-food and seafood exports by 2025. The sector has shown resilience in posting a record performance for agriculture and agri-food exports, despite COVID-19 and its challenges. The agricultural sector is an engine of growth, helping to restart the Canadian economy.

The Farm Income Forecast is a regular analysis that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada undertakes in consultation with the provincial governments and Statistics Canada.

Transload Service Operational in Emerson Mid Canada Transload Services (MCTS) is a Canadian based transload facility and one of the largest privately owned inland ports in Manitoba. Strategically located at the U.S./Canada Border at Emerson, MCTS specializes in the transloading of agricultural products, food grade products, organic products, industrial and manufactured products.

The 250-acre site is situated alongside Highway #75, Manitoba’s main artery connection to the US and main entry port for commercial traffic for western Canada.

The site is one hour travel time from Grand Forks, North Dakota or from Winnipeg. MCTS also has daily rail service from the CN and BNSF railways. This offers customers rail access to the entire North American continent at exceptional freight rates.

In the fall of 2020, Mid Canada Transload Services launched its operations at their new grain facility. There

are currently 2 miles of track and grain storage capacity for 4,500 tons of grain. The facility was built to support “Identity Preserved” grain movement as well as larger volumes. At present, track 3 is being built to accommodate shipments of one to five cars and other shipments that require unique loading such as liquid pumps or large handling equipment. This track can also serve as a warehouse base for manufactured goods that may require a larger storage area.

MCTS offers custom warehouse storage with cross dock or rail to dock capability. The transload site has also built a 10,000 square foot warehouse and office space that has welcomed local business “Runnin’ Red”, a Canada/US courier service company. Additionally, the site already has a 10,000 square foot heavy truck maintenance workshop with an indoor truck wash. MCTS is also willing to build for prospective customers on

There are currently 2 miles of track and grain storage capacity for 4,500 tons of grain.

Submitted photos

this site.

“Our location provides a unique advantage for a trucking company to consolidate shipments to and from the United States as well as direct rail loading and unloading on two Class 1 railways,” explained Real Tetrault, President and CEO. “As a private transload facility, our facility provides customers the benefit of loading rail or consolidating truck shipments without the high infrastructure costs.” The rail target markets for Mid

Canada Transload Services are primarily US and Mexico but the location also serves to ship US or Canadian products anywhere in Canada with the CN. “Our intention is to provide efficient, prompt and individual service to help Manitoba and Western Canada businesses identify new markets or to warehouse incoming or outgoing products at a reasonable cost,” said Tetrault.

The AgriPost

Saskatchewan-Based NorQuin Looking for MB Grower Partners with Acres

One of the advantages of quinoa is that it requires no new equipment, the agronomics of the crop and equipment required is similar to wheat or canola. The seed is processed into flour or can be used whole.

By Les Kletke Christine Wood is looking for new growers for an old crop, and she is having a problem. Current commodity prices are outbidding her for acres.

Wood is a customer service manager with Northern Quinoa Production Corporation (NorQuin) headquartered in Saskatchewan. She is looking for more growers in Manitoba. Currently the company has a group of grower partners in the Portage la Prairie area but it would like to expand to other areas of the province.

“We would like to expand the production to a bigger area,” said Wood. “But at this time producers are saying the return on canola is good and they are familiar with the crop, so they are hesitant to try a new crop.”

One of the advantages of quinoa is that it requires no new equipment, the agronomics of the crop and

equipment required is similar to wheat or canola. “Our company has a team of field staff that are available for the producer during the growing season,” she explained. “So they do have access to information about the crop and any challenges that might come along during the growing season.”

NorQuin has expanded its facilities and now has its own mill in Moose Jaw; the crop is currently cleaned in Melville and processed in Moose Jaw. Wood who also works with the marketing team said the crop has been well received and the company has large grocery chains like Costco buying the product as well as in single location stores.

“We have one client who produces salads in Vancouver and ships them across Canada,” she said. “The demand is growing and we want to make sure that we can supply the increasing demand.”

Quinoa requires no special harvest equipment.

The crop is frost tolerant in the fall so it can be seeded in mid-May and still reach maturity which she says makes it popular in more northerly climes that face shorter growing season.

There are several varieties of the crop and range from white, red and black with each having a distinct flavour profile and different cooking techniques but the production is relatively the same for all varieties.

NorQuin offers production contracts based on the quality of the crop and after harvest a grade is established. The company will also schedule delivery of the crop to its cleaning facility in Melville.

For now Wood and her team are actively perusing growers across the prairie.

“It has been a challenge with the lack of shows and meeting this year, we don’t have the same opportunity to get out and meet farmers that we usually do,” said Wood.

Submitted photos

March 26, 2021

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

“Bold” Focus on “Protein” Places Manitoba in Enviable Position

While the province’s second Manitoba Protein Summit was a virtual gathering of key agricultural, food-processing and academic stakeholders, it has been deemed a success. More than 650 individuals from across the globe attended the event hosted by the government of Manitoba and the Manitoba Protein Consortium.

By Dan Guetre While the province’s second Manitoba Protein Summit was a virtual gathering of key agricultural, food-processing and academic stakeholders, it has been deemed a

success. More than 650 individuals from across the globe attended the event hosted by the government of Manitoba and the Manitoba Protein Consortium.

The three-day event en-

gaged in accelerating the province’s economic position through plant and animal protein industry development.

“We have made great progress on our protein strategy in the last 18 months, to posi-

tion Manitoba to lead Canada in sustainable protein industry growth that benefits our producers, processors and our economy,” said Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Ped-

ersen. “By having leaders in the industry gather here at the Manitoba Protein Summit it allows us to continue looking forward and exploring next steps to keep our momentum going.”

“The protein industry is driving new investment and opportunities for Manitoba in both plant and animal protein,” said Pedersen. “Since the first summit and the release of the Manitoba Protein Advantage Strategy, we’ve seen an additional $680 million in new investment in the protein industry, creating close to 600 jobs.”

Investments have been made in novel, innovative protein products ranging from protein isolates and flours from peas, fava beans and other pulse crops and canola and oats, as well as blended plant and animal protein products, pork and arctic char products.

The event brought together some of the top global experts in sustainable protein and in-

novation in the field. Keynote speakers included Alison Cairns, United Nations, Jo-Ann McArthur, Nourish Food Marketing, and Abby Lyall of Big Idea Ventures.

According to Pedersen, Manitoba’s Protein Advantage Strategy is a bold approach to attracting new investment in the animal and plant-protein sector, creating new jobs, increasing protein production in a sustainable manner and positioning the province as a leader in protein research and innovation.

“The growing demand for protein puts Manitoba in a strong position to not only process the raw commodity, but also incorporate the manufactured ingredients in further value-added consumer products,” said Pedersen. “Manitoba is more than our strong crop and livestock industries; we are home to cutting-edge food processing and world-class research infrastructure in the agri-food space.”

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Swine Health Surveillance Data Collection Now Allows Easier Comparisons

By Harry Siemens Changes in how the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network (CWSHIN) presents swine health surveillance data will allow direct comparisons of what veterinarians report compared to what the diagnostic labs report.

As part of its swine disease monitoring and surveillance efforts, the CWSHIN surveys veterinarians quarterly, conduct quarterly conference calls with veterinarians to discuss issues and collect and assess data collected from Canada’s diagnostics labs.

CWSHIN Manager Dr. Jette Christensen said a noticeably significant milestone is that results from the clinical impressions survey and the laboratory results show up on the same chart.

“With the new clinical impressions survey and much better-organized labora-

tory data, we can look at the trends in disease occurrence from the clinical impression survey and the laboratory data together in one picture, in one chart.”

It’s a much better starting point to look at changes in trends if there is comparable data and results between what the practitioners see in the herds and what the laboratory data shows. Current data shows there is nothing exceptional on the disease occurrence or in the results however now they can compare more detailed information over the next quarters.

Dr. Christensen said most of the pigs produced in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC are part of the region’s swine health monitoring and surveillance programs.

“We invite all practitioners that we know of that do swine work in our region,

some are big practices with many veterinarians doing the swine work, and some are smaller mixed practices that only have a few swine clients,” she said.

From their list of practitioners who get the survey, 76 percent contributed to CWSHIN in 2020, indicating an excellent representation of the western region’s commercial swine sector. This includes about 14 hundred premises served by these practices.

That number is very close to the number of premises registered in PigTrace, more than with the Canadian Quality Assurance and less than farms with swine registered in Statistics Canada. Some of the non-matching numbers is due to some farms registered in StatsCan that are smaller holders with only a few pigs.

This means results from the clinical data can be better analyzed.

From their list of practitioners in the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network who receive the survey, 76 percent contributed to the 2020 collected, indicating an excellent representation of the western region’s commercial swine sector. This includes about 14 hundred premises served by these practices.

Photo Supplied by Harry Siemens

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March 26, 2021

The AgriPost

The AgriPost

Neepawa Beer Brewery Pivoted to Add New Production Line

Lawrence and Chris Warwaruk, brothers and owners of Farmery Brewery knew they needed to make some quick changes to their beer business when the pandemic started.

Canadian food businesses adapted during a difficult year due the pandemic. From coast to coast, businesses retooled their operations to fit a quickly changing environment and also to meet the national request to produce more hand sanitizer. Their efforts also supported their local communities with ongoing employment. The challenges were met with innovation, resilience and agility, the hallmarks of Canadian entrepreneurs.

In Neepawa, Manitoba, Lawrence and Chris Warwaruk, brothers and owners of Farmery Brewery knew they needed to make some quick changes to their beer business.

“We’ve come to realize that the key to success may not be predictable or well planned, but rather how eas-

ily and how well we are able to adapt to change,” said Lawrence Warwaruk.

When everything shut down in March 2020, the Farmery Brewery team retrofitted the business’s online store to continue to meet its customers’ needs and stay viable. They eventually opened a fulfillment centre in Winnipeg to fill all their online orders. The brothers also got into a new business, hand sanitizer.

“We needed to shift towards hand sanitizer production, and quickly. Of course, this was not easy and there was a short and steep learning curve if we were to ever meet our obligations,” said Warwaruk.

“At the height of the unknown, we hired more people; we added two shifts and seven days of production to

our schedule. With the help of dedicated employees and the concern for the well-being of our province we did not go back to beer production for over two and half months.”

Warwaruk acknowledged the difficulty of staying in business right now. “There were many sleepless nights with this risky and volatile type of production, but we were determined and somehow pulled it off. I’m glad we did and we’re all better for it. The reality of the situation is that it was a blip in our timeline that focused Farmery to ‘step up’. And, here we are today, still dealing with the uncertainty of the future.”

Hand sanitizer is now a permanent and robust fixture of the Farmery Brewery brand and product line.

Hand sanitizer is now a permanent and robust fixture of the Farmery Brewery brand and product line.

March 26, 2021

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March 26, 2021

The AgriPost

The AgriPost

Cash In on Beef Cow Mineral Status in the Spring

By Peter Vitti As the weather turns warm, many beef producers wish to refresh their beef cow mineral programs. It seems that most of them want to maintain the general wellbeing of their cows coming into spring, whether cows are spring-calvers or calving is completely done and their cows are nursing new spring calves.

In both cases, many of these people also want to build up their herd mineral (and vitamin) status, so their cows are prepared for the upcoming breeding season.

With so many commercial mineral/vitamin choices on the market, it gets a little overwhelming, even for the most experienced diehards and me. However, with a little determination, most people can find a well-balanced one, which can help cows get rebred with next year’s calf.

This means that with each bag, tote or bulk purchase, cattle mineral (with vitamins) should contain about a dozen or so individual minerals and vitamins that beef cows require for good post-calving reproduction. As a result, many cattle nutritionists like myself design “spring” minerals based upon the latest NRC (2001) recommendations for beef cows.

Personally, I also like to go one step further - by adding any specific mineral and/or vitamin that might be required in elevated amounts in order to prevent and overcome any related problems that often occur in cowherds during the spring.

For example, I designed a high-magnesium cow min-

eral (4 – 8% Mg) that broadly helps to counteract severe magnesium-deficiencies or “grass-tetany” that might affect beef cows grazing lush pastures. And, nursing beef cows are so susceptible to it, because they need about 25 grams of magnesium per head, daily as compared to 15 grams for overwintering beef cows during gestation.

I also designed more specific springtime-cow minerals along similar lines. In one particular situation, a beef producer’s cowherd that I dealt with; had low-fertility rates that were traced back to a copper deficiency caused by tall-grass pastures with high-molybdenum content (re: Mo binds diet and forage copper). His cows’ conceptions rates rebounded, once I formulated a cattle mineral with elevated levels of highly bio-available “chelated” copper.

My otherwise spring-time recommendations follow the 1:1, 2:1 and even 3:1 calcium and phosphorus designations of commercial minerals that compliment most producers’ forages. In these minerals, the exact amount of calcium and phosphorus formulated also vary from high to low; meaning a 2:1 cattle mineral might contain 18% calcium and 9% phosphorus or 12% and 6% respectively.

