A big COmmODItIES DEAL AND cruDE Climate change accord approved What the latest » PG 22 drop means » PG 8 December 17, 2015 SerVinG manitoba FarmerS Since 1925 | Vol. 73, no. 51 | $1.75 manitobacooperator.ca Manitoba tops in pedigreed Cattail harvesting seed It boasts the shows promise to aid highest acreage in Canada province’s water woes BY ALLAN DAWSON Co-operator staff The cattail-harvesting project taking place at Pelly’s Lake sees t’s a three-peat for M a n i t o b a s e e d progress in extracting overloaded nutrients and processing I growers. the biomass crop For the third year in a row, the province has grown the most pedigreed seed of any province in Canada — 380,131 acres in 2015, up 22 per cent from 2014. It’s quite likely a Mani- toba record too, said Jen- nifer Seward, secretary- manager of the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association (MSGA). At the very least, it’s the most pedigreed seed acres grown in Mani- toba in more than 20 years and a third higher than the five- and 10-year averages. Saskatchewan and Al- berta were second and third at 333,293 and 304,971 pedigreed seed acres, respectively. But what makes Manitoba’s feat stand out is its small size. Saskatchewan and Alberta have about 38 mil- lion and 34 million acres See PEDIGREED on page 7 » After a decade of experimentation with equipment and processes, cattail harvesting is poised to move beyond the pilot project stage. Photo: AllAn DAwson actually use those plants for some- “Most of you likely know about Lake BY JENNIFER PAIGE thing,” said Richard Grosshans, senior Winnipeg and the issues that we have Co-operator staff/Brandon research scientist at the International there. That was really the reason we Institute for Sustainable Development’s got into this project,” said Grosshans. en years after a research team water program during a presentation “We have been looking at better, more first considered harvesting cat- at the Manitoba Conservation Districts innovative ways to manage the land- Ttails in Manitoba, one of the lead Association’s 40th annual conference scape and cattails are one of the plants researchers remains as enthusiastic as here last week. we are really interested in.” ever about its environmental and eco- The project, which was originally nomic potential. spurred by the need to find a solu- Pelly’s Lake “Essentially, we have been working tion for the increasing eutrophication Since 2012, researchers have been on this for the past 10 years. When we of Lake Manitoba, quickly expanded on site at Pelly’s Lake near Holland, set out it was a small project looking into a larger research project looking Man. actively harvesting cattails as a at how cattails and reeds and other at ways to mange the landscape, pre- means to extract overloaded nutrients, grasses can actually absorb phosphate serve the environment while growing and nitrogen and then how we can the economy. See CATTAILS on page 6 » FARM SAFETY: The baTTle rages on in alberTa » P 5age Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | December 17, 2015 INE SiD Di D you know? L iVESToCk Our bacon ambassador Social licence on the farm does Alberta proud Doing right by animals Weirdly wonderful dishes shine a light on bacon’s culinary versatility is the right thing — and good business 12 BY DIANNE FINSTAD FBC contributor acon is getting a whole new sizzle on CRoPS the gourmet scene these days — would B you believe chocolate bacon Fudgsicles? — and Russell Bird is making sure Alberta gets its due. Tile drainage The Sherwood Park man represented his and manure country in the bacon category at the World Food Championships in Florida last month and reports The call is out things have never looked better for everyone’s for research on favourite cured meat. how the two interact 17 “Bacon has been a hot spot in cooking the last three years,” said Bird. “I saw bacon desserts at the WFC that would blow your mind.” Bird, a marketing specialist in promotional products, is also doing his part to add to bacon’s Russell Bird (r) and father-in-law Ron Yoneda took on the culinary canon — an effort that began last year world — with bacon sushi. photos: COURtesY RusseLL BIRd FEATuRE when he and wife Jocelyn, also an accomplished cook, wound up with 16 pounds of bacon after a work-related swap. tomago cooked eggs in the centre, also enhanced “We get together with three other couples who with maple. The lobster tail sushi came fourth The mega-merger love food and have these ‘fests,’ judging each oth- and their breakfast entry first, giving them a third- er’s entries. So we decided to have a Baconfest. place overall finish. The Dow-DuPont I made a bacon salad, and my wife made sushi The top two teams earned a berth in the world with bacon. Her dish won.” championships, but when one couldn’t make it, marriage is a sign of The concept was resurrected when Bird, who Bird and his father-in-law joined 18 Canadian more to come 33 had won a couple of ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen teams competing in the various categories. The cooking contests, was invited to compete in the event attracts hundreds of teams competing for a Canadian Food Championships, part of the Taste $100,000 grand prize. of Edmonton promotion, this summer. Using 25 pounds of President’s Choice Blue Bird set out to perfect his wife’s creation, testing Menu natural wood-smoked bacon (which CRoSSRoADS different types of bacon. Loblaws shipped to Florida for him), Bird cre- The duo perfected the process for their first- ated two dishes. The first category — a ‘structured round entry, a butter-poached lobster tail bacon build’ — was a bacon dumpling, and his green sushi roll. The second round required using onion cake with bacon and fennel was judged In defence of maple syrup, so they created a sushi roll with the 14th best overall. His now signature bacon and small towns bacon and rice glazed in maple, and traditional egg sushi grabbed 13th spot. Don’t let others define your hometown’s image 36 READER’S PHOTO Editorials 4 Grain Markets 11 Comments 5 Weather Vane 16 What’s Up 9 Classifieds 26 Livestock Markets 10 Sudoku 30 ONn Li E & MoBiLE 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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R3H 0H1 The Manitoba Co-operator | December 17, 2015 3 Farming with a focus on restoration An experienced Ontario producer says implementing a holistic management plan would be a benefit tem should be a top priority for every BY JENNIFER PAIGE operation. “The future isn’t about Co-operator staff/Brandon “From my perspective, holistic manage- ment is key to any farm operation. It doesn’t turning the clock back 50 s many in the industry strive for sus- matter whether you are grazing or not, years, the future is about tainability, an experienced Ontario the concepts in holistic management, the taking the knowledge that A farmer wants to go one step further financial planning piece are key to moving we have now and creating to build a farming system that does better a farm forward profitably and maintaining than perpetuate itself.