KAP Wants Better Cell, Broadband Coverage

Feb 20, 2020

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) has launched a rural connectivity survey aimed at better understanding the issues facing both cellular coverage and broadband access across the province.

“Our members are some of the most poorly served by telecommunications in Canada because they live and run their businesses in rural areas with limited population density,” said KAP Director Sam Connery-Nichol. “Manitobans in rural areas are missing out on key information, including emergency alerts, and are often unable to call for help on their farms due to a lack of cell coverage.”

KAP has been advocating for years for improved broadband service in rural areas. The organization has put forward a number of policy resolutions, urging both the provincial government and the federal government to invest in quality coverage for all areas of the province.

The farm lobby group says a lack of access to reliable, affordable broadband internet prevents farmers from being able to take advantage of educational opportunities and technological advances that would make their operations more efficient and ultimately more successful.

KAP is encouraging both farmers and non-farmers alike from across the province to share their experiences.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.