Let’s say a producer plans to graze his post-calving cowherd on grassy-type pasture that contains low-levels of calcium; then a well-balanced 20% calcium/10% phosphorus makes a good choice. Across the highway, his neighbour might have more mixed pastures of

Beef cows eating spring mineral.

some high-calcium alfalfa grass, and then a 1:1 (12:12) mineral should be selected.

Once these macro-minerals (including grass-tetany) issues are taken care of, there are many commercial cattle minerals as well as my own formulas that are designed as “Breeder” cattle minerals. My own advice for feeding them is to promote active estrus cycles as well as improve conception in the cowherd. They should be fed to 2nd calf and mature cows, right after calving or replacement heifers coming up to their first breeding season. In the same way, they should be fed to breeding bulls to promote fertile sperm production.

Breeder minerals compared to standard cattle minerals tend to contain specific and elevated levels of traceminerals/vitamin levels in a much broader sense than described in my above molybdenum-copper story. But at the same time, their copper content as well as manganese, zinc and selenium are added in similar “chelated” fashion (copper or zinc pro-

teinates). Finally, vitamins; A, D and E levels are not forgotten and also fortified.

Aside from good nutrition, many producers are requesting that garlic be added to their spring cattle mineral purchases as a natural flycontrol to combating cow pinkeye. For instance, I do some consulting work for a feed mill that also runs their own 150-head cow-calf operation. They found out by trial and error, that essential garlic oils rather than garlic powders added to cattle minerals, effectively controls face-flies and dropped pinkeye on their farm to a couple of treated cases.

It’s a real-life situation that makes me believe that adding garlic to cow mineral is a good idea. Yet, I never want to lose sight of the fact that the main goal of a wellbalanced spring mineral is to promote mineral and vitamin status of cows getting ready for a good breeding season. It might be cow mineral that came off the shelf or be a breeder mineral with garlic. Just as long as it helps cows get re-bred.

Spring Comes Early This Year

By Elmer Heinrichs As fields shed their white coat of snow, and with a few more unseasonably warm days, it won’t be long before the province’s farmers are back in action.

Some already are out there, keeping an eye on the conditions, but not everyone likes what they’re seeing.

The province’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre said that overall, moisture levels in the soil are lower than usual thanks to low snowfall totals,

coupled with a dry finish to the fall.

That’s good news if one is looking at the flood outlook for the spring but the province’s farmers will be stuck looking up at the sky, hoping for some form of precipitation.

“Whether that’s snow or rain, it’ll certainly make a difference,” Agriculture minister Blaine Pedersen explained. “In terms of crop and forage and production, it’s all about when it comes.”

With winter officially coming to an end, and some parts of Canada already starting to see some spring like temperatures, many are a taking closer look at the patterns that will drive the weather forecast over the next three months.

After a winter that was slow to start, but then came on strong in late January and most of February, milder weather returned for the final week of February across much of the country. It

seems that the deep freeze is indeed behind us. For many Canadians a much milder March is a pleasant contrast to the frigid February temperatures experienced by most.

However, it should come as no surprise that the threat of wintry weather is not over yet, as spring may still sputter, especially across western Canada, where temperatures are expected to tip to the cool side of normal for the season as a whole.

March 26, 2021

Are All Brokers the Same?

Occasionally we are asked whether insurance coverage, rating and options are the same for each broker.

If you have an auto policy, isn’t it the same at each broker? If you have a farm policy, is there any difference if we deal with one broker versus any other broker in the province? If I need insurance for a commercial building, won’t the policy be the exact same regardless of which broker I use? Let me summarize our answer to these questions with a series of illustrations that will hopefully show you how and why there is a difference between brokers and how that relates to your insurance policy.

Have you ever tried to tell a joke or story that you heard a comedian tell; only to have it fall flat, as it just didn’t come out as you remember it? This was me at my friends’ wedding, making a speech where I used some “borrowed material”, and in my mind it was going to lift the roof off the hall! It turns out that my attempt to be a comedian for a day fell very flat and became the worst memory of the day for many in attendance. While the material I was using was the same, the way it was presented was not at all comparable to the comedian’s expertise.

I have also attempted to use tools to build my own furniture. These are similar tools and materials that a carpenter would use to make a stunning creation.

While the carpenter ends up with a piece of furniture, I end up with something resembling furniture that eventually ends up being very expensive firewood.

While we both had the same materials and tools at our disposal, the end result was very different.

To prove my point a third time, have you ever attempted to drive a race car? I haven’t, but I have raced go-karts and at the end of each race there are always a few drivers who consistently end up with the slowest car in the group. The excuses that these drivers come up with are a wonderfully creative list. Alternately, when the leaders are revealed at the end of the race, there are always a few that consistently finish at the top, regardless of the position they started or the kart they were driving. Those with skill consistently overcome the obstacles to produce the results they are trying to achieve.

While there is a myth, some might even call it a conspiracy theory, that all insurance coverage is the same, regardless of whom and how it is negotiated, I would challenge this thought. Let me use another example to further my point. Picture a grain farm that takes loss prevention very seriously. They maintain all of their machinery meticulously. They disconnect batteries prior to winter storage to prevent issues from happening. They have a well-kept yard and a fire resistive building to store their machinery in. They complete daily walk around and maintenance, even during their busy season. Another farm doesn’t do any of the above, doesn’t maintain their machinery and performs maintenance reactively after equipment has broken or burned. Should both of these farms be treated with similar insurance coverage and rating?

The differentiation between brokers is understanding what separates your operation from others, and presenting this material in a way that paints the picture to accurately reflect the risk to insurers. The good brokers in our business understand how the use the tools and materials provided to them to get good results and end up with furniture rather than firewood.

We encourage you to work with a broker that, regardless of the go-kart they are provided, consistently gets good results and ends up on the winner’s platform at the end of the race.

Is insurance simple? Do you have questions? Work with someone who will explain the differences and options to you to make the best decisions for your operation. Rempel Insurance Brokers Ltd. is open for business and glad to assist you with your insurance needs.

David Schmidt is an Account Executive at Rempel Insurance Brokers in Morris, MB, specializing in insuring farms and businesses across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Call or text 204-746-2320, email davids@ rempelinsurance.com or visit rempelinsurance.com.

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The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Farm Land Market Remains Strong Canada’s farmland market remained strong and stable during a year marked by economic turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Farmland Values Report.

The average value of Canadian farmland increased by 5.4 per cent in 2020, slightly more than the 5.2 per cent increase reported in 2019.

In Manitoba, average farmland values increased by 3.6 per cent in 2020, following gains of four per cent in 2019 and 3.7 per cent in 2018.

The report, which describes changes in Canada’s farmland values from Jan.1 to Dec. 31, 2020, covers almost an entire year of disruptions caused by the pandemic. For Canadian agriculture, disruptions included temporary food processing plant closures, some displaced exports, sector-specific labour shortages and significantly altered consumer buying habits.

“Since land is the most valuable asset on any farm operation, the agriculture land market is a good barometer for measuring the strength of Canadian agriculture,” said J.P. Gervais, FCC’s chief economist.

“Despite having gone through a uniquely volatile year, farm income generally improved and the overall demand for farmland remained strong throughout 2020.”

Despite important supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, commodity prices climbed in the last half of 2020 for many crops and interest rates kept close to historic lows. Domestic demand for food remained strong and global supply chains continued to have an appetite for Canadian food and commodity exports, Gervais noted.

“Producer investments in farmland are a reflection of their confidence and optimism,” he said. “Agriculture presents opportunities as producers seek to expand, diversify or transfer their operations to the next generation.”

The highest average provincial increase for farmland in 2020 was in British Columbia and Quebec, with averages of eight and 7.3 per cent, respectively.

Alberta followed with a six-per-cent increase and Saskatchewan mirrored the national average increase of 5.4 per cent.

Ontario and Manitoba both reported increases that were lower than the national average at 4.7 and 3.6 per cent, respectively.

Farmland values across the prairies were mainly influenced by tenants purchasing land from landlords, neighbour-to-neighbour sales, producers buying or selling land to gain operational efficiencies and family farm purchases to support succession plans.

Gervais said producers should have and maintain a risk management plan that takes into account possible economic changes, ensuring their budgets have room to flex if commodity prices, yields or interest rates shift. They also need to exercise caution, especially in regions where the growth rate of farmland values exceeded that of farm income in recent years.

“The pandemic has underscored the value of having a comprehensive risk management plan that covers all risks areas: production, marketing, financial, legal and human resources,” he said. “Farm operators need to have the financial ability to protect their operations from the potential impact of risks that may not be on their radar. Fluctuations in commodity prices and interest rates and/or unforeseen variations in production can diminish the ability to safeguard and build equity in the operation and successfully meet cash flow requirements.”

Given the uncertain economic environment, Gervais recommends farmers, ranchers and food processors continue to thoroughly evaluate their investments.

Time for the Next Step in Farm Management

By Les Kletke Dan Aberhart of Aberhart Ag Solutions in Brandon was the chair of an online panel that brought together three experts in farm management and posed the question to attendees, “Does your farm have an SOP procedure? Is it time to get put one in place?

Or is it time to learn what one is?”

The virtual event was in part sponsored by CYFF (Canadian Young Farmers Forum) that would normally hold their annual convention in person.

One of the farmers on the panel was Terry Aberhart of Aberhart Farms in Saskatchewan. He said the approach to treating their own farm like a business brought about several changes and not all were welcomed by farm employees.

“Sometimes when I would present an idea I could see the group roll their eyes thinking this is another one of Terry’s ideas from that coaching group,” he recalled. “It was a matter of communicating the idea properly and having them see, the benefit.” He said there were a few times he thought he had communicated the concept clearly only to find that the message had not gotten through to those that were expected to implement it.

“The biggest change was to realize that you don’t have to do everything yourself. In agriculture we come from that idea of rugged individualism, that we do everything,” he said. “We are much more efficient when we focus on what we do well and look to others for our weakness. The idea of building a team has gone a long way to making our operations stronger.”

Aberhart said the concept also allowed him to find more time for his personal life.

“You don’t have to be doing

everything yourself, realizing that other people have responsibilities and can handle things helped me. It has reduced the stress and made me easier to deal with.”

His brother who was chairing the event suggested jokingly, “That he continue to work on that part of his life.”

The fact that they could laugh at the matter was an indication of progress they have made.

Aberhart said that a business- like approach and joining other business groups also helped him deal with issues on the farm. “It is good to talk to someone else about business, not just your neighbour who faces the exact same problems and who we often think of as our competition,” said Aberhart. “We have learned to think about growing our industry and look to others from outside our industry for help.”

“The biggest thing is understanding where you want to go and then developing the plan to get there rather than just planning from seeding to harvest,” he explained.

Kristian Hebert, a CPA and Managing Partner, Hebert Grain Ventures was another panel member and is also best known for his presentation that was popular on the farm meeting circuit a few years ago. It dealt with improving your farm operation by 5% on individual tasks and the monumental difference that would have on the bottom line.

Hebert said that one of the most insightful moments came for him as a part of the TEPAP (The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers) offered by Texas A and M. “One of the instructors asked me, why we did not seed 24 hours a day?” he said. “I explained to him about pot

Kristjan Hebert says growth does not have to come in the form of acres.

holes and having trouble getting people to work nights and on and on. He rephrased the question saying, 3 years from now when you do it.

Tell me what you did to make the change.”

Hebert said that conversation not only got him seeding 24-hours during critical times but also changed the way he approached problems. “Now I look at it in the future and see what I had to do to get the changes done, that makes the solution appear where as otherwise I am still stuck at the problem,” said Hebert.

Hebert said he approaches things on the farm as coming from one of 4 buckets. The first is people. “If you don’t invest in your people you have nothing, they are an investment not an expense.”

The second bucket is networking. “I want to form a network as wide as possible, global if I can. There are so many resources available that we are not using.”

He said his third bucket is time and he has learned it is a limited resource. Having standard operating procedures in place has allowed him time away from the business which he did not have before he noted. “I used to answer emails on Christmas Day, now I have about 50 days totally away from the farm; my goal is 120 days a year that I will not be dealing with my business.

His fourth bucket is understanding what he is comfortable with. “I have strengths and that is where I concentrate. I know my weaknesses and leave that to other people.

We have taken the approach our farm is like a hockey team, and we are building a team with people of different strengths.”

The third member of the

Evan Shout brings a financial background to farming and says farmers could learn more from other businesses.

Terry Aberhart says communication is key to their farming operaSutmitted photos tion.

panel was Evan Shout who is the CFO of Hebert Grain.

Shout came from a financial background. He said that, he had to learn the business of agriculture. “Every business has its own language and agriculture especially, so I had to learn that, but once I got involved, I saw it was just like any other business and we can borrow ideas from other areas.”

