CWB Monopoly Ends, Open Market Begins
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BLACKLEG NEW RULES FOR ORGANIC STRIKES LABELS Producers urged to check Proposed regulations to make their roots » PAGE 15 certifi cation mandatory » PAGE 3 AUGUST 2, 2012 SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | VOL. 70, NO. 31 | $1.75 MANITOBACOOPERATOR.CA CWB monopoly ends, open market begins NEW MARKETING Some farmers mourned. Others celebrated. But most are focused on a bumper crop By Allan Dawson Sabourin started pricing out this said. “People aren’t that gung-ho on “For a couple of years we were CO-OPERATOR STAFF /ST. JEAN year’s wheat last December and the wheat board around here.” just growing wheat for rotation,” doesn’t plan to use the now voluntary It’s easy to explain the ambiva- Sabourin says as he glances between s the fluffy, golden-awned pools operated by the new Canadian lence Sabourin and many other his monitors and the field ahead. heads of barley flowed Wheat Board. As of Aug. 1, farm- Manitoba farmers feel towards the While it differs in other parts of s e a m l e s s l y i n t o Ro n ers can opt in to the CWB pools or change. They are relishing a rare the Prairies, the back roads of the Sabourin’s combine last market on their own in what is argu- coincidence of a bumper crop and Red River Valley reveal canola, soy- week,A he was more focused on get- ably the biggest change in Western high prices, due to the blistering beans and corn accounting for most ting this year’s crop in the bin than Canada’s grain sector since 1943. drought now affecting 31 U.S. states. of the acres. Agriculture Minister he was with the dawn of a new mar- “Around here I don’t think the Besides, cereal crops just aren’t that keting era in Western Canada. pool is doing very well,” Sabourin big a priority around here anymore. See MONOPOLY ENDS on page 6 » With the first of this year’s crop in the bin, Halbstedt farmer Howard Friesen harrows to spread the straw. Harvest has started early this year and so far the crops are good. PHOTO: ALLAN DAWSON Souris River silt serves up free fertility Farmers soil testing in the wake of floods have found the silt left behind contained surprisingly high levels of nutrients, including phosphorus and potassium By Daniel Winters Soil tests of what appeared Agriculture, Food and Rural Testing found that the samples CO-OPERATOR STAFF / MELITA to be dark-coloured sand near Initiatives, said in a presentation containing 91 per cent sand also the bridge on the creek that at the annual WADO field day. had 1.6 per cent organic matter, 16 t appears there’s one upside runs behind the main building “Some of this silt is bringing parts per million phosphorus, 250 from flooding — silt. yielded surprising results — the more nutrients to the farm than ppm potassium, and a pH of 7.3. I After the deluge from silt contained more nutrients what it had to begin with. It’s not The flat, rented land that is the Souris River dried up, staff than samples taken from other much of an impediment — I don’t home to the WADO research at the Westman Agricultural parts of the farm. know how we charge you for it.” plots on the south side of Melita Diversification Organization “You can’t assume that just For farmers left in a similar situ- looks uniform, but dramatic dif- (WADO) wanted to know what because it looks like something ation, Heard advises them to stop ferences were uncovered by soil effect the flood had on research from a distance, that’s what speculating and start soil testing. testing at depths down to two plots that were completely under it is,” John Heard, a soil fertil- “We have science. Science is a water last summer. ity specialist with Manitoba tool. Simply measure it,” he said. See SOURIS on page 7 » DROZD: CORN PRICES HIT A NEW RECORD » PAGE 18 Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | August 2, 2012 INSIDE on the lighter side LIVESTOCK The swiner things Heavyweight teams in life are fried Draft horse champs in a world afraid of fat, bacon is a hedonistic island of indulgence really pull their weight 12 by sheri Monk baconfreak.com and baconto fbc staff | edmonTon day.com. Loosbrock owns Coastal erry Aulenbach, a real estate Vineyards, a California com- agent from Edmonton, is so pany specializing in wine tast- CROPs Jenthusiastic about smoked ings and online wine clubs. pork belly that he now spends Part of his business was helping his spare time dressed as a wine aficionados discover the bacon strip. world of wine flavours through Getting better “I had the bacon suit made innovative food pairings. “I was for Halloween, but I never really at a store, looking at some pep- all the time wore it out. I got the idea to pered bacon, and thought that wear it to fundraisers and other if I put that on top of some Winter wheat Real estate agent by day, bacon varieties showing events, and it has been very well bruschetta, people would be really able to taste that, and so strip by choice. Jerry Aulenbach’s real improvements 17 received in several cities and provinces,” said Aulenbach. ‘Swine and Wine’ was born,” claim to fame roots in his love for “As it continued to grow over said Loosbrock. bacon. PHoTo: SUPPLieD time, I began accepting and How did bacon transcend embracing my lot as the Bacon the breakfast barrier to become people wanted us to make Man. I ditched my traditional hedonistic pleasure on par with bacon roses? And we tried, but FeAtURE real estate business card and the world’s best wines? it’s so hard. We probably got had one designed in the shape “Just as much bacon is being this year alone 100 requests for of a piece of bacon,” Aulenbach made as before, but here’s the bacon roses,” said Loosbrock. Drought relief said. difference — bacon has earned The bacon craze hasn’t gone As his persona became more its way to the dinner plate. unnoticed by pork producers. needed “baconated,” he began receiv- People have learned that they “A couple of weeks ago I was ing requests to appear across can use bacon as a powerful at a restaurant — Murrieta’s U.S. livestock the country at fundraisers, con- ingredient in things that they in Edmonton — and they had producers seek 13 ferences, elementary schools cook,” said Loosbrock. bacon-infused marshmal- ethanol waiver and restaurants. The phenomenon has low wrapped with chocolate In an era of calorie counting resulted in Facebook and and bacon bits on a stick,” and trendy veganism, bacon’s Twitter bacon-focused memes said Darcy Fitzgerald, Alberta rise to fame is really a rags-to- such as the Valentine’s Day one Pork’s CEO. “It’s unfortunate the riches story — especially with that reads: “Bacon roses. She whole animal hasn’t taken on CROSSROADS those who had the vision to see wants romance, you want a the same popularity,” he said. it coming, such as California’s snack. Problem solved.” There’s only so much bacon in Rocco Loosbrock, owner of “Do you know how many each pig. Off the table School to train READER’S PHOTO rural doctors nixed 20 Editorials 4 Grain Markets 11 Comments 5 Classifieds 24 What’s Up 15 Sudoku 28 Livestock Markets 10 Weather 32 ONLINE Visit www.manitobacooperator.ca for daily news and features and our digital edition. (Click on “Digital Edition” in the top right corner.) 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