MFGA rolls out 2017 Fundraising Campaign
Dairy Farmers of Manitoba quick to step up on behalf of Manitoba's forages and grasslands

Winnipeg, Mb (March 2, 2017) - The ink was barely dry on the work plan when Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA)'s 2017 supporter campaign received a welcome boost from Dairy Farmers of Manitoba (DFM), a long-time supporter and proponent of Manitoba's forages and grasslands.
Read the full media release.

MFGA has been active  "In the News" for February!

Articles and radio interviews covering: the new MFGA Board, the importance of the MFGA Aquanty Project for potential flooding in Manitoba, MBFI's winter research, etc.

-  Killarney's Koslowsky To Chair MFGA Again In 2017

- MBFI Research Continues During Winter

- Province Warns of Flood Risk

- It Looks Like More Flooding This Spring: Are We Ready? 

- 1.7M tool to aid in flood fight

- Radio interviews with CBC, CKLQ and Golden West Radio

All MFGA news articles and media releases found here.

Minister Ralph Eichler welcomes MFGA AGM delegates at Brandon meeting

Things Get Real at MBFI

Local Firm's Generous Donation Will Bolster Ag Research Farm's Innovative Efforts BRANDON - Moving cattle around for innovative research at Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives (MBFI) is getting a real boost thanks to a generous partnership with Real Industries. " Real Industries Ltd. is based south central Manitoba and works across Western Canada with many of the industry leaders and audiences that are vitally important for both of our interests," says Ramona Blyth, MBFI chair. "Our direct interactions and relationships with the agricultural community provided a great foundation for this partnership. We are very pleased to have Real Industries on board with our MBFI efforts."   Read the full news release.

L-R: Glenn Friesen, Mb Ag; Kristine Tapley, DUC; Jamie Rea, Real Industries Ltd.; Ramona Blyth, MBFI; Duncan Morrison, MFGA

MBFI seeking to fill farm hand position

Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives is looking for a farm hand for our beef and forage research and demonstration farm located near Brandon MB. Duties, hours of work and other details can be found on this flyer.  
Contact Kristelle Harper: 1-204-740-0376,   [email protected].

Be Alert to the Risk of Alfalfa Winter Injury

Every winter alfalfa growers worry about what the weather may do to their fields. It's very hard to predict winterkill in alfalfa and although I tend to look at soil temperature first when predicting problems, there are a lot of other factors like snow cover, cutting schedule, nutrition etc that factor into the equation. At this point in Manitoba's winter, I see two factors that raise red flags for potential winterkill. The first was the cold spell we experienced during the week of Feb 6-13. Soil temperatures dropped to the -8 to -12 range in some locations. Read on...

Give your Forages the best start - with MASC's Forage Establishment Insurance

As any forage producer knows, it can be very difficult under the most ideal of conditions to successfully establish a perennial forage stand. Spring flooding, late frost, summer heat, and winterkill can all wreak havoc on newly establishing seedlings, threatening the success of a forage planting. In 2016, the average cost of a custom legume/grass seed mix soared upwards of $70/acre in seed costs alone. Add to this another $50/acre in costs for seeding, fertilizer, and land preparations, and establishing a forage crop starts to look rather risky from a producer's standpoint. Why not protect your investment? The cost to insure a forage crop for establishment is cheap - less than 10% of the seed cost - when factoring in all of the other elements involved in growing forages. There are two different levels of Forage Establishment Insurance coverage available through Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation: $2.67 and $5.34/acre, which pays back $40 and $80/acre respectively. The deadline for application is March 31, 2017 and enrollment is simple. Call your local MASC office and add it to your existing AgriInsurance policy, or add it as a sole option if you do not have an existing policy. Read this Forage Establishment Insurance fact sheet for full details.

FSTR Deadline: March 31, 2017

Reminder: March 31, 2017 is the deadline to apply for the Farmland School Tax Rebate for the 2016 tax year. Your application must be received by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and the taxes must be paid in full by that date. For more information, visit masc.mb.ca/fstr.

Manitoba Government launches online survey seeking input on legislative changes to funding model of KAP

The Manitoba government is seeking feedback about potential changes to the funding model of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and is asking farmers and other stakeholders to complete an online survey to share their views, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today. Survey deadline is March 9, 2017.  View the full media release. 

Determine Pasture Size with a free App!

How big is that pasture? How long is this fence line? How far is it to the nearest water point? All of these questions and more can be answered using the GeoMeasure application, a free download for both iOS and Android smartphones. Knowing the area of a pasture or field is very useful information, especially when calculating application rates of a sprayer or determining stocking rate. GeoMeasure allows you to assess area in a multitude of units including square feet and acres. Read on...

New birdsfoot trefoil listed as superior forage variety

Interlake Forage Seeds Ltd. and Semican Inc. are pleased to announce that their new birdsfoot trefoil variety, Bruce, has been accepted and listed in Europe. This superior forage variety has been bred by AAFC with Dr. Yousef Papadopoulos doing the breeding work. As demonstrated in Cornell trials the variety has had excellent seedling vigour, displacing all other trefoil varieties in the first year forage yield data while maintaining superior yield in subsequent crop years. Bruce has excellent winter hardiness and seed yield and will be an outstanding variety going forward.

A survey for producers using high stock density grazing practices 

Dr. Allen Williams and Dr. Richard Teague (and others) are conducting a study of Manitoba and Saskatchewan grazing management. In particular they are looking for potential participants in the Prairie Provinces that practice "Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing" on their farms and ranches. This Grazing Research Project is being coordinated and conducted with University of Alberta - Edmonton and a research team of grazing experts, ecological scientists, and soil health experts. They will collect grassland soil carbon, water infiltration, vegetation, biodiversity, microbial community and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions data under Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazed / Heavy Continuous Grazed (HCG) grasslands. If the findings are positive, they will draft a protocol for allowing improved grazing to contribute to creating GHG offsets in Canada. This could potentially provide reasonably priced offsets while simultaneously improving and restoring grassland soil carbon levels, water cycles, energy cycles, and improving rancher well-being.  

Download the Forage and Grasslands Guide published

jointly by the CFGA and Farm Business Communications 

Get Ready!

The first machines used in the preparation of hay and forage materials are mowers and mower-conditioners. Their proper maintenance and efficient use have a significant effect on the quality of hay for two reasons. Clean cutting and optimum conditioning are, of course, critical, but perhaps equally important is having the machines ready on time and operating with minimum downtime when the weather is right to cut the crop at the exact time of its greatest nutritive value.

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