He said one thing that farmers sometimes forget to do is step back and look at the progress they have made. “We are so busy fighting for our goals and we keep moving the goal posts that we forget to look at how far we have come,” said Shout. “We also rely on the family legacy approach and while it is good it is not bad to look at other businesses for resources or help.”

Shout said that he has several mentors as he was developing his accounting business but becoming involved in coaching in agriculture has taken him to a new level. “I have learned a lot by talking to farmers and we are good at that. Farmers love to talk to other farmers but we can learn from people outside our business as well and we have to do more of that.”

Shout said that the family legacy often has farmers saying, “That is the way we do things because we have always done them that way and having a new approach or trying a new method can often provide solutions to the problem at hand but it gets overlooked. “We are in the business of agriculture but we have to remember to treat it like a business and that can bring a new approach.

It is like Kristian’s approach to seeding 24 hours. It was not done before but now it is standard practice on the farm,” said Shout.

He advocates using mentors and resources from outside the farm community to bring new ideas and approaches to problem solving to the business of farming that may even be considered outside the box at first.

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

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The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

No Shying Away from Community Projects Muriel Bugera, St. Pierre-Jolys

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student Brayden Solberg

A fourth-generation farmer, Bugera (née Préfontaine) never misses an opportunity to give back to her community.

If there is a list of volunteers in St-Pierre-Jolys and surrounding Manitoban communities, it probably has Murielle Bugera’s name listed.

After 20 years spearheading the development of the Crow Wing Trail (CWT), one of the longest stretches of the Trans Canada Trail in Manitoba, Bugera searches for new ways to connect communities in rural Manitoba.

“I’m passionate about where I live, and every day I try to make a difference, make things better,” she said.

The CWT, a project Bugera founded in the late 90s, spans 193 kilometres from Emerson to St. Norbert. It connects neighbouring communities, brings Canadian history to life, and promotes healthy living by encouraging hiking, biking, and horseback riding on the former ox cart trail.

A fourth-generation farmer, Bugera (née Préfontaine) never misses an opportunity to give back to her community. “The whole community is there for me,” she said. “A lot of people don’t understand how rewarding it is to give back to a community that has given me so much.”

The Trail sits atop Bugera’s illustrious resume of volunteerism that also features the Rat River Health Council’s creation. This community group works alongside Manitoba’s Regional Health Authority, Southern Health-Santé Sud to promote quality health services.

“A lot of people see volunteering as something you have to do for someone else, but it’s something you do for yourself as well.”

In speaking with the AgriPost Bugera said the world and her community have many good volunteers; this humbled her. “To be singled out is difficult because no one works alone. And if you don’t have other good volunteers to work with, nothing happens. Right?”

She worked off the farm for many years while her husband and brother took over the family farm when their father passed away in 1977. After her husband passed away in November 2018, she passed the farm on to her son. “I do all the farm books and help my son on the farm and hopefully honour my husband.”

Farm History Transformed into Local Arts Mecca Eunice Buhler, Killarney

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student Riley Boyle

Without Eunice Buhler, Killarney’s Heritage Home for the Arts, Killarney’s only arts and cultural centre would not exist.

Before

Without Eunice Buhler, Killarney’s Heritage Home for the Arts, Killarney’s only arts and cultural centre would not exist. Her vision helped to build a sustainable and fully-funded gallery and space for artists.

Buhler founded the Killarney-Turtle Mountain Arts Council, serving as the Chairperson for the last four years, working to build a sustainable, fully funded gallery and space for artists to gather and develop their skills.

Jane Ireland, who nominated Buhler said, “Killarney is replete with talented artists who had no particular location to build on their skills or exhibit their artwork. She had a vision for not only saving this important heritage property but for creating art and culture hub in Killarney.”

Buhler initiated and organized the restoration and repurposing of the Demonstration Farmhouse, which is now the Heritage Home for the Arts, in Killarney.

During Buhler’s tenure, the council saved the Farmhouse from demolition transforming the space into a place for artists to participate in workshops, demonstrations and to display their work in a gallery space on the building’s main floor. Buhler worked on fundraising over $270,000 of capital for the project. Individuals and businesses provided over 1,200 volunteer hours and $5,000 worth of donated materials and contract labour.

Community members now enjoy monthly exhibitions, participate in workshops and classes, and take-in many different performing arts events throughout the year.

In an interview with the AgriPost, Buhler said her involvement with off the farm ventures she owns with her husband had more to do with arts than agriculture. And yet, the farm supported her art After endeavours.

The ‘house’ on the local experimental farm which stopped being an experimental farm around 1947, was used for many different activities but was getting run down. It took three years from the start of her pipe-dream meeting the Town Council to when the art gallery doors opened.

“It was a little surreal when the doors finally opened, but we have a great arts administrator, and so I’m so glad we did it. Somebody said to me if you had known before how much work it was? I would have still done it.”

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Building Lasting Legacies Robert Cesmystruk, Vita

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student Oksana Preachuk

Robert Cesmystruk started as a community leader in the Vita area in 1967, serving with outstanding volunteer initiatives that impacted community life and establishing long lasting legacies.

Creating lasting legacies in Vita, Manitoba, and the surrounding region is what Robert Cesmystruk started to do as a community leader in 1967. His outstanding actions because of his volunteer initiatives have made an impact and resulted in lasting community legacies.

Cesmystruk helped establish the RM of Stuartburn Fire Department and was the first fire chief from 1976 to 1986. When not driving the ambulance he assisted as an attendant and also served as a member of the hospital board and a director with South-Eastman RHA. He helped establish the Vita Curling Club and raised funds to develop baseball diamonds and a tennis court as a Lions Club member. Cesmystruk coached, refereed and was a slow-pitch league organizer. He led in the 4-H clubs, served on the Vita Credit Union board. Since 2012, he served as treasurer for the Vita & District Resource Council, a church elder since 1976 and on the parish executive since 1984.

“I hope I have helped to establish a community where everyone can be safe, happy, active and prosperous,” Cesmystruk said. “And in so doing made life better for my family and myself as well.”

Cesmystruk completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the U of M and returned to Vita to teach at the age of 19 and later attained his Bachelor and Master of Education degrees. At 23, he became the vice principal of Shevchenko School and later served as the principal for 25 years before becoming Superintendent of Boundary School Division. Cesmystruk worked on amalgamation into Border Land School Division before retiring in 2002 followed by sharing his wisdom as a trustee for five years.

In an interview with the Agri Post, Cesmystruk spoke about how he first helped with the curling rink building in 1966, then later helping with the flooding and scraping of the ice. While never farming on his own, he grew up on a farm.

He and his wife celebrated 50 years of marriage in a small way but hoped to do a big one once the pandemic lets up. “We’ve had a good life. I said when we reached 50 years, I said, I’d sign up for another 50. If I had a chance to do it again, I’d do the volunteer work again. I enjoyed it throughout. Sometimes demanding, but otherwise it is all enjoyable.”

He still serves as the president of the church doing the books for the parish.

Success in Ag Translates to Giving Back to Community Robert Felsch, Emerson

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student Sierra Friesen

What many would call a lost cause, Robert Felsch saw as a challenge transforming Emerson’s Golf Course

What many would call a lost cause, Robert Felsch saw as a challenge transforming Emerson’s Golf Course.

After annual flooding wiped out the town of Emerson’s golf course, Felsch, former Emerson resident and farm equipment business owner, came forth with a vision to build a new one.

The estimated cost to develop a new course was over a million dollars, but Felsch had other plans. The 2,872 yard, 9-hole course came together in an amazing feat of generosity and community, spearheaded by Felsch.

With the Town council’s blessing, he put out a call for volunteers and donations, providing much of the equipment himself through his company, The Tractor People. His community rallied around the cause with their significant donations.

Felsch’s sole reason and motivation has been to better the community. “Maybe I was the glue that held it all together because I had the equipment and the contacts, but it was thanks to upwards of 70 people that helped on and off that made it all possible,” said Felsch. “Anytime I’d ask someone to help, it seemed like they’d bring a friend along with them, too.”

Over almost three years, volunteers came and went, but it was Felsch that showed up rain or shine, working 8-10 hour days to complete the remarkable project. Now the golf course serves as a gathering place, provides jobs, and is an attraction to visitors.

Felsch, who moved to Winnipeg with his wife Carol eight years ago, said it was not him so much as the need for someone to lead at the time of a big event. “I just happen to have the time, a bit of knowledge, connections and machinery.”

Another success story was the business at Dominion City, called the Tractor People that started in 1984 with Wayne Hildebrand. The two men had some thin years in the beginning but built on their reputation of being honest guys, and it grew. Today Felsch and Hilderbrand’s sons run and own the very successful business.

It started as a used farm equipment business but not specifically just for farmers as the target market. They would also do business with dealers and auction houses. In some cases they brought farmers out, when a farmer wanted to discontinue farming and maybe keep the land.

“We would buy the whole package, like all his equipment right from his grease gun to his combine and everything in between and did that a few times evolving into other things.”

The whole principle, behind his business success in the beginning, was to buy a tractor from an individual, a dealer, an auction, and a bank, whatever, go through it, check it out and resell it to a dealer or an auctioneer or a farmer or whoever, he explained.

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March 26, 2021

The AgriPost

“Farm Girl” Not Shy About Jumping In Merle Gadsby, Steinbach

By Harry Siemens

If you ask Merle Gadsby what inspired her to volunteer with Special Olympics Manitoba, she might try to convince you it was a fluke.

If you ask Merle Gadsby what inspired her to volunteer with Special Olympics Manitoba (SOM), she might try to convince you it was a fluke.

“They needed someone to do the warm-up activities. The coach left; suddenly I’m the head coach,” she said.

It’s a good explanation, but one that only goes so far, 35 years later; she continues her Special Olympics involvement. Gadsby coached athletes with intellectual disabilities in snowshoe, track and field, and golf.

She has volunteered to raise funds, trained other coaches and built long-lasting friendships with many of her athletes. Recently she became an SOM regional leader and oversaw the Eastman Region, encompassing 13 programs, 166 athletes, and 24 coaches.

According to Lesley Camaso-Catalan, who nominated Gadsby after working with her at SOM, “Without her passion and dedication, there would be no Special Olympics Manitoba programs in the Steinbach area.”

In doing things she loves, like teaching (her first career), playing golf, and making friends, Gadsby transformed the world of sport in the Eastman Region. “When you see someone you’ve helped and trained doing well in a competition, it is so gratifying.”

For Gadsby, making a difference in Steinbach is part of the reward. “I love to tell people I’m a farm girl. I’ve never thought about leaving.” She continues to volunteer with SOM and other organizations, including the local food bank.

She comes by the title ‘farm girl’ honestly growing up on a farm north of Morden, Manitoba, then off to the University in Winnipeg and for her first job in Steinbach. Fifty years later, she continues to work with the Special Olympics. Like so many others, she said the 150 people getting awards should be more like 1,050.

She is feeling humbled and gratified for the recognition of her work but the much greater recognition is for the special athletes who make it all worthwhile.

Innovating Ways to Give Back Mike Gilmore, Saint-Jean Baptiste

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student Jodi Lickley

Mike Gilmore coaches many sports, taking on every opportunity to give back to his community uniting individuals with fundraisers and inspiring people to get involved.

Mike Gilmore of Saint-Jean-Baptiste is one of 150 Manitobans winning an Honour 150 award, working at Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Hockey, ringette, baseball and more, Gilmore coaches it, taking on every opportunity to give back to his community uniting individuals with fundraisers and inspiring people to get involved. He said that during a difficult time in his life, the town rallied around his family motivating him to give back to the community.

He organized an annual hockey tournament for farmers bringing the community together and raising money and awareness for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

“I grew up watching my parents and people I looked up to, so for me it was easy. When my daughter got sick, it all molded together.”

The list of Gilmore’s lasting contributions helped to build the community’s dynamic as he mentors generations to follow in his generous footsteps.

Eugene Fillion nominated Gilmore after years of friendship and committee work. “Without people like Mike, small communities sometimes stagnate and lose some of their vitality,” said Fillion. “With people like Mike, our community continues to thrive and offer many different options to its population.” He is a coach to many, a friend willing to take on any project that comes his way.

While speaking with the AgriPost, Gilmour said the agricultural industry’s longevity and meeting many incredible people is the biggest take away from the agricultural community and rural life.

Even while coping with the COVID-19 pandemic working in agriculture over the winter, the day-to-day activities have not changed much. Instead of meeting in the office, he meets customers in the chem shed to social distance and keeping them safe. In the fall, things stayed the same delivering tanks while doing much of the work on the telephone.

“I’m still looking forward to that face-to-face contact,” said Gilmore.

But for now, Gilmour is taking it one day at a time rather than getting all bent out of shape over it or losing sleep since that would not makes any sense. “I’m going to do what they told me to do.

And do I agree with it? Not always, but I wouldn’t want to be the guy making all these decisions, I’ll tell you that.”

