Young guns
Cattle producers seek young producer input » PG 9
Root rot revealed New research pinpoints disease races most responsible » PG 19
SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 74, No. 50 | $1.75
December 15, 2016
Dairy producers OK closeddoor sessions Producers seek more one-on-one time with DFM board to talk about sensitive issues BY SHANNON VANRAES Co-operator Staff
D
air y Far mers of Manitoba will add producer-only sessions to its spring and fall district meetings. The decision was made at the organization’s annual general meeting in Winnipeg last week, following a resolution put forward by Brent Oswald and Thomas Reutter. “We have a multimillion dollar industry where we are relying on nine people to run it ... and they have 287 milk producers behind them that would gladly help and support them, so it would just be nice to have more opportunities,” said Oswald. He also added that privacy is a necessary component of any successful business. “My dad grew up saying that The Bay never told the Eaton’s their business. And RBC or any of these other large businesses that have a board of directors meeting or a meeting of the shareholders, there isn’t anyone else present in the room either,” said Oswald. “I don’t know why we would want to conduct busi-
manitobacooperator.ca
Farm-based dry dams to help reduce downstream flooding Intermountain Conservation District built two dry dams in 2016 on a Keld-area farm that will hold water temporarily on farmland – the landowner sees gains from doing so
See DAIRY on page 6 »
Farm land owner Boris Michaleski (left) and IMCD technician Aaron Kulbacki stand at one of two dry dam sites constructed earlier this year on Michaleski’s farm land to temporarily hold back water during peak flows. PHOTO: INTERMOUNTAIN CONSERVATION DISTRICT
BY LORRAINE STEVENSON Co-operator Staff / Brandon
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R
oad washouts, soil erosion and other water-related damage are nothing new to any municipality, but some parts of Manitoba are especially vulnerable. Those living and farming around Riding Mountain National Park are all too familiar with the kind of havoc water rushing downstream creates.
With the steepest slopes in the province in their region, InterMountain Conservation District officials say they have water and soil erosion problems — and then some, Currently, they have almost $1 million worth of applications on file for projects to stabilize streams and fix erosion washouts, said IMCD manager Jeff Thiele told the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association last week. “It’s just unbelievable. The situation
is serious,” he said. But they’re tackling the root of the problem too, as demonstrated by the recent construction of two dry dams that will slow water released from the higher elevations of Riding Mountain. The IMCD has given special recognition recently to the farmer who agreed to hold that water on his land. The water retention dams are constructed on land owned by Boris and See DRY DAMS on page 6 »
CHRISTMAS PLANTS: Consider care level when gifting plants » PAGE 35