Cattleman’s Corner
Features
Meet the neighbours
Rancher’s diary
The Kotylaks have their hearts in farming 16
Whitetail move in on cattle feed 40
Volume 44 · number 03 fEBRUARY 6, 2018 · $4.25 Practical production tips for the prair ie farmer www.grainews.ca
By Lisa Guenther
C Crop disease
Clubroot can damage more than just the bottom line Photo: Jennifer Blair
Along with economic and agronomic problems, clubroot causes emotional damage
lubroot is a potentially devastating disease for canola growers in Western Canada. Severely infested fields may not be able to grow canola in the foreseeable future. Less-severe fields may see yield drops without a change in farming practices. That adds up to a financial hit for affected farmers. But while the economic and agronomic realities are acknowledged, the psychology of dealing with a clubroot infestation has gotten less coverage. John Guelly, a farmer from Westlock, Alberta, compares it to going through the grieving process. “When you first find out, you’re kind of upset about it, and mad, and wondering how it got there,” says Guelly. Guelly discovered clubroot on his farm in 2013. At first, he didn’t quite believe it was clubroot, and wanted to downplay the situation, he says. That rings true for Dr. Greg Gibson, a psychologist with Prairie Mountain Health in Manitoba and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba. Clubroot is a practical problem and “an emotionally laden problem as well,” he says. Gibson hasn’t worked with farmers facing clubroot specifically, but he has worked with producers dealing with other issues. The first four stages of the grieving process include shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, and depression. Once a person works through those four stages, they are on a better footing, moving towards acceptance and hope. See Clubroot on page 5
PLU S
Want to grow Jazzy potatoes? Learn how to grow and serve these potatoes with Ted Meseyton 46
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CONTENTS 3 | COLUMNS 22 | CATTLEMEN’S CORNER 38