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Richer’s Unstoppable Force Dan Guetre, Richer

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student, Nicole Brownlee

Dan Guetre with his grand daughter. He is hoping the generations following him commit some time to their community.

A personal note from Harry Siemens: “Working with and for Dan Guetre of the AgriPost and knowing farming gets the coverage it deserves is most dear to my heart. Thanks, to you Dan and your great team. I look forward to working with you in the years to come.”

Dan Guetre is an unstoppable force in Richer, Manitoba while some in the community called his dedication bordering on insane.

When receiving treatment from an attack by kidney stones, Guetre remembered a community club meeting and without hesitation, he drove from the Ste. Anne Hospital to Richer. “I was in my hospital pyjamas and I sat there and smiled through the whole thing,” said Guetre. “I never miss a community club meeting.”

Guetre’s inspiration to volunteer first came in his late teens when his father brought him to Black Bear Days, a local Richer festival. Now, Guetre carries his father’s spirit when he helps organize each of Richer’s community events, many of which wouldn’t happen without Guetre’s contributions.

To help his community and support projects, he has shaved his head for cancer, raised over $400,000 for Richer’s ice rink pavillion, and immediately jumped on board and helped organize his favourite festival, the annual Richer Rough Stock Rodeo.

While Guetre is planning, organizing, and fundraising for Richer, he also runs his businesses as the publisher of the AgriPost and Dawson Trail Dispatch newspapers. He is also president of the Dawson Trail Community Development Cooperation, and is a director of the Richer Community Club to ensure no one questions his sanity. He was also the founding president of the local daycare, and has now sitting as a director of the Seine River Service for Seniors.

In an interview with a business colleague, he gave credit to the people in his community.

“It’s a privilege to live in a community where people care,” said Guetre. “We have a common goal to make things happen and improve our community.”

About publishing a popular monthly farm newspaper, Guetre said, “I’m living my dream of being back on the farm vicariously through other farmers.”

Having a farm was unreachable, so he built a good team and started the AgriPost with more local stories and local flavours about the agriculture industry, which he loves. That way, he could be in agriculture but not farming.

Hall of Famer Racks Up Community Giving Ron Helwer, Brandon

By Harry Siemens

Ron Helwer, founder of Shur-Gro Farm Services Ltd. 52 years ago continues at the helm committing his time toward a long list of projects with a longer list of accomplishments.

Ron Helwer founded Shur-Gro Farm Services Ltd. in Brandon, Manitoba 52 years ago and continues at the helm committing his time towards a long list of projects with a longer list of accomplishments.

His dedication to the agriculture community in Manitoba runs deep, offering knowledge and expertise with Shur-Gro Farm Services Ltd. for agriculture products, services, and technology.

In 2014, Helwer’s good deeds earned him an induction into the Manitoba Agriculture Hall of Fame.

He finds time in his schedule to dedicate his abilities to any projects that come his way because each time it blesses him. “Over the years, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people and know the folks that contribute to things, and I feel I am doing something good for the community,” said Helwer.

He humbly contributes to the community by leading fundraisers and programs that result in the betterment of people. Helwer led The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s, Challenging Limits - Changing Lives campaign for the Westman area. He inspired others to engage financially and created awareness to help those affected by kidney disease.

Helwer leads by example and motivates others to do the same. He is a mentor and a friend and generously offers his assistance in all the ways he can. At 88 years young, Ron Helwer continues to manage the day-to-day operations of the company he founded 52 years ago. “I keep busy, and that’s what keeps me going. Had I retired at 65, I’d be dead by now of boredom if nothing else.”

While going to work every day, good managers run most of their outfits including 12 locations plus a grand terminal in Brandon that opened not long ago. “And I always say; if you’re not moving ahead, you’re going back. So we don’t want to do that. I’m looking for a grandchild to take over. But so far, I haven’t found one.”

Helwer started as an implement dealership and a shop for repairs with his father back in 1952 in Libau, Manitoba. In 1968 he moved to Brandon after operating a fuel and fertilizer business in East St. Paul.

“My wife and I are going to be 65 years married this year. So, well, we had three children, we have seven grandchildren, and they’re all alive and doing well. And we’re glad to be. We’ve had our vaccinations, first shot, and we’re waiting for the second one. So we’re happy we’re here.”

See information on all of the Manitoba Honour 150 Medal Recipients at https://manitoba150.com/en/programs/honour-150-recipients/

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The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Philanthropy is an Understatement Danny Kleinsasser, Stony Mountain

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student Kyle Weidman

Danny Kleinsasser embodies generosity and leadership in his community, working closely with many local charities and nonprofits.

A personal note from Judy Richichi, Youth for Christ Winnipeg’s Partner Development Coordinator in her testimonial letter for Kleinsasser’s nomination: “As the former Director of Development at Siloam Mission, Danny’s partnership was invaluable,” said Judy. “He truly is a Manitoban who loves his community, a leader for philanthropy and volunteerism and well-deserving of this award.”

Danny Kleinsasser of Stony Mountain is the owner and founder of Manitoba-renowned Danny’s Whole Hog Barbecue and Smokehouse, which he established in 2001. Kleinsasser is a recipient of the Manitoba 150 award for his outstanding community leadership and dedication to being a volunteer.

“What I want to teach to my kids and my family is to never look down on anybody,” said Kleinsasser. “Be a helping hand, reach out to people, be it a drink of water or an encouraging word, always be there for people and blessings will return one-hundred-fold.”

Kleinsasser embodies generosity and leadership in his community, working closely with many local charities and non-profits.

“He once told me his favourite part of volunteering is to give each plate to each individual, to look them in the eye and smile,” said Andrea Katz, co-founder of FIT Communications and FITGirls, who nominated Kleinsasser.

“To say Danny is a pillar in our community with his humble philanthropy work is an understatement.”

Kleinsasser continues to work with Siloam Mission donating and serving hot meals to the less fortunate. He caters to their volunteer appreciation event annually, serving food alongside Danny’s Whole Hog staff to nearly 1,000 people.

In an interview with the Agri Post, Kleinsasser humbly recalled the award and said Manitoba is extensive with many people who volunteer. They could pick many other people that probably deserve it more he commented. “I had a few tears in my eyes, humbled as only one guy, one family trying to make a difference.”

Danny set up his Whole Hog BBQ business in 2001 starting with full-service on-site catering that quickly grew into having its processing plant, smokehouse and retail store. In 2010, he began selling self-made sauces.

Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hard to manage the wedding cancellations and other functions running at 50 percent of regular business.

“How I’m doing it? I’m just going by faith. God’s going to take care of us and I’m not putting my head in the sand. Every day, I get up in the morning, I try to stay positive and go forward,” he said. “I’m thankful our doors remain open. I’ve learned to readjust accordingly and develop a lot of new products.”

“And when this thing is over, we’ll be much stronger for it,” said Kleinsasser. “But I’m so thankful that I didn’t have to lay off my employees because they have families and mortgages. As an individual, as an owner, I have to dig a little bit deeper to get through this.”

Creating A Better Place to Live Jim Lindsay, Grosse Isle

By Harry Siemens and Red River College student Rebecca Driedger

Grosse Isle, Manitoba is a better place thanks to Jim Lindsay’s community contributions. Lindsay, 63, grew up on a farm where his parents instilled in him the importance of community involvement.

Grosse Isle, Manitoba is a much better place thanks to Jim Lindsay’s community contributions.

Lindsay, 63, grew up on a farm where his parents instilled in him the importance of community involvement. With his volunteerism in sports leadership skills the south Interlake community has benefitted.

“My parents both volunteered in the community; it seemed to be the thing to do,” said Lindsay.

He began volunteering as a coach for his three sons’ baseball and hockey teams. Once his boys grew up, he retired from coaching and now helps with fundraising for the South Interlake Recreation Centre (SIRC) and the Grosse Isle Recreation Centre’s operation.

“You get satisfaction out of seeing some of the young kids you coached now growing up to be efficient adults,” said Lindsay. “Seeing the look on a kid’s face when they figure out something you’ve told them works makes it all worthwhile.”

Besides sports, Lindsay spearheaded the annual Grow a Crop fundraiser to support the SIRC in the 1990s. “Farmers would volunteer their time and equipment to seed, spray, and harvest the crop,” said Lindsay. “Local Ag businesses would donate seed, fertilizer, chemical, soil tests, whatever was needed. We would sell the crop to one of the local elevators, and the Rec centre would get the profits.”

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

It’s All About Never Saying No Robert (Bob) Roehle, St. Norbert

By Harry Siemens

Twenty years ago, Robert (Bob) Roehle retired from the Canadian Wheat Board as the director of communications. After his final day of work, Roehle sat down in his home in St. Norbert and answered a flood of phone calls seeking his expertise to help the community.

Twenty years ago, Robert (Bob) Roehle retired from the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) as the director of communications. After his final day of work, Roehle sat down in his home in St. Norbert and answered a flood of phone calls that have not stopped.

“I’m retired and people think I have lots of time to help. And it turns out I can’t say no,” said Roehle.

“Besides, I’d rather spend my time doing something.”

Roehle’s devotion to his community and the agricultural industry runs deep. He started the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market in 1988, the Grain World Outlook Conference in 1991, the Winnipeg International Grain Fest in 1992, and the St. Norbert Business Improvement Zone in 2011.

Roehle is the past president of the Red River Exhibition Association (RREA), the Manitoba Agriculture Hall of Fame, the St. Norbert Foundation, and the CWB Alumni president Association.

He held leading roles with the Red River Floodway Trail Coalition and Pollock Island Conservation Group. Some locals even call Roehle “the unofficial mayor of St. Norbert.”

“Bob remains a visionary and leader in his community assisting with the Community Garden,” said Garth Rogerson, CEO of the Red River Exhibition Association. “If your plot gets weedy, I’ll crack the whip,” said Roehle on his dedication to the community garden.

Roehle is currently the president of Pembina Active Living (55+) and co-president of Group’Action Saint-Norbert. “I care about my community,” said Roehle.

When asked by the Agri Post to define his work with the CWB, Roehle said doing a good job of telling farmers what they might be losing if the board disappeared. The wheat board’s advantage was and what they would be losing if they got rid of it. And in spite of all that, they decided to go along with the federal government and, and go it alone.

“And now I gather many farmers are happy and some farmers aren’t happy,” said Roehle. “And at the end of the day, I would say to them, you know, look, I don’t have to live with this organization. I’m not a farmer. I do not have to live with the disciplines of quotas and all that stuff.”

Helping Shape a Community Sandy Rothnie, Strathclair

By Harry Siemens

Sandy Rothnie aged 89, spent 57 years as a director of the Strathclair Agricultural Society joining in 1963.

Sandy Rothnie aged 89, has farmed for 50 years and spent 57 years as a director of the Strathclair Agricultural Society joining in 1963.

Rothnie lived on a small farm and after retiring, he spent some time figuring out what he wanted to do next. His time off led him to begin volunteering. “I just needed a job,” Rothnie said. “I needed to stay busy and help out wherever.”

More people should take time off; even during the COVID-19 pandemic, people should re-evaluate their position in life and help others in various volunteer efforts, he said.

He now works at all Ag Society levels and participates in fundraising activities. The annual fair is the Society’s largest event each year, and Rothnie as a volunteer guides others to help set up and organize the grounds.

He is not one to seek recognition, which is why Gordon McDonald aged 70, wanted to nominate Rothnie for Honour 150. “If anyone tallied the hours Sandy spent volunteering, he’d have the most out of anyone,” said McDonald. “He is one of the most likeable men ever to be around.”

Rothnie lives in Strathclair, Manitoba, a community McDonald believes he has helped to shape.

“He’s built so much of the area we live in today,” said McDonald. “He’s a big part of who we are.”

He has built a lasting legacy by helping to construct the Strathclair Arena, renovated barns, build the town’s show ring and concession booths on the fairgrounds.

Strathclair Arena

Photo from Google Maps

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March 26, 2021

The AgriPost

Passion for Ag Translates to Passion for Community Roger Sheldon, Ste. Rose Du Lac

By Harry Siemens

Since childhood, agriculture has fascinated Rodger Sheldon. He was fond of visiting his grandparents’ dairy farm near Stonewall and as a teenager, working on farms in Grosse Isle and St. Francois Xavier.

Since childhood, agriculture has fascinated Rodger Sheldon who lives in Ste. Rose Du Lac. He was fond of visiting his grandparents’ dairy farm near Stonewall and as a teenager, working on farms in Grosse Isle and St. Francois Xavier.

Along the way, Sheldon learned to work hard and work with everyone because everyone has something to offer. Sheldon studied agriculture at the University of Manitoba, and a few years after graduating, he settled in the Parkland Region in 1973. “This community is very good to me,” said Sheldon.

A lifelong agrologist, long-time coach, volunteer, and fundraiser in the Parkland Region Sheldon is a husband, father, and grandfather devoting his time to family, agriculture, sports, youth, and the church. “My passion is agriculture extension, helping producers and farm families solve problems,” said Sheldon.

