Manitoba Bulletin
Canola Research Camp
This summer, Manitoba Canola Growers set out to help build connections between researchers and farmers across Manitoba with the launch of Canola Research Camp. Research camp was designed to encourage the highest quality of research, focused on providing farm-level value to growers across the province.
Researchers to Farmers
Over the span of two days, MCGA took eight researchers to six different farms across the province from Portage la Prairie to Basswood to Cypress River. Researchers got the chance to see first hand the challenges of the current growing season, and discuss with farmers the range and variability in production practices across Manitoba. Canola-specific content included seeding methods and fertility concerns and considerations, flea beetles, canola diseases, and harvest methods and optimization. Discussions included topics not limited to canola: whole-farm issues such as managing field variability, crop-livestock integration, crop rotations, soil health, farm management and transition planning.
Valuable questions around how on-farm decisions are made directed conversations toward how farmers use research results and what research topics have potential to make the largest impact. Researchers and farmers also discussed how to share research results in a way that enables farmers to adopt new and improved production practices.
Researchers to Researchers
Another goal of Camp was to create a community of researchers that can build off each other’s expertise and experience to form valuable collaborations for future research projects. By bringing together researchers from different institutions and fields of research, such as soil fertility, plant pathology, ag economics and precision agronomy, MCGA hopes to facilitate multidiscipline projects that provide maximum value for our growers funding investments.
Researchers to MCGA
Lastly, MCGA put a focus on informing researchers about how the association functions and its main priorities. MCGA explained how farmer check-off dollars are used to fund research, and how final funding decisions are made through the board of directors, often in collaboration with other funding organizations through specific canola-specific and whole-farm funding programs.
MCGA plans to make Canola Research Camp an annual event, hosting new researchers each year to build on the success of 2022 and continue to grow our research community.
“My realization…we can’t have solutions without our farmers. They live the land, work the land, feel the land, taste the land. No solutions without them. They know their lands in and out, they re-work technologies and techniques to suit their land and operations. They do what works for their land. Right out custom-tailored.”
—Afua Mante, assistant professor, soil physical properties, University of Manitoba.
Scholarship Winners
Manitoba Canola Growers are proud to announce the 2022 high school scholarship winners. $1,000 scholarships have been awarded to five deserving students from across Manitoba. This year’s winners are:
Brooklyn McRae
St. Andrews, MB
Brooklyn will be attending the University of British Columbia in the fall studying Applied Science (Engineering)
Janik Grenier
Notre Dame de Lourdes, MB
Janik will be attending the University of Manitoba in the fall and studying in the Faculty of Science.
Kate-Leigh Heapy
Oak River, MB
Kate-Leigh will be attending Assiniboine Community College and studying Business Administration Accounting.
Lindsay Wytinck
Glenboro, MB
Lindsay is attending Assiniboine Community College and studying Agribusiness.
Sydney Gerelus
Shoal Lake, MB
Sydney is attending the University of Saskatchewan and studying in the Faculty of Animal Bioscience.
The $1,000 scholarships are available to students who are from an MCGA-member farm and are planning to attend post-secondary education in any field within two years of graduating. Students submitted their applications and were judged by an independent panel based on academic standing, canola connection, references, essay submission and school and community involvement.