Wild times here in Manitoba

[farmers_son]

I was driving home tonight while listening to the radio with news stories of the floods. Thanks for the posts here. And it sounds bad along the Mississippi too.

I was wondering if all the mud adds to soil fertility on the flooded lands.

[kato]

I think over time, it does, which is why the Red River valley has such productive soil.

The downside is that it's going to take a long time to dry out, there will be a lot of damage done, and there will be permanent damage to things like the big strawberry farms that are in the path of this intentional dike breach. One grower in a story I read said it may put him out of business completely. This is a farm that produces millions of dollars in produce, and employs a lot of people.

And to add to that, I just read a story in the Co-operator that cattle producers in the interlake have been put on notice that there is more water being diverted into Lake Manitoba than it can handle, and they need to be prepared to evacuate cattle too. And they aren't in the zone where the dike breach is supposed to send the water. This is extra water that's already going through the Portage diversion. The number the story puts out is something like a hundred thousand head! Like they haven't had enough problems already..........

I think there's going to be hard feelings in rural Manitoba for a while after this is all over.

[MarshallDillon]

Haven't seeded an acre in the Red River Valley just west of Winnipeg. We may not get going until June if you believe the 15 day weather forcasts.

Now they are going to breach the Assinaboine River dike and every drop of water comming down the Lasalle River will be going past my place, plus reflooding some of my land. Oh well.

[littledoggie]

I just heard on the radio that cattle producers in the area that is to be flooded are having to move their cattle to some designated crown land. GAD I hope they are all finished calving! What a nightmare! Our hearts go out to them all. I wonder if they are able to keep the herds segregated or if they will be co-mingled.

[BTOfarmallll]

Hopper I wouldn't try it. You'll rip that 535 to shreds. Heck my 765B would, nevermind the bigger one. Pitt that you gettin flooded out up there on the Lasalle????

[Hopperbin]

Not going to get the chance the cat got rented out at 8 am this morning, guess I was slow on the draw. Bought myself a 9170 case with power shift and new tires and new engine. Not working too badly.

[furrowtickler]

Rock solid tractor there hopper, good luck.

[Hopperbin]

I don't know the previous owner, I bought the tractor at FarmWorld Humboldt, gotta give credit to the previous owner for taking such good care of a tractor. Awesome condition, clean and well maintained.

[burnt]

If there is any positive to be found in the forced sale of cattle, it is that at least the prices not at giveaway levels like they were a year or two ago.

Still, it's probably not what the owner(s) had in mind.

[kato]

http://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000425032


May 12, 2011 12:57 AM

By: Ron Friesen
Vogar, Man. | Manitoba Co-operator
Livestock, Weather

Cattle producers in Manitoba's Interlake are frantically trying to move their herds out of the Lake Manitoba region this week after receiving emergency evacuation warnings because of rising flood waters.

Producers in nearly a dozen municipalities around the lower basin of Lake Manitoba have been put on evacuation alert for as water levels rise to dangerous levels.

Provincial authorities warned area residents at a meeting held in a local community hall earlier this week that evacuation notices for themselves and their livestock could be issued.

Those evacuations could potentially involve scores of producers and thousands of animals. It could be the largest mass movement of cattle in recent Manitoba history.

Many producers say they are at a loss as to know where to relocate their animals and how to go about doing so.

"We're being left to our own devices," said local producer Mark Emilson.

Emilson said he received a call from his local municipality on the weekend telling him he should be prepared to move himself and his cattle at a moment's notice.

Emilson, whose 400 cows are just finishing calving, said he hung up the phone stunned by the news.

"It was surreal," he said.

As of Wednesday, the threat of evacuation loomed for flood-threatened producers in rural municipalities bordering on the lower basin of Lake Manitoba. Those include: Lakeview, Westbourne, Portage la Prairie, Woodlands, St. Laurent, Coldwell, Eriksdale, Siglunes, Lake Manitoba, Grahamdale and the LGD of Alonsa. More RMs could be affected in the days ahead.

Late Wednesday, the provincial cattle producers' association stepped in and named itself as "the first point of contact from this point forward for all producers affected by the current flood crisis."

Manitoba Beef Producers urged producers to contact its Winnipeg office "immediately" if they have an "immediate situation or call to evacuation," are "in need of available pasture land or cattle boarding," or suffered losses of livestock in the snowstorm that hit parts of the province the weekend of April 30.

Heavy spring runoff, chronic wet conditions from successive wet summers and water diverted from the flooded Assiniboine River into Lake Manitoba have combined to drastically raise lake levels, forcing water inland and threatening homes and farms.

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives estimates an additional 200 square miles of land along the shoreline are covered by flood water this spring.

"First responsibility"

Producers are scrambling desperately to locate places to move cattle and for trucks to transport them there.

MAFRI promises to help but says it's mainly up to producers to help themselves.

"The owner has the first responsibility to deal with their situation," said Gerald Huebner, MAFRI acting assistant deputy minister.

"If they're unable, we suggest they go to their municipal emergency measures co-ordinator. Through the emergency management system, our department will ensure that animals are not under threat, either from feed shortage or from inundation."

Art Jonasson, who is only days away from having his access road cut off by encroaching flood water, said he has so far located pasture space for half of his 300 cattle near Gladstone on the other side of the lake.

But getting them there will be a huge challenge, Jonasson said.

Rounding them up from muddy pastures is one problem. Loading them is another. Jonasson said he knows one producer who will have to haul cattle 30 miles in trailers just to get them to an appropriate loading site.

Leaving cattle cut off by flood waters is not an option because they would have no feed.

"We can't let our animals starve," Jonasson said.

Provincial Agriculture Minister Stan Struthers on Tuesday declared a provincial livestock emergency, enabling the government to open up Crown lands and wildlife refuges for emergency grazing.

According to Manitoba Beef Producers, leaseholders on Crown land have been granted the ability to sublet to producers in need of pasture, and are advised to contact the MBP office for help in that process.

"Special arrangements"

Huebner said MAFRI will ensure through provincial animal welfare legislation that livestock which producers cannot help will be cared for.

"In cases where feed needs to be purchased and special arrangements need to be made, we're prepared to do that."

The province also relaxed road weight restrictions to help move livestock, feed and machinery.

Manitoba Beef Producers this week issued a province-wide call for farmers to assist fellow producers facing an evacuation risk.

"The immediate difficulty is moving cattle through the mud and down roads that are almost impassable and that's causing stress and frustration," said Martin Unrau, a MacGregor, Man. producer and Canadian Cattlemen's Association vice-president.

That stress was evident last week as producers wondered if moving their cattle was even possible.

"This is more than a crisis. This is dev astation," said Theresa Johnson, who raises cattle with her husband Greg.

Even if cattle can be evacuated, it's only a temporary measure, said Jonasson. He worried about the condition of pastures after flood waters finally subside weeks from now.

"They're not going to have pastures to come back to."