Sheldon’s influence extends beyond farming. Although he is no spring chicken, he co-chairs the local Share and Care committee, organizes and delivers Christmas hampers, coaches baseball and hockey, and fundraises for the Knights of Columbus.

“Rodger is a selfless human being and takes time for everyone,” said friend and farmer Denis Maguet.

In 2016, Sheldon was inducted into the Honour Society of Baseball Manitoba, recognizing his contributions to youth baseball, including 34 years of coaching and the development of the baseball diamonds at Burnside Park in Ste Rose du Lac. “I have met many people from other communities through sports, including Indigenous communities. It’s enriching to watch kids from different communities and backgrounds play together,” said Sheldon. When he received the call from the awards committee it surprised him since he was not aware of the nomination.

He said that he worked hard covering a large area taking seriously the two things the man who hired him told him in 1981, the original Ag rep, Gus Darnell. “You will never keep everybody happy, so you do the best job at the end of the day, and if you keep 90 percent of the people happy, you’re doing a heck of a job. The other thing, make sure to be out in the field; this isn’t an office job,” recalled Sheldon.

Reflecting on the upcoming changes resulting from reorganization and office closures of the provincial agriculture department and keeping the extension people inside away from the field is not good he said. “To me, if you’re not out in the field, you don’t know what’s going on.

And I don’t know how these people are going to do their job working inside.”

The AgriPost

Effective Forage Fibre Essential to Maintain Milk Fat in Dairy Cows Maintaining good milk production with adequate milk fat is always the main source of good revenue on most dairy farms.

Regardless of what the actual feed ingredients are formulated in dairy diets to achieve this goal, they must work in tandem with the natural body functions of healthy dairy cows. This is something we should keep in mind when reformulating current rations as specific restrictions might be placed upon dietary palm fat that support good milk fat levels in milk.

Effective forage fibre, not palm fat is the foundation of all good milk fat levels in milk and must be included in all well-balanced lactating diets. Unlike energy and protein, effective forage fibre is not a true nutrient, but there is a requirement for it in milking dairy cows. Its biggest job, which is clearly associated with milk fat yield, is to maintain a healthy population of rumen microbes, which in turn drives optimum fermentation of the dairy diet and essential nutri-

ent metabolism.

Recently, I visited a 150lactating free-stall operation (re: milk, 37 kg, milk fat, 3.9%, DIM = 173) and they had some underlying issues with inconsistent milk fat production; despite most of the cows chewing their cud in the lactation barn and 400 g per head of palm fat was fed in their TMR. It really gave me an opportunity use the major points of and “effective-fibre” checklist that I carry around in my head, so I might spot a few troublesome factors, as follows: - Look at the cows – It is my understanding from the producer that all the early lactation cows come into lactation in a BCS of 3.0 – 3.5, yet many of the cows had a hard time retaining body condition by the end of lactation.

A quick look at the close-up cows (21 days before calving), showed me that they would have a hard time achieving good dry matter intake, well into 100-days post-calving.

- Scoop up a hand full of TMR – It was freshly laid down in the bunk, which

looked like it had enough effective forage fibre, but a Penn State Shaker box showed me different. It showed a lot of forage fibre in the top screen (20 - 22%), 55% in the bottom tray and the remainder (20 – 25%) in the middle. A lab analysis also revealed that the entire lactation diet provided the standard 28% NDF (neutral detergent fibre) with and an adequate 75% of this fibre coming from forage sources, yet the NFC (non-fibre-carbohydrates) of the ration, exceeded a threshold of 40% and starch stood at 24.7%.

Moisture of the entire dairy diet stood at 52.3%.

- Investigate bunk management – Each day, the producer makes up only one batch of lactation, and lays half of it down in morning before milking and the other half, before the afternoon milking.

The feed is pushed up every 2 1/2 hours by a robot. Current DMI intake ranged from 50 – 54 lbs.

By putting all the evidence together, I suspected that this lactation dairy herd suffered

Check the body condition score of your early lactation cows.

from an underlying mild-acidosis condition, despite most of the cows chewing their cud during my initial observations.

Consequently, it was the shaker-box that convinced me that a lot of long-stem indigestible fibre from rather coarse 1st alfalfa haylage (high in indigestible ligninfibre) and the high level of NFC of the lactation diet; both limited optimum rumen function – one of the leading causes of erratic milk fat yield.

So, I made the following dietary friendly milk fat recommendations: 1. Increase the proportion of corn silage (a rich source of hemicellulose – leads to consistent rumen function) and lower the amount of 1st cut alfalfa haylage in a final 2/3 to 1/3 ratio.

2. Limit the amount of barley from 8.5 to 7.0 kg, which reduces excessive NFC. 3. Switch-out 300 grams of palm fat with a 50/50 tallow-palm bypass-fat to help recover lost body condition in latter lactation cows.

And finally, 4. Review the close-up diet and take corrective action to promote dry matter intake before and after calving.

It took about three weeks to see results, which included a slight drop in milk fat, but it largely recovered as soon as the cows adjusted to these major dietary changes. As a footnote – we initially thought of just increasing the bypass palm fat to 500 grams to correct original bouts of milk fat depression, but quickly realized that improving effective forage fibre in the diet was the best way to go.

Pork Sector Eyes Long-term Growth with New Organization The Pork Promotion-Research Agency (PPRA) held its first meeting of the delegates recently and identified the members that will guide its first year of operations.

The agency will be relying heavily on their collective knowledge and exper-

tise to ensure a successful start-up. These members will play a strategic role in shaping the yearly business plan and the five-year strategy for the agency.

The PPRA will be an important vehicle for the pork sector to help facilitate even greater collabora-

tion across the value chain through increased research and promotion activities. In the long run, it will result in improving the long-term growth and competitiveness of the sector.

The pork agency’s twelve members represent pork producers from across

Canada, the importer community, and the retail and restaurant elements of the pork value chain.

The Members were chosen from across Canada and include Rick Bergman of the Manitoba Pork Council.

Visit ppra-cprp.com for more details.

March 26, 2021

Province to Vote on Amendments Aimed to Curtail Rural Trespassing

By Elmer Heinrichs Legislation to amend the Petty Trespasses Act is before the Manitoba legislature that will make it easier for landowners to prevent trespassers from entering their property and potentially avoid dangerous confrontations. In addition amendments have been proposed to the Animal Diseases Act to strengthen biosecurity standards on agricultural operations to help protect livestock from biosecurity breaches during transport and at food-processing facilities.

“These amendments are aimed to address concerns regarding rural crime including trespassing,” said Blaine Pedersen, Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development.

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), Manitoba’s main farm organization, said in a submission to the government, that “It defends and supports landowners’ rights to legal protection from unauthorized trespassing, including off-road vehicles and hunters and trappers who have not obtained written permission for access.”

“Furthermore, KAP members believe that trespassing on farmland should be considered a chargeable offence. Trespassing on private land is a safety and bio-security issue for Manitoba farmers and KAP welcomes changes that will clarify requirements for landowners and deter potential trespassers.”

Pederson added, “Farms are not only places of business; they are homes where children and families also reside. Trespassing can expose farms and food production facilities to bio-security risks.”

The province said farm trespassing is on the rise in Canada and that has led to concern from farmers about safety, not only for their family but their livestock. The government noted that if people enter bio-security areas without permission they could compromise the livestock and the food produced.

With the proposed changes to the Animal Diseases Act, it would, “protect bio-security standards” and also protect livestock. “There is really no recourse for farm families to be able to restrict entrance into these operations. The challenge here is they could be introducing a disease without proper sanitization,” said Pedersen.

The province said the changes are based on recommendations from Manitoba’s Auditor General. “It is something that the farm community has been asking for, for a long a time and so we are stepping up this legislation,” said Pederson.

The proposed changes would amend the law so that landowners do not have to issue warnings to trespassers if a property is marked or partially enclosed unless the person has a lawful reason for doing so.

As well, the Province has introduced proposed amendments to the Occupiers Liability Act that would ensure a landowner’s legal responsibility for injury is fair and reasonable when someone is on their property without permission.

Under current legislation, owners, occupiers or tenants of premises have the same level of legal responsibility for injury or harm to criminal and non-criminal trespassers as they do to people who have permission to be on the property. The proposed amendments would reduce the duty of care that is owed to criminal trespassers and certain non-criminal trespassers to not creating a danger with the deliberate intent of doing harm or damage to the person or their property, and to not acting with reckless disregard of the safety of the person or their property.

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March 26, 2021

FCC Encourages Producers to Stay on Top of Evolving Risks Most Canadian agriculture producers have either tapped into or identified strategies to manage the key risks to their operations, according to the most recent Farm Credit Canada (FCC) risk management survey.

“Risk is an inherent part of owning and operating any successful business, especially in an industry where so many factors are beyond the producer’s control,” said Craig Klemmer, FCC’s principal economist. “But if we’ve learned anything from the disruptions caused by the pandemic, producers can’t be complacent and should be prepared to adopt new strategies to address evolving risks.”

The survey of more than 2,000 farm operators shows that 87 per cent have implemented strategies to mitigate risk in five key areas: production, marketing, financial, legal and human resources. Managing risk involves keeping tabs on markets, ensuring the business can withstand sudden changes in commodity prices or economic conditions, and securing sufficient human resources to support operations.

Livestock (beef, hogs, sheep and goats) producers used the fewest risk mitigation strategies on their operations, compared to producers from the three other sectors, grains and oilseeds, supply managed sectors, and greenhouse vegetables and fruit included in the survey. The results for the livestock sector were consistent across the five risk areas, signaling either a higher risk tolerance or a lack of risk management options to meet the sector’s needs.

Human resource risks pose the greatest concern for greenhouse vegetables and fruit operators, primarily due to their dependency on hired labour and challenges recruiting for these sectors. Operators from the other sectors, grains and oilseeds, supply management and livestock are more dependent on family members to support their operations, with the exception of hog operations.

Survey participants across all four sectors represented in the survey expressed moderate concern when it came to production risks, which include weather, disease, pests and other factors, while the impact of adverse weather generated the most concern.

“The agriculture sector overall has done a good job identifying and mitigating production risks,” Klemmer said, noting significant attention has been paid to both on- and off-farm mitigation measures, including the use of government programs, industry specialists (agronomists, nutritionists and veterinarians) and diversification of production.

The study showed the top risk management strategies include record keeping, insurance and government programs, as well as professional services (accountants and lawyers) to mitigate financial and legal risks. Seven out of 10 producers said they have regular check-ins with their financial institutions and nine out of 10 are working with an accountant or financial planner.

“The good news is most producers are in a solid financial position to withstand short-term impacts on their businesses,” Klemmer said. “We encourage producers to have a risk management plan that pulls together mitigation strategies, as well as identifies key risks and available solutions to manage these risks before they emerge.”

The survey, however, suggests there’s still room for improvement. Fewer than 40 per cent of those surveyed indicated they have a business plan to manage potentially increasing interest rates, yet increasing operating costs was ranked as a significant concern among producers in all sectors.

FCC Economics has produced two blog posts on the risk management survey. For more information and insights, visit the FCC Economics blog post at fcc. ca/AgEconomics.

The AgriPost

Arid Region Soils Benefit from Manure Compost Improving soil health can be tough. We usually think of healthy soil as moist and loose with lots of organic matter. But this can be hard to achieve in arid areas.

Lindsey Slaughter, an assistant professor at Texas Tech University, set out with her fellow researchers to test a solution that kills two birds with one stone. They put excess cow manure on these soils to see if they could make them healthier.

“We know that planting perennial grasslands for cattle production can help protect and restore soil in semi-arid lands that are likely to erode and degrade from intense farming,” Slaughter said.

“But producers need additional ways to increase soil carbon and nutrient stores.”

Slaughter describes soil health as the ability of a living soil ecosystem to perform a variety of important functions. These include cycling nutrients, storing and purifying water, helping plants and animals, and more.

This “living” part is made up of various microorganisms that help a soil be healthy. They, for example, help break down materials like manure so that it and its nutrients become part of the soil.

“Improving the soil’s ability to perform these roles and support plant and animal life

is our target for soil health,” said Slaughter. “Adding the manure can provide a boost of material that can be incorporated into soil organic matter. This helps provide a stronger foundation for more microbial activity and nutrient cycling.”

This is why in their study they applied a low one-time amount of manure to two types of pastures to look into this. The pastures they put the manure on had either grass only that was fertilized occasionally or were a mix of grass and legumes that was not fertilized.

Overall, they did find that manure helped increase soil organic carbon and the number of microbes in the soil.

These are two important characteristics of a healthy soil.

It took almost a year and a half to see these changes, although they say this is not totally surprising. “This tells us that it can take a long time for even a little added compost to become incorporated into the soil organic matter of semi-arid grasslands, but it definitely helps,” Slaughter explained.

“We think this is mostly due to the dry climate at our study site,” said Slaughter.

