http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/l_rance Most recent (7 days) columns en-gb Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:39:56 CDT There was no jubilation on the Canadian side of the border when news broke an unregistered genetically modified wheat was found accidentally growing in an Oregon farmer's field last month. Key customers indicated they might divert their purchases to Canada if the GM wheat was found contaminating... Sat, 8 Jun 2013 10:44:38 CDT The March 14 status on my 20-year-old daughter's Facebook page said it all: "Got a shout-out from a prof for being a very "clear and confident speaker and presenter." Second one this year. All those years of hating 4-H speaking competitions are finally paying off!" It took me back a decade to Sat, 1 Jun 2013 03:23:13 CDT Whether you eat meat or not, the ad campaign running on Winnipeg's transit service this month is bound to give you pause. The ads, part of a national campaign by the vegetarian lobbyists Mercy for Animals, portray household pets alongside baby livestock asking the question "Why love one but eat Sat, 25 May 2013 07:28:25 CDT Beef cattle and forages have been part of the research program at Brandon's Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada farm from its beginning 127 years ago. The research centre is among the five original research centres the federal government set up across the country back in 1886 when the connection Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:32 CDT It wasn't surprising to see a small crowd at a Winnipeg event talking about dirt. After waiting so long for spring to arrive, those interested in the topic are more likely to be getting their hands dirty than discussing it. The public screening of the British documentary Humus: the forgotten Sat, 11 May 2013 05:49:38 CDT The expression "canary in the coal mine" comes to mind when reading a newly released U.S. government report on the sorry plight of honeybees. Just as canaries once served as sentinels of a toxic situation for coal miners, the honeybee has been not-so-patiently trying to tell us something about Sat, 4 May 2013 03:23:07 CDT Organizers of the annual Crocus Festival in Arden aren't the only ones fretting about Manitoba's exceedingly late, cold spring. The annual festival, which features a photography contest of the province's official flower and one of the first signs of spring, was forced to extend the deadline for Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:31:01 CDT The word "farmer" conjures up different images for different people. The quaint, somewhat antiquated image of the dusty ol' farmer out working his field in Murray McLaughlin's ditty still resonates with many. But the far more common face of farming presented to the Canadian public these days is Sat, 20 Apr 2013 03:24:22 CDT On one hand, an international wire service story saying customers aren't happy with how Canadian wheat is baking up is bad news for this country's wheat-export industry. On the other, the industry can take comfort in the fact a customer complaint about Canadian wheat quality is rare enough that Sat, 13 Apr 2013 03:23:27 CDT A few weeks ago, members of the Manitoba Buckwheat Association faced an unusual dilemma as they gathered for their annual meeting. What would they do with their first-ever royalty cheque? As co-owners of a buckwheat snack with the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network (MAHRN), the association is Sat, 6 Apr 2013 07:27:11 CDT