First Manitoba crop report says seeding slightly ahead of pace

First Manitoba crop report says seeding slightly ahead of pace

Soil moisture conditions very from region to region

Spring planting in Manitoba registered at three per cent complete in the provincial agriculture department’s first crop report of 2025. Manitoba Agriculture released the report on April 29, noting planting progress was two points ahead of the five-year average.




This old trough, no longer useable for water, was repurposed into an inexpensive feeder for the bulls. Tucked into the corner of the fence with a bit of reinforcement, it can easily be refilled as needed.

A handy inexpensive feed bunk

A repurposed water trough and other fencing materials were all put to good use

This fall, we decided to let our two yearling bulls out of the corral for winter and have them eat down some willows. Last winter, we created a new little pasture by clearing out the trees and willow bushes, then piling and burning them in hopes of growing more grass. We grazed that new pasture […] Read more


burdock

Herbicide is only part of the pasture weed control program

Proper grazing management doesn't give weeds a place to start

Western Canadian livestock producers looking to control weeds on pasture should consider an integrated pasture management program that uses several tools from the tool box, says a specialties business leader with Corteva Agriscience. Mark Versluys says applying a herbicide to knock back some of the more difficult weeds is an excellent start, but that needs […] Read more

A typical brome grass field of the many I drive by on the way to Dundurn Farm. In wet years, there are many bales and in dry years only a few bales. The rain or soil moisture is always needed but if fertility is missing, wet years become ordinary years not high-yield years.

Les Henry: New wrinkles when fertilizing grass crops for hay and pasture

One quarter section of fertilized grass could give the same yield as five quarters of “cut what is there”

There are many old grass stands that are mainly brome grass and serve as hayfields with occasional grazing. Many hayfields have never seen a kernel of fertilizer. Perhaps this piece will start folks thinking and will lead to a change in practice. There are many old reports that deal with the topic. The two main […] Read more


Native prairie near Hanley, Sask.

Restoring native prairie in Saskatchewan through reverse auction

Glacier FarmMedia – Tom Harrison is on a mission to reverse the tide of native prairie being converted to cropland in Saskatchewan. It’s not an easy task. Several factors are working against efforts to conserve, let alone restore, native prairie. Economics favour farming over ranching. Government programs and policies have encouraged farmers to cultivate the […] Read more

Even without increasing the cow herd size, enhanced grazing management can pay dividends by extending the grazing season.

The importance of giving grass a vacation

A properly managed rest period should lead to increased forage production

Often the largest category of costs in a cattle operation is what economists consider fixed costs. These are usually big things such as tractors or land. In most cases, land is the largest cost item in a farm operation. On the other side of this equation are what we refer to as variable costs. These […] Read more