“We commonly get little rainfall per year. The microbial community was not able to work quickly or efficiently

Some of the research pastures included warm-season old world bluestem grass (left) mixed with legumes including alfalfa (purple blooms, center) and yellow sweetclover (yellow blooms, lower left). The legumes provide an organic source of nitrogen to the grasses and microbes, as well as a source of protein for grazing cattle in the pastures.

Photo by Lindsey Slaughter

to decompose the manure without water.”

Their results also showed that the pastures receiving fertilizer responded better to the manure. They believe this is because the nitrogen in the fertilizer helped the microbes decompose the manure better.

“Microbes help directly with releasing nutrients from organic material in a form that plants can use, as well as decomposing those residues to build soil organic matter,” Slaughter said. “A lot of work has been done on how this can help improve cropping systems. However, we wanted to also test this on forage pastures.”

Slaughter added that the next steps in this work includes whether more manure or multiple applications would get faster results. In addition, they hope to investigate if irrigation or fertilizer would help incorporate the manure faster.

“We need more research along these lines to help us design strategies that quickly and effectively increase soil health and productivity in these grasslands,” she said. “This helps farmers save money on nutrients and amendments while building soil organic matter and nutrient cycling capacity. This also saves them water and protects against soil degradation.”

Modern Agriculture is Not Conserving Either Soil or Water

By Les Kletke A South Dakota researcher said it is time to get back to the practices used by nature to conserve water and soil on the Great Plains. Dr. Dwayne Beck said that practices used by modern agriculture do not have a good record of conserving either soil or water and it is time to change production methods.

Beck, who is based at the Dakota Lakes Research farm, was part of a panel discussion sponsored by Glacier Media in their Spring Outlook. He said that farm practices in Manitoba are very familiar and he worked closely with the Manitoba Zero Till Farm when it was operational.

He said just by making small changes with a goal of better management can make a big difference and

does not advocate tile drainage as a solution.

“If you have to use tile drainage you are not matching the water cycle,” he said.

“No till is just the start to getting more water into the soil.

We have to think about putting that water through a plant and harvesting some sunlight.

Making boards from straw is energy gone from your field.

If you have livestock grazing the field, a cow harvests that straw and puts the nutrients back on the field.”

He believes that alternative energy sources are part of the solution as well. “One hundred and twenty years ago we had zero fossil fuels being used on our farms, and will have it again in another hundred and twenty years, but today 80% of the costs on our farms can be traced to fossil fuels.”

He points to the example of terracing fields. “It slows the flow of water but it is still being lost, we have to develop ways to get that water into the ground,” said Beck.

“We have been reducing the organic matter level of our fields for years and that reduces the water holding capacity.”

Beck is a strong advocate of increasing livestock production on the western plains using the example of herds of buffalo that once roamed the area which provided part of the cycle of a healthy ecosystem.

He said that harvesting a crop and exporting it amounts to little more than mining the land rather than looking after it for future generations. “The degradation that goes on because of modern agriculture is hav-

ing a much greater effect than the impact of climate change,” said Beck. “There was a time when civilizations minded the land for a while and when it was done they moved to new land. We don’t have that option so we better change our attitude to the land we have.”

Dwayne Beck says it is time to get back to natures way of managing water and soil. Submitted photo

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Researchers Study Tough Rye Genome New Resources Available to Help Discover on Farm Biogas Opportunities

USask professor Curtis Pozniak is part of an international team that has succeeded in completely decoding the genome of rye that could eventually be used to create more tolerant wheat.

Photo by Christina W

An international team that included University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers has succeeded in completely decoding the genome of rye, despite its large size and complexity.

Rye is a distinctly climateresistant cereal plant that is of considerable importance for Germany and northeastern Europe. In Canada, most rye is grown in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“Rye is one of the most cold-tolerant cereal crops and can survive the harshest winters typical of the Canadian Prairies,” explained USask professor Curtis Poz-

niak. “The genome sequence of rye points to important genes that could be used to enhance the cold tolerance of other important winter crops, including wheat.”

The results are promising for both science and breeding. Rye offers access to a diverse gene pool, not only for rye breeding but also for wheat breeding.

“The delivery of the rye genome represents the work of a large and dedicated group of partners across the world,” said plant molecular geneticist Andrew Sharpe, director of Genomics and Bioinformatics at USask.

“These results are significant, as they provide a complete genome that is closely related to other grass crop species such as wheat and barley, thus allowing a deeper insight into the evolutionary relationships between them.”

Rye shares a close and long evolutionary history with barley and wheat. However, its role as an important crop is much shorter. While barley and wheat were domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the so-called Fertile Crescent of the Near East, rye initially spread to Northern Europe as a weed growing

in barley and wheat fields.

Gradually, rye adopted the characteristics of its two “big brothers” before becoming a purely cultivated species 5,000-6,000 years ago.

Knowing the reference sequence makes it easier to transfer positive properties of rye, such as resistances, to wheat without negatively affecting baking properties, for example.

All the research data is available to the general public, meaning the extensive genetic diversity of rye can be systematically discovered and used by breeders in a more targeted approach.

With funding of up to $28,800 from the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, the Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) has launched a campaign to help farmers learn more about biogas.

Established in 2008, the Canadian Biogas Association is a not-for-profit, member driven organization with a mission to advance the development of the biogas and renewable natural gas industry in Canada.

Biogas is a renewable source of methane gas created when organic matter like livestock manure, crop residue and food waste breaks down in an oxygen-free environment. This process is referred to as Anaerobic Digestion.

As part of the campaign, the CBA launched FarmingBiogas.ca, a new website with resources to help farmers evaluate the opportunities of biogas, including a self-assessment tool, answers to key questions, profiles of onfarm biogas plants in Canada and more. It also includes a checklist and links to biogas equipment suppliers and technical advisors, acting as a one-stop-shop to help farmers get started.

On-farm biogas systems can help farmers cut greenhouse gas emissions, provide sustainable sources of energy and offer many other environmental advantages. They can also generate additional sources of income and create opportunities for the farm’s next generation.

Biogas can be captured and purified to create renewable natural gas, which is fully interchangeable to replace conventional natural gas.

The CBA also received $88,000 under the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program to identify clusters of agricultural resources across Canada and assess the potential for renewable natural gas development by region. The CBA will use this information to create a guide to inform agricultural stakeholders about new and emerging renewable natural gas opportunities, encouraging collaborations to develop more sustainable energy systems in Canada.

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Report Provides Roadmap to Canadian Wheat Research Goals When the Canadian Wheat Research Priorities task group convened in 2019 to begin the consultative process that would create the 2020-2022 priorities, they purposely invited representatives along the entire wheat value chain from across Canada.

“There is tremendous value in having everyone at the table,” said Dean Dias, CEO of Cereals Canada, the organization that co-chaired the de-

velopment of the research priorities together with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada (AAFC).

“We set out to have the entire value chain involved to have a view from research on what is possible and what to focus on, a view from growers on yield and profitability, and a view from customers and exporters who know what is needed in the marketplace. And there is the

role that groups funding public research, including AAFC, have in contributing to setting research priorities,” said Dias.

Adam Dyck understands the value of an inclusive process from both sides of the table. He co-chaired the theme on customer quality. And for the past 11 years, he’s been in charge of Canadian operations for Warburtons, the largest bakery in

the UK that sources over 50% of its wheat from its long-running Canadian Identity Preserved Program.

“There was an open invitation across the wheat value chain to participate including public and private wheat breeders, the seed industry, growers, grain companies, millers, end users and academia,” said Dyck. “With all these voices around the table, you develop outcomes that carry a lot of weight and represent the industry’s wishes.

Having everyone in the value chain involved in priority setting helps develop a strong theme.”

Balancing standard wheat breeding goals such as yield, with the quality traits that end-users want is an interesting and ongoing challenge when setting research goals around the customer quality theme. “We need to make sure that outcomes fit the end-use purpose,” said Dyck.

“So that what we are asking of wheat breeders in terms of quality, actually fits what end users want.”

One example of customer quality research that could benefit the whole value chain is work on rapid testing for qualities like gluten strength and milling properties. Researchers are looking at cost-effective rapid testing tools that could help breeders measure these quality traits earlier in the breeding process. This ensures that varieties released to market are well suited for the entire chain.

Improving wheat yield, reliability, cropping system sustainability, continuous improvement in food safety and customer quality are the five themes in the research priorities document that is focused on producing more wheat, more consistently, and improving the sector for the benefit of everyone in the value chain. It’s a key way to ensure Canada maintains its track record as a source for high-quality wheat around the world.

“Our goal with these priorities is to keep demand strong so growers see wheat as a profitable crop and keep acreage up,” said Dyck. “Canada is already a world leader in wheat, so if we collaborate on research priorities and execute them successfully over time we can keep current customers happy and attract new customers to Canadian wheat.”

Another critical element of the collaborative priority setting is to deliver a clear message to wheat research funders on what the value chain agrees the priorities are. “This shared voice is extremely powerful and it’s why it was so important to ensure representation from the entire value chain,” continued Dyck. “We need to invest in research in the right places and another reason for the strategy to include funding groups in the priority setting process.”

Bringing all the players in the sector together to develop shared priorities for Canadian wheat research builds a balanced, informed approach that considers multiple aspects. “You could have high-quality wheat that doesn’t yield well, or high-yielding wheat that doesn’t meet the need of end-use customers,” said Dias. “That’s why it was so critical to build a loop where the industry came together to have those types of discussions as a whole value chain to set relevant targets for wheat research in Canada.”

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada has valued the Canadian wheat industry at $6.6B in 2017, $7.4B in 2018 and $7.1B in 2019. In 2019, wheat exports were valued at almost $7.1 B. In the last three years, Canada exported to 90 countries with some of our biggest buyers being the United States, Indonesia, China and Japan.

For more information on the 2020-2022 Canadian Wheat Research Priorities, visit cerealscanada.ca.

The AgriPost

Generosity Boosts Vision for Prairie Innovation Centre

Agricultural students attend the Assiniboine Community College’s skilled and experiential agricultural training in Manitoba.

Submitted photo

Assiniboine Community College’s campaign to build the Prairie Innovation Centre that aims to support the demand for skilled and experiential agricultural training in Manitoba is a step closer after receiving generous contributions from the Ag business community.

This one-of-a-kind Canadian college project will bring together collaborative learning spaces, applied research labs, multipurpose spaces and amenities that will serve both industry and the college community. Creating an enhanced agricultural training capacity, the Centre will enable the agriculture sector to continue to be an economic driver in the Canadian and Manitoban economy.

Recently the College received a contribution of $100,000 from Wawanesa Insurance. This partnership comes as Wawanesa Insurance marks its 125th anniversary while Assiniboine celebrates the 60th anniversary of the college.

“Looking after one another is at the heart of who we are at Wawanesa Insurance.

That’s why we’re proud to support the college, its students and the Prairie Innovation Centre. Together with Assiniboine, we share a commitment to making our community a better place to live and learn, and at Wawanesa, we know all of the Westman region will benefit from the new Centre,” said Kevin Bailey, Regional Vice President - Central Region, Wawanesa Insurance.

Mid-Plains Implements contributed $50,000 to Assiniboine’s campaign to expand agricultural training at the college.

“Manitoba’s economy is based in agriculture, and our company deals directly with the needs of agricultural producers,” said Fokko Buurma, owner and sales manager at Mid-Plains Implements.

“The Prairie Innovation Centre will ultimately give back to the economy and help local industry production, so it’s important that we get involved.”

Guild/HMS Insurance Group also donated $10,000 to the Campaign that will ultimately provide a homegrown hub for agriculture innovation.

“Agriculture is an important part of the communities Guild/HMS is proud to operate in across Westman.

Farmers feed the world, and do so with certain resources like land that you can’t make more of, so continued innovation in the agriculture industry is vitally important for all of us,” said Brett McGregor, President at Guild/ HMS Insurance Group.

In Manitoba, it’s projected that one in five jobs in agriculture will go unfilled by 2025. The Prairie Innovation Centre is Assiniboine’s made-in-Manitoba solution.

“The college plays a critical role in strengthening the labour force by expanding traditional programming to meet current and emerging demands of the Ag sector,” said Mark Frison, president

at Assiniboine Community College. “The Prairie Innovation Centre will help answer the call for this developing sector and ensure this crucial contributor to the Manitoba economy can reach its full potential.”

The Centre will be located on the college’s North Hill campus. The project aims to expand seats in agriculture, environment and related technology programs from less than 300 to more than 800 students to keep up with the needs of the growing sector.

“We’ve been fortunate to see the benefit of Assiniboine’s agriculture training first-hand as all of our employees have come through Assiniboine at one time or another. So, supporting this project to expand Ag training locally is the perfect fit for us,” said Buurma.

