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Lake of the Prairies – The New Lake Winnipeg?

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New Report Expresses Water Quality Concerns - by Larry Powell "Clean, potable drinking water is critical for human life and, therefore, a necessity for prosperous, sustainable communities." - Shell River State of the Watershed Report - 2008 A study of western Manitoba’s Shell River watershed points to the buildup of nutrients as the most serious water quality problem in the region. The 2008 "State of the Watershed" report by the Lake of the Prairies Conservation District is a report card on the health of our surface and ground water. Its verdict? It could be better! Autumn in the Shell Valley - photos by L.P. The Shell River rises in the Duck Mountains and meanders southward for almost 80 kilometers before emptying into the Lake of the Prairies at Asessippi Park. The watershed stretches well into Saskatchewan. In Manitoba, it covers almost 3,000 k

Future Hog Barn Development Will Be Less "Extreme." Minister

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ROBLIN, MB. Oct. 20-'08 by Larry Powell Manitoba's Conservation Minister, Stan Struthers, promises that past mistakes in the way factory hog barns have grown up in parts of the province, will not be repeated elsewhere. Struthers makes the remarks in an interview wit h "Paths Less Travelled" today. (Struthers Photo Courtesy Gov of MB) In the face of sustained and sometimes vicious opposition from the hog lobby, Struthers (also the Minister responsible for the environment) recently piloted a law through the provincial legislature, freezing the development of new factory hog barns in three areas of the province; the Interlake, the Red River Valley and the southeast. But new ones will still be allowed in the rest of the province! In that regard, Struthers has reassuring words for people in these areas (like myself) who might fear they will be adversely affected by new barns. He says a working group will bring recommendations back to him that will address such things as s

A SPIKE IN ETHANOL'S COFFIN?

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Reviewing biofuel policies and subsidies; Annual report weighs opportunities and risks of biofuels 7 October 2008, Rome - Biofuel policies and subsidies should be urgently reviewed in order to preserve the goal of world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability, FAO said today in a new edition of its annual flagship publication The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2008. (also see post directly below and my article "Bursting the Ethanol Bubble" in older posts.) L.P .

ANOTHER NAIL IN THE ETHANOL COFFIN

A secret report by the World Bank finds biofuels are contributing way more to the current world food crisis than has ever been suggested before! Read more..... (Also see my article, "Bursting the Ethanol Bubble" by scrolling way down to older posts.) L.P.

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING "EARTH DAY, TOO"

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Thanks to all who turned out to support our "Earth Day Too," end-of-season farmers market and celebration in Roblin, Manitoba, Canada on Labour Day weekend! While the crowds were perhaps not all we had hoped for, those who did attend clearly appreciated the produce, crafts, information, tea party put on by our host, the Life & Art Centre, and the live music. Enthusiasts of local food production and marketing and the so-called "eat local" movement are well aware that many in our community grow their own gardens and share their bounty, free-of-charge, with their friends and neighbours। This is a time-honoured tradition and is as it should be. It is a culture that is well-entrenched and understandable, given the convenience factor. Come to think of it, this practise surely is as central to the "eat local" movement as any other element - another pillar in a structure we know as "food security." The consumers we are &quo

LEARNING ORGANICS "DIRTY" SECRETS

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Martin Entz, pictured above, is a professor at the University of Manitoba's Department of Plant Science. In 1992 Martin Entz started growing crops in an un-Western way to prove to himself that it couldn’t be done. But after nearly 17 years of comparing organic and conventional agricultural practices at research farms around Winnipeg the plant scientist delightfully notes his assumptions were wrong. The Glenlea long-term organic/conventional crop rotation study is Canada’s oldest and it’s providing valuable insights into natural farming systems. A major finding pertains to soil health, specifically, the microorganisms living in it. (To re-cap from a first-year Biology course, over 95 per cent of vascular plants have fungi in their roots and this association benefits the plants in numerous ways.) In Year 13, graduate student Cathy Welsh, working with Entz and soil sciences’ Mario Tenuta, compared the plots’ fungal spore density and diversity – a hallmark of soil health, and indi