GONE BUT NOT WEAKLING FORGOTTEN WHEAT Tributes to Eugene Whelan Customers unhappy with » Pages 4 and 5 CWRS dough strength » Page 13 FEBRUARY 28, 2013 SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | VOL. 71, NO. 9 | $1.75 MANITOBACOOPERATOR.CA There’s cash Amphibex has begun in that grass breaking up ice on the Red River Forage seed contractors north of Winnipeg in are looking for growers preparation for the spring thaw. By Daniel Winters PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES CO-OPERATOR STAFF ith shrinking inven- tories pushing prices W skyward, forage seed contractors say crops such as perennial ryegrass are a lucrative alternative for farmers wishing to diversify their rotation. “Potentially, it’s the most profitable crop out there,” said Harley Bell, Winnipeg-based product marketing manager with Brett Young. This year’s contract prices are the highest they’ve ever offered amid “critical” shortages of supply. “If you look at average yields and costs across all different commodities, it pencils out Above-normal run-off See GRASS on page 6 » expected in Saskatchewan A higher, denser snowpack doesn’t guarantee spring flooding, but throw in some rain, or a quick melt, and there could be trouble By Shannon VanRaes its spring flood outlook last week, and Charlotte Parham, chief adminis- CO-OPERATOR STAFF officials there said they will continue trative officer for the Town of Souris, to monitor the situation as it develops. is cautious about overreacting to higher snowpack across the cen- Manitoba’s first flood forecast is due Saskatchewan’s flood outlook, but said tral Prairies and northern United this week. town council is keeping a close eye on A States will likely result in above- Some areas of Saskatchewan have the situation. normal run-off this spring, but experts received twice the normal amount of In 2011, the town was forced to cut say flooding is not inevitable. precipitation this winter, while areas of loose its historic swinging bridge over “The spring run-off is impacted by a Manitoba have also seen above-aver- the Souris River to save the temporary variety of factors like moisture condi- age snowfall. dikes protecting the community. tions in the fall, snow accumulation News of predicted higher-than-nor- The town of less than 2,000 residents in the winter, as well as the rate of mal spring run-off in the Assiniboine has prepared for subsequent floods by melt and amount of rainfall,” said Ken and Souris River basins has officials in revising emergency plans and imple- Cheveldayoff, Saskatchewan’s minis- western Manitoba paying close atten- menting lessons learned in 2011. The ter responsible for water security, in a tion after many communities there CAO is also confident future flood release. experienced severe flooding in the Manitoba’s western neighbour issued spring of 2011. See RUN-OFF on page 6 » Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 BULK UP NOW. earN UP tO $1.00/acre mOre. High-performance cereal herbicides. Convenient BULK UP savings. Even more Grower Dividends. Calculate your Dividends at dowagrodividends.ca today. Deadline March 20, 2013 TandemTM, SimplicityTM, Liquid AchieveTM, AttainTM XC, TM TM TM TM OcTTain XL, Frontline XL, Prestige XC, Stellar reWarDiNg higher PerfOrmaNce ® TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow. 01/13-19758-02 19758_02B DAS GrowerDividends 10.25X3.indd 1 2/4/13 8:14 AM 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | February 28, 2013 INE SiD Di D you know? L iVESToCk Saving the planet Lending a helping hand by working less Workshop focuses Adopting the european approach of ‘more time off, on assisting a cow with delivery 33 less stuff’ could help mitigate climate change s taff e c e n t l y r e l e a s e d CRoPS research finds that sig- R nificant reductions in carbon emissions are possible Releasing the through reducing work hours, and that could help to reduce wheat pressure climate change. valve The paper, Reduced Work An IP program gives Hours as a Means of Slowing Manitoba growers Climate Change, by David access to U.S. variety 17 Rosnick of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), finds that eight to 22 per cent of every degree of warming through 2100 would be cut by an annual half a per ph: oTo THinkSTock FEATuRE cent reduction in work hours. Assuming 40 to 60 per cent ing more holidays, vacation, 1973–2007 went to the top one of potential global warming and leave — while the United per cent of households. In this On a is effectively locked in, about States has gone the route of type of economy, the major- one-quarter to one-half of the increased production. ity of workers would have to production roll warming that is not already “The calculation is sim- take an absolute reduction in locked in could be cut through ple: Fewer work hours means their living standards in order Soybeans poised this reduction of work hours. less carbon emissions, which to work less. to pick up 20 “As productivity increases, means less global warming.” “Increased productivity more acres especially in high-income But the concept works best need not fuel carbon emis- countries, there is a social in economies in which the sions and climate change,” choice between taking some gap between rich and poor is CEPR co-director Mark of these gains in the form of small. The pursuit of reduced Weisbrot said. “Increased pro- reduced hours, or entirely as work hours as a policy alter- ductivity should allow workers CRoSSRoADS increased production,” said native would be much more to have more time off to spend economist David Rosnick, difficult in an economy where with their families, friends, author of the paper. “For inequality is high or growing. and communities. This is pos- many years, European coun- In the United States, for itive for society, and is quanti- Is the master tries have been reducing work example, just under two- fiably better for the planet as at home? hours — including by tak- thirds of all income gains from well.” Master Gardener program prepares horticultural mentors 44 READER’S PHOTO Editorials 4 Grain Markets 11 Comments 5 Weather Vane 16 What’s Up 8 Classifieds 25 Livestock Markets 10 Sudoku 30 ONn Li E Visit www.manitobacooperator.ca for daily news and features and our digital edition. 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R3H 0H1 The Manitoba Co-operator | February 28, 2013 3 No answer on when producers might receive flood compensation for 2012 Many are worried they’ll see another flood before they can recover from the last one By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF “I didn’t hear a single he federal government person promise when needs to pay up before the they were going to T provincial government cut a cheque today.” can offer more compensation to those still suffering damages from the 2011 flood, says Manitoba JIM LINTOTT Finance Minister Stan Struthers. Speaking to more than 200 farmers, cottage owners, First Nations representatives and poli- province made an application for ticians during a crowded meeting 2012 compensation for producers at the centennial-era Meadow- under AgriStability last summer, Lea Hall north of Marquette, as it was instructed to do by the Struthers said the province has federal government. already paid for nine flood-related “We’ve been working to make programs in full, while the fed- sure we get our application cor- eral government has not ponied rect,” said the finance minister.