The Prairie Innovation Centre campaign officially launched in fall 2020. “Raising money for a worthy project becomes much easier when the people you approach see the value, but this process becomes self-driven when people are insightful enough to see the value in investing in not only the project but the positive effects in our community, in our province and in the future,” said Barry LaRocque, owner of AtomJet Group, who is a member of the Prairie Innovation Centre campaign cabinet. “It is generous organizations like Mid-Plains Implements that are investing in our community and our future and we thank you.”

March 26, 2021

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The AgriPost

Managing On-farm Plastic Waste and Growing the Bioeconomy

Cleanfarms will receive up to $1.1 million through the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program to develop a strategy to responsibly manage the estimated 60,000 tonnes of plastic waste generated on Canadian farms every year.

Canadian farmers are looking to reduce waste, and plant-based plastics are an increasingly popular alternative as part of a growing Canadian bioeconomy. Creating exciting new options for Canadian farmers, while supporting them in responsibly managing on-farm plastic waste, is helping to build a healthier economy and environment.

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, has announced funding of more than $4.5 million for five new projects that will improve plastic waste management and on-farm sustainability, and advance bioplastics research. These green agricultural projects will help Canadian farmers remain leaders in sustainable, climatesmart agriculture.

The minister made the announcement alongside Cleanfarms, a national non-profit industry stewardship organization.

Cleanfarms will receive up to $1.1 million through the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program to develop a strategy to responsibly manage the estimated 60,000 tonnes of plastic waste generated on Canadian farms every year. Their project will increase farmer access to

recycling programs and explore ways to deliver long-term, permanent programs that will help Canadian farmers continue to improve the sustainability of their operations.

“Plastics are a valuable tool in modern farming operations enabling them to work efficiently and productively. But when farmers no longer have a use for these materials, they want more opportunities to manage them in an environmentally responsible manner,” said Barry Friesen, Executive Director of Cleanfarms. “With this support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Cleanfarms can develop practical on-the-ground recycling solutions for agricultural materials like bale wrap, grain bags and twine. New options for managing materials like this help farmers operate sustainably and contribute to a healthier environment and a circular economy for plastics.”

The other recipients are: - EcoEnviro Labs Inc., which will receive up to $1 million through Innovative Solutions Canada to advance testing of a new organic bioplastic mulch made from poultry feathers. This could serve as a lower-waste, fully biodegradable

and compostable way to produce mulch needed in Canada’s agriculture sector.

- Titan Clean Energy Projects Corp., which will receive up to $1 million through Innovative Solutions Canada to test a food-grade quality bioplastic, ideal for fruit or prepared vegetable containers, that biodegrades more quickly and will result in less landfill and more sustainable options for grocery stores and shoppers.

- TerraVerdae Bioworks Inc., which will receive up to $1 million through the Agricultural Clean Technology Program to develop a new generation of biodegradable bioplastic film and injection molded products that target agriculture applications such as mulch film and seed trays. The project intends to displace conventional petroleumbased agricultural plastics.

- Red Leaf Pulp Ltd., which will receive up to $495,000 through the Agricultural Clean Technology Program to support research and product trials for a straw pulp bio-polymer for use within the wood and pulp industry, and in the production of low carbon fuels and renewable natural gas.

The project intends to displace plastic and Styrofoam packaging.

Alliance Seed, SeCan Reach Largest PBR Settlement in Canada Alliance Seed and SeCan have announced the settlement of a joint Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) case between Alliance Seed, SeCan and one other seed distributor versus a large farming operation in southern Al-

berta. The settlement relates to unauthorized advertisements and sales of PBR protected barley and wheat varieties.

The parties have agreed to a cash settlement of $737,597 compensation for royalties, le-

gal and investigative costs, and a declaration there will be no additional unauthorized sales. The magnitude of this settlement is significant, as it is three times the previous highest PBR settlement.

March 26, 2021

Record Year Forecast for Canada’s Farm Incomes

By Elmer Heinrichs Agriculture continues to be a strong driver of Canada’s economy, with farmers playing a key role in ensuring Canadians has access to affordable, high-quality food.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has completed an analysis of farm income for 2020 and 2021, and the results show that farm income and the value of farms to be at an all-time high.

“This puts many farmers and farm families on a stronger footing and positioned to contribute to Canada’s economic recovery,” said the minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, in sharing the results of the analysis at the annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

“Despite all the challenges they have faced because of COVID-19, the men and women in the agriculture sector have stepped up to keep our grocery store shelves stocked,” said Bibeau. “Today’s farm income forecast and our strong export performance last year are welcome signs that Canadian farmers are finding success during these unprecedented times.”

The agriculture sector is expected to see significant growth in 2020 and 2021. In spite of recent challenges, notably COVID-19’s impacts on the food supply chain, the growth in farm income shows that the sector is weathering these disruptions well and adjusting farming decisions accordingly.

Net cash income (NCI) is estimated to have grown by 21.8 per cent in 2020, from $13.5 billion in 2019 to $16.5 billion in 2020. Farm-level income also shows an increase in 2020, with average net operating income (NOI) per farm increasing by 25.4 per cent, to about $95,000.

Average farm family income estimates have increased by 8.6 per cent to just over $194,000 in 2020, driven by increases in NOI from farming.

The grains sector had a very strong year, contributing to an 11.9 per cent increase in overall crop receipts. However, disruptions to the workforce, shifting international trade patterns, and fluctuating commodity prices have caused challenges, including horticulture in the crop sector.

Livestock receipts however were estimated to have declined by 1.9 per cent, largely due to negative impacts of COVID-19 on the red meats sector.

Looking ahead to 2021, there continues to be uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. However, based on the expectation that the current situation continues to return to normal market conditions, NCI is forecast to further grow in 2021 by 6.8 per cent to $17.6 billion.

Average farm-level NOI is forecast to increase 8.5 per cent to approximately $103,000 per farm, and average farm family income is forecast to grow 7.2 per cent to just under $208,000.

Net worth is forecast to reach $3.5 million per farm, up 2.9 per cent from 2020 levels.

Building on this income forecast, the sector also had a strong export showing in 2020, reaching nearly $74 billion up from $67 billion in 2019. This brings the government close to achieving its target of $75 billion in agri-food and seafood exports by 2025.

The sector has shown resilience in posting a record performance for agriculture and agri-food exports, despite COVID-19 and its challenges. The agricultural sector is an engine of growth, helping to restart the Canadian economy, and the government has made significant investments to support the agriculture and agri-food sector, and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and address on-farm outbreaks.

Read the AgriPost Online at www.agripost.ca

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March 26, 2021

Producers Compensated Farmers to Lead for Unpaid Deliveries to the Way in Canpulse and Global Grain Climate-Smart Best Practices Program

Eligible producers who were not paid for grain delivered to Canpulse Foods Ltd. and Global Grain Canada Ltd. will be fully compensated through the Canadian Grain Commission’s Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program.

The Canadian Grain Commission’s Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program regulates grain companies to mitigate the risk of payment failure to producers and to support the grain quality assurance system.

The Canadian Grain Commission suspended the licences of Canpulse Foods Ltd. and Global Grain Canada Ltd. and their par-

ent company Globeways Canada Inc. on October 31, 2020, when the 3 grain companies were unable to provide security as required under the terms of their licences. The companies were placed into receivership on November 19 and producers owed money for deliveries were able to make claims through the Canadian Grain Commission’s Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program.

Following a review of individual producer claims, it was determined that there were 40 eligible claims involving Canpulse Foods Ltd. totalling over $3 million. For Global Grain Canada Ltd., there

were 13 eligible claims totalling nearly $700,000.

All eligible claims were fully covered by the security posted by Canpulse Foods Ltd. and Global Grain Canada Ltd. “The Canadian Grain Commission is committed to ensuring producers are fairly compensated for their deliveries. Our Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program plays a key role in protecting producer rights, and we are very pleased to be able to fully compensate producers using the security held through this program,” said Doug Chorney, Chief Commissioner, Canadian Grain Commission.

AAFC Forecasts Higher Canola and Soybean Acres

By Elmer Heinrichs Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in its March outlook, forecasts that the area seeded to field crops in 2021 will increase marginally as producers react to strong crop prices.

Total field crop production is forecast to decrease slightly though, due to a return to trend yields. In general, prices are expected to remain relatively strong, but decrease somewhat as global production is expected to increase and the value of the Canadian dollar forecast to strengthen.

The economic outlook for the

world and Canadian grain markets is expected to continue to be impacted by the domestic and international uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

For 2021-2022, Canadian seeded area in canola is forecast to increase by 4 per cent, to 8.8 million hectares (Mha), while harvested area rises to 8.7 Mha, as farmers expand canola acres at the expense of wheat, forages and summer fallow.

For 2021-2022, planted soybean area in Canada is forecast to increase by 12 per cent, to 2.3 Mha, in response to high prices, with

gains in acres limited by concerns over low sub-soil moisture, short growing season in western Canada and attractive prices for competing crops.

Despite record crop production, carry-out stocks for grains and oilseeds and for all principal field crops are expected to decrease significantly, driven lower by record exports.

Grain prices in Canada are forecast to be supported by an expected continuation of robust international demand, as well as a general tightening of world and domestic grain supplies.

Aunt Sally’s Farm Set to Open Again

By Elmer Heinrichs Aunt Sally’s Farm exhibit officially opens again March 25, just in time for spring break at Assiniboine Park Zoo. “We can’t wait to welcome visitors to the new Aunt Sally’s Farm this spring,” said Grant Furniss, senior director of animal care and conservation at the zoo. “It’s a bright, cheerful and engaging exhibit and will be a wonderful addition to the zoo!”

The current exhibit was inspired by the original attraction that opened in 1959, but now designed to meet modern standards for animal welfare and care, along with some restored features.

According to a press release, the new Aunt Sally’s Farm will be “home to playful goats, lively llamas, delightful donkeys and potbellied pigs.”

The farm will feature parallel playgrounds where children can

play alongside the goats and have safe interactions with these curious creatures.

“Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about agriculture in Manitoba, sustainable farm practices, and what they can do at home in their own communities to contribute to healthy ecosystems.”

Tickets and memberships are available on line and in person.

Assiniboine Park Zoo is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

A Federal Government program with $185 million over the next 10 years has been committed for the new Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program.

The ACS program aims to establish a strong, Canada-wide network of regional collaborations led by farmers and including scientists and other sectoral stakeholders. Together, they will develop and share management practices that best store carbon and mitigate climate change. This work will also help protect biodiversity, improve water and soil quality, and strengthen farmers’ bottom lines.

According to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, MarieClaude Bibeau, the best way to build climate resiliency across Canadian agriculture’s diversity of realities and landscapes is by developing and deploying solutions that are tailored for each region, led by farmers and farm groups themselves.

“Our government is working in partnership with farmers to develop and deploy the best practices that will fight climate change, protect our lands and waters, and deliver important economic benefits to farmers,” said Bibeau. “With significant regional collaborations from coast-to-coast, Agricultural Climate Solutions puts farmers at the helm of steering Canadian agriculture towards a climate resilient future for the generations to come.”

“This program allows researchers, farmers and other groups to work closely together and test their ideas on farm to evaluate them in real-world circumstances to achieve meaningful results,” noted Mary Robinson, President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

To be eligible for the ACS program, applicants must form a large network of partnerships within a province, including with agricultural non-profits, Indigenous organizations and environmental groups.

The program will proceed in two phases. The first phase, which will launch April 1, aims to support the development of proposals focused on regional collaboration hubs, also known as “Living Labs”, by offering grants of up to $100,000.

The aim is for every province in Canada to have at least one collaboration hub. Each hub will centre on farms, where farmers and researchers can co-develop best practices, including cover crops, intercropping, conversion of marginal land to permanent cover, shelterbelts, nutrient management, and inclusion of pulses in rotations. Applicants will need to demonstrate their ability to engage with researchers and develop plans for knowledge transfer and adoption among their peers. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will host regional information sessions over the coming weeks.

The program’s second phase will open as early as Fall 2021.

At this stage, applicant groups can submit their applications for funding support of up to $10 million per project.

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Famer-Led Coalition Seeks Framework to Address Climate Change

By Elmer Heinrichs Agriculture is a major contributor to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time, farmers are hit by some of the worst effects of climate change.

Now a coalition of farming groups says they can also be a part of the solution.

Farmers for Climate Solutions are calling for agricultural policy to be redesigned with a climate change lens placed over the entire framework. That means boosting the efforts of farmers to reduce their emissions, enhance soil health, and increase resilience to extreme weather.

In September 2020 the coalition’s task force chaired by two farmers with a group of interdisciplinary experts, proposed short-term actions that would deliver long-term lasting benefits. According to the coalition the six program recommendations, if adopted by the Canadian government, would chart the course for a climate-resilient agricultural sector that prioritizes farmer livelihoods and food security for all Canadians.

The result was a report called A Down Payment for a Resilient Farm Future: Budget 2021 Recommendation that highlights a $300 million investment needed to reduce agricultural emissions by 10 mega tonnes.

