Manitoba cooperator

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CETA A GO

Heart not head

But questions linger » PG 8

Telling our story with emotion » PG 3

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Western Canada’s All Breeds Bull Sale Source IN THIS ISSUESEE PAGE 45

SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 75, No. 8 | $1.75

February 23, 2017

Diversity of opinions OK

manitobacooperator.ca

Unruly lineup

If you want to reach urban audiences, ditch the email and pick up the phone BY SHANNON VANRAES Co-operator staff

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hether you’re in the house, the combine or the barn, it’s something that rarely leaves your side — your phone. But while farmers are using their devices for everything from surfing the Internet, to purchasing fertilizer and checking weather forecasts, producers, farm organizations and commodity groups are overlooking the basics of communication when it comes to getting their stories into urban publications. “Nobody uses the telephone anymore, right? Nobody calls anybody,” said Owen Roberts, an agricultural journalist and head of research communications at the University of Guelph. “I know it’s a little bit scary, calling up a reporter and saying hey, I’ve got a story for you, but I know as a reporter... or as a communications professional at Guelph, when someone calls me and says, I’ve got a story for you, I listen.” Ed Cassavoy agrees. The director of reader engagement and content commercialization at the Toronto Star joined Roberts to speak about reaching urban audiences during a seminar at the University of Manitoba See CONNECTING on page 7 »

These trees may be past their prime, but the whimsical, colourful, Prairie sky backdrop highlighted their unique ‘character’ and style.   photo: sandi knight

Commodity collaboration, mergers discussed at CropConnect Commodity group leaders are urging their members to weigh in on how much groups should collaborate and their thoughts on merging BY ALLAN DAWSON Co-operator staff

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anitoba farmers are being asked if they want their checkofffunded commodity groups to collaborate more — or even merge. It was one of the main themes at commodity group annual meetings at the fourth annual CropConnect conference in Winnipeg Feb. 15 and 16. And the man credited with

planting the seed in 2013 — Ha l b s t a d t - f a r m e r D a n n y Penner — is pleased to see the idea is being debated. “I am very excited,” Penner said in an interview Feb. 17 from England. “I am glad that the organizations that are getting involved are talking about collaboration... and I am excited about that. Obviously there is some trepidation by some organizations.” Penner says it’s not a question of if, but when some merging occurs.

“I really do (think it will happen) but it will take more time,” he said. “I can see a model something similar to like the Grain Farmers of Ontario. I can see in the future there will be collaboration even between provinces. If we don’t I think... we will lose the confidence of the farmers and if we lose the confidence of the farmers we will lose public control.” Some commodity group administrators, including Theresa Bergsma, who is retir-

ing as general manager of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association, has said her association has been collaborating for years and merging with others is the next logical step, but only if members support it. “There are too many commodity groups,” Jason Voth, an Altona farmer and president of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association (MPSGA) told the association’s annual meeting Feb. 15. “We See CROPCONNECT on page 6 »

STOCKPILE SLEEP: GET MORE SLEEP BEFORE BUSY TIMES » PAGE 43


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