Budget cuts to agriculture not slicing the sector

Jun 03, 2016

Manitoba's Department of Agriculture was one of only two departments to see cuts in this year's provincial budget.

The budget, which was introduced this week, shows a $1 million cut to agriculture, but Finance Minister Cameron Friesen said on Tuesday that this number isn't as bad as it looks.

"These have been strong production years," he says, "so part of what you're seeing reflects the decrease in the insurance amounts. So in other words, farm insurance programs are not having (high) payouts... So in some respects, it's a good news story if the Department of Agriculture can come in under."

Ag Minister Ralph Eichler says this drop in forecast spending for agriculture is also to do with re-jigging some of the funding.

"For example, we used Hometown Grants through... rural initiatives, we've moved some of those over to municipal funding because it's more about rural communities than agriculture," he explains.

While agriculture saw an overall drop in funding, the budget numbers on agricultural research and innovation saw an almost $60,000 increase, which Eichler says is important.

"We wouldn't be growing corn (in Manitoba) if it wasn't for science," he says. "Science is what we want to base our future on."

Source : Portageonline

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.