The measures to rein in emissions from agriculture, would include reducing reliance on costly synthetic fertilizers and herbicides that should also improve farmer’s livelihoods, said the coalition, whose members includes the National Farmers Union, Canadian Organic Growers, FarmFolk CityFolk, Rural Routes to Climate Solutions, and the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario.

“Farmers are on the front lines of climate change.

They’re dealing with the impacts already and being required to find solutions,” said Jane Rabinowicz, the executive director of SeedChange, another member of the coalition. “What we’re saying is the burden shouldn’t be on farmers alone.”

The coalition is hoping to see their views reflected in the next five-year plan of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3 billion funding mechanism from federal, provincial and territorial governments. The next one will map out policy priorities for 2023 and onwards.

Currently in Manitoba the Canadian Agricultural Partnership program offers activities for farmers that support the growth and sustainability of primary agriculture in Manitoba.

The Provincial priorities include training and consulting to strengthen business management practices, financial planning and analysis; beneficial management practices (BMPs) identified in environmental farm plans to help farmers improve sustainability and reduce environmental risks on their farms; and applied research, capacity building and knowledge transfer activities to advance growth and sustainability of the agriculture industry.

The AgriPost

Increased Interest in Soybeans and Pea Crops

By Elmer Heinrichs Dennis Lange, pulse specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, recently gave his outlook for this upcoming growing season.

“There’s been some renewed interest in growing soybeans again. Some interest in growing more conventional soybeans. As far as acres go, my early projections are somewhere in that 1.4 million acre range and to go along with that we’ve

seen some strong new crop prices as well and that has really perked some interest for some growers.”

Manitoba farmers seeded about 185,000 acres of dry beans last year. The 2021 estimates predict a smaller.

“Moving forward prices are still pretty attractive but I think from what I’ve been hearing from some growers, we might see a slight decrease in acres moving forward just because of land

requirements and other commodities having some strong prices,” said Lange. “I’m thinking we’re probably going to be similar to what we were in previous years, in that 150,000 - 160,000 range.

Still lots of interest there, but growers like to put it on their best ground so sometimes things get moved around a little bit.”

In 2020 about 146,000 acres of peas were seeded and 2021 projections show

an increase of acres will be planted to the crop. “Moving forward, early projections right now are probably going to be somewhere around that 200,000 acre mark, again mostly in the western side of the province,” commented Lange. “There are some regions in the Red River Valley that got excess moisture last year so peas might be off the table for them. There’s lots of interest in peas, prices are good for going into 2021.”

Dennis Lange, pulse specialist with Manitoba Agriculture says “There’s been some renewed interest in growing soybeans again. Some interest in growing more conventional soybeans. As far as acres go, my early projections are somewhere in that 1.4 million acre range and to go along with that we’ve seen some strong new crop prices as well and that has really perked some interest for some growers.”

Photo by Fernando Weberich from FreeImages

Federal Government Bolsters Farm Safety The Federal Government has committed to investing of up to $1.4 million over two years to improve farm safety directed towards the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) to provide valuable farm safety tools and advice to Canada’s agriculture industry.

CASA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers.

The funding will facilitate a series of initiatives that promote farm safety for producers, their families, and workers. Activities include awareness raising, commu-

nity engagement, and the development and maintenance of safety resources and tools to address existing and emerging safety needs at the provincial and national level.

In addition to outreach and awareness activities, CASA will continue to provide farm safety learning opportunities to rural emergency responders and firefighters, and provide online health and safety training courses to farm workers.

On average, agricultural fatalities account for the deaths of over 100 adults and children in Canada every year.

In the 2020 Spotlight Manitoba CASA report, producers indicated they are highly

motivated to improve safety on their operation. However, they still see barriers preventing the consistent implementation of safe practices and most Manitoba producers have not accessed safety information/training this year.

Most producers have a safety plan in place; however, the majority of plans are unwritten and cover limited measures. Results showed that only 12% had a written plan in place, 63% had an unwritten plan while 25% had no safety plan.

The report highlighted that producers feel these plans, written or unwritten, are effective in preventing injury

on their operation. Almost all producers believe the work on their operation is done safely most or all of the time, despite a quarter having had some type of incident on their operation within the last year.

The top three Provincial health and safety risks identified on operations were mechanical risk (79%); impact risk (75%); and chemical risk (69%).

Producers were also asked what the barrier to safe practices is. More than half, 62% of respondents said it was due to old habits with only 33% accessing safety information within the last year.

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

Farm Equipment Has Farmland School Doubled in Size But Tax Rebate Power Lines Haven’t!

Deadline Is Upon Us

Manitoba Agricultural and Resource Development is advising Manitoba landowners the deadline to apply for the Farmland School Tax Rebate (FSTR) is March 31. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) administers the program on behalf of the department.

Residents of Manitoba who own farmland, to which school taxes apply, are eligible to apply for a rebate of up to 80 per cent on paid 2020 farmland school taxes (excluding farm residences and buildings) with a $5,000 limit per taxpayer (including all related people).

Property taxes and any penalties or interest charges for 2020 must be paid in full on or before March 31 to be eligible for the rebate.

The FSTR application must also be received by MASC on or before March 31.

Landowners who applied for a rebate in 2019 would have received an application package from MASC regarding the Farmland School Tax Rebate in the mail last October.

MASC is encouraging applicants to submit their applications online through the myMASC portal. For instructions on how to apply for the rebate or to set up a myMASC account, visit masc.mb.ca/ fstr. Application inquiries can be directed to fstr@masc.mb.ca or 204-726-7068.

Farm accidents can cause severe injuries or death, and damage to property and livestock. Know how tall your machinery is, and where the power lines are located in your yard and along the roads.

Today’s farm equipment is bigger than ever, and that can lead to big problems when you’re transporting or operating it around power lines.

Follow these tips to keep you, your family, and your workers safe: 1. Check the height and width of your equipment. If you have new equipment or land, update your GPS with any changes. Lower truck boxes, tractor loaders, and other equipment before you drive away.

2. Contact Manitoba Hydro for a Farm Equipment Move Permit.

If your equipment or load is over 4.8 metres in height, you must obtain a permit to ensure your route is safe. Restrictions on height, length and width have been established to protect everyone who uses the roadways. The permit is free and valid until December 31 of the same year.

3. Plan your route carefully. Before seeding, drive your route to identify any overhead power lines and poles in your yard, along the road, and at field access points. If you don’t know whether it’s safe to pass underneath a power line, call Manitoba Hydro at 1-888-MB-HYDRO. Follow all restrictions when moving across natural gas pipelines.

4. Hold a safety meeting. To prevent an accident or serious injury, ensure everyone working on your farm knows the risks of operating equipment near power lines and utility poles.

5. Stay 3 metres away from power lines. Always proceed cautiously and check constantly when transporting or operating equipment like cultivators, air seeders and

grain augers, or when lifting truck boxes, tractor loaders or back hoes near power lines. Use a spotter on the ground to help you stay clear of overhead lines, and never attempt to lift a power line out of the way.

6. Stack and store wisely. Whether it’s a grain bin or bale storage, stack and store it at least 9 metres away from power lines.

Locate barns, sheds, granaries, propane and fuel tanks at least 9 metres from overhead power lines.

When building new bins, plan traffic movement so that it does not go under overhead lines.

Plant tall-growing trees at least 9 metres to the side of overhead power lines.

7. Position irrigation pipe stacks at least 9 metres from overhead power lines. Move pipes horizontally to avoid ‘flashover’ from overhead power lines.

8. Click before you dig. Before disturbing the ground deeper than 15 centimetres, request a line locate at ClickBeforeYouDigMB.com.

Utilities are closer to the surface of the ground than you might think.

9. Assume downed power lines are energized. Stay at least 10 metres away and warn others of the danger. If your equipment knocks down a power line, stay in the vehicle and call 911 or Manitoba Hydro at 1-888-624-9376.

If you contact a power line: - Break the contact if you can. Drive at least 10 metres away.

- Stay on the equipment or in the cab and keep others 10 metres back.

- Call 911 for help.

If a fire or other immediate danger forces you to exit, JUMP

without touching the vehicle and land with both feet together. Don’t step! SHUFFLE keeping your feet touching, or HOP, keeping your feet together for at least 30 metres (a bus length) away. Don’t touch the equipment and ground at the same time.

To apply for a Farm Equipment Move Permit or for more safety information, visit hydro.mb.ca.

10. Bury overhead power lines. If your farm yard has overhead power lines, consider burying them.

Our Go Underground Program compensates a portion of the costs to bury the primary line in your farm yard. The program may cover: - 50% of installation costs up to a maximum of $10,000 to bury existing overhead power lines; - 25% of total costs up to a maximum of $10,000 for new construction.

Contact your local district office for a cost estimate, or apply online to change your electrical service.

Call us at 204-480-5900 (Winnipeg) or 1-888-624-9376 (toll-free) if you need power lines moved.

11. Electrically heated livestock waterer caution. Inspect your waterer carefully before you turn it on for the winter. Check all connections for damaged or frayed conductors, and clean up corroded connections with a wire brush.

If the waterer develops an electrical fault, your animals may get an uncomfortable shock that prevents them from getting enough water.

Follow the manufacturer’s installation, operating, and maintenance instructions to protect you and your animals from electric shock.

Bibeau Holds First Bilateral Discussion with US Secretary of Agriculture Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau held her first official bilateral dialogue with the United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently in which they reinforced the strength of the Canada-US agricultural trade relationship.

Bibeau emphasized the need to work collaboratively on many mutual priorities with a focus on the resiliency of Canada-US food supply chains, climate change and environmental sustainability.

Bibeau and Vilsack also discussed their mutual interest in championing rules and science-based international trade. Both parties agreed that working together to address these priorities is critical for agriculture to take a leading role in a sustainable recovery that is inclusive, protects workers and supports jobs and businesses on both sides of the border. In 2020, CanadaUS bilateral agricultural trade totaled $62.3 billion.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how critical Canada-US agricultural supply chains are to food security and the two economies.

Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and AgriFood Marie-Claude Bibeau

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March 26, 2021

The AgriPost

Using Radishes as a Cool Season Cover Crop

A Daikon radish cover crop emerges after being seeded into standing corn. Radishes help break up soil compaction and use up extra nutrients to reduce runoff.

Photo by Ivan Dozier

Integrating cover crops into a farming system can be beneficial in more ways than one. Cover crops can reduce soil compaction naturally, protect soil from erosion, boost nitrogen, build organic matter, and suppress weeds when included in crop rotations.

The radish is included in the cool season, large-root broadleaf cover crop category along with turnip, beet and carrot.

Secure Food Blogger Ivan Dozier explores the use of radishes as a cover crop and the advantages that come with it.

“Thick radish roots are an ideal choice for natural drilling into the soil to reduce compaction,” explained Dozier. “When the radish crops are terminated, the radish and roots leave large, open pores in the soil. This increases soil aeration and water infiltration.”

“Besides breaking up soil naturally, radishes can “scavenge” and clean up soil as well,” noted Dozier. “They absorb extra nutrients. Radishes also contain natural chemical combatants, called biofumigants that can deter pests.”

Some farmers choose the Daikon “big root” radish variety to plant as a cover crop depending on the job they want to do just like choosing the right tool for any job.

To learn more about radishes as a cover crop, read the entire blog at sustainable-secure-food-blog.com/2021/02/22/how-doradishes-work-as-a-cover-crop.

The AgriPost

March 26, 2021

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Tackling the Increased Challenges of Managing Households During Pandemic

By Joan Airey “In response to the increased challenges of managing households during the pandemic, the Manitoba Association of Home Economists has created a new booklet and website to help Manitoba families with basic home economics skills in meal planning, cooking, food preservation, and budgeting,” said Getty Stewart a professional home economist “The booklet will be shared with community groups like Harvest Manitoba, Immigrant Centre Manitoba, West Central Women’s Resource, Healthy Start Mom & Me, etc. to distribute to their participants,” explained Stewart. “For example, Manitoba Harvest will be including them in 10,000 hampers in April. The booklet provides tips, ideas and recipes on nutrition, food storage, shopping and money management. The HomeFamily.net website provides articles and information on everyday life skills from Home Economists working in various fields across the province. Their topics included food and nutrition, money management, family life and textiles. The booklet is also accessible via the website.”

Getty Stewart can be found on Facebook or at her own website gettystewart.com where she shares some fabulous recipes and ideas.

Another excellent place to find recipes is Great Tastes of Manitoba at GreattastesMB.ca.

From last season they have meal plans and the shopping lists to go with the plan and new recipes every Saturday.

You can also find their show, Saturday night at 6:30 pm on CTV Winnipeg or you can watch them on line at your convenience. They use Manitoba products that

We at the AgriPost thank you for your continued suppor t.

We are here to help you get your message out to keep your business going in these challenging times!

Getty Stewart is a professional home economist.

Submitted photo.

are easy to find in the supermarket. They can also be found on Facebook too. Their website can help you make fewer trips to the supermarket.

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The AgriPost