Ag News

Mental health was a big focus of the Thanks For Farming Tour held in Winkler last week.

One of the keynote speakers was Chris Beaudry, a farmer from Saskatchewan and also a coach with the 2017/18 Humboldt Broncos, the team involved in the bus accident.

The focus of Beaudry's presentation was the unpredictable nature of farming.

Beekeepers have been detecting the beginning stages of wax moth infestations within “dead out” equipment throughout Manitoba. With the high winter losses and reports of numerous dead hives not being repopulated with bees this summer, concerns are continuing to grow regarding the how to protect brood chambers from pests, like the wax moth.

Water quality is one of the many factors that go into properly raising livestock, and can be especially important during the hot and dry summer months.

To that end, farmers often need to keep a track of the water their livestock is drinking, since many subsist on groundwater from sloughs.

Maintaining water quality and the health of cattle often needs the help of experts who test the water to check for mineral content.

Saskatchewan Livestock and Feed Extensein Specialist Catherine Lang details what they look at during those tests.

ALUS, which was originally an acronym for Alternative Land Use Services, has entered into a partnership with General mills to deliver content that will support farmers and regenerative agriculture in the province.

General Mills invested $2.3 million into the organization, with that specifically heading towards its Growing Roots pilot program.

Last week Thursday at the Buhler Active Living Centre, a Canadian Foodgrains Bank presentation by Program Manager Stefan Epp-Koop took place regarding the work of the organization, networking through 15 different church-based agencies, to end hunger around the world..

Epp-Koop explained the rising number of people experiencing acute hunger around the world is growing.

Weekly Provincial Summary

Manitoba Agriculture says crop quality varies widely, with southern areas of the province in better condition than areas further north, all dependent on rainfall accumulation and speed of drainage.

Fungicide application is slowing across Manitoba, as crops grow past the appropriate timing windows.

Producers have done much more fungicide application in 2022 than in recent years.

A few insect concerns have popped up in localized spots across Manitoba, with bertha armyworm spraying reported in the Eastern region.

The Strathmore Stampede returned with a bang! Another successful year for the Stampede saw a wide variety of events enjoyed by people of all ages. Strathmore Stampede Event Coordinator Kate Dubois explained their turnout was larger than what they saw in 2019.

"Overall the 2022 Strathmore Stampede was a huge success. Our numbers increased for the rodeo and chuckwagons, and we've received a lot of positive comments and feedback," she said.

Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers says soybeans are setting and filling pods.

Production Specialist Laura Schmidt stages them at R3 to R4.

"Soybean aphids have been confirmed in a few fields at low levels," she added. "These aphids are blowing in from the south and overall populations remain quite low here. Natural enemies are able to manage aphid levels."

Schmidt also provided an update on field peas.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is giving an update on its growing projects.

Regional Rep Gordon Janzen was at the Thanks For Farming Tour last week in Winkler.

"From what I'm hearing the projects are really doing quite well. We had such a late spring...it's seems like things are coming along. A couple projects weren't able to get their crops seeded. There's has been that downside. Overall, we're very hopeful for a good year."

Janzen expects harvest to get underway later this month on some fields.

He commented on the global hunger crisis.

The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) appreciates the work done by Agriculture Ministers across Canada towards reaching an agreement for the next five-year Agricultural Policy Framework, set to begin in 2023.