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Electoral candidates take on ag issues

Agriculture representatives from four of Manitoba’s political parties traded promises and verbal jabs over the education property tax, rural health care and water policy when they met at a Sept. 12 election forum.

The Winnipeg event was organized by the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters. Candidates answered questions provided by Manitoba ag groups and had 45 seconds to respond on each topic.

Why it matters: Candidates are counting down the last few weeks before the Oct. 3 provincial election.

Education property tax, a priority set by Keystone Agriculture Producers, was first on the list. KAP wants to see continued phase-out of the tax from farm property and the development of an equitable education funding model.

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Designing a Robotic Berry Picker

Video: Designing a Robotic Berry Picker


Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.