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Agriculture This Week: Farming always evolving

When you have grown up on a farm in the 1960s and ‘70s it is almost beyond belief the changes in farming we see today. 

It was a mixed farm for me, and that meant pigs and grain. 

In my youth I hauled a lot of ground grain to feed the pigs using cleaned five-gallon pails that originally were filled with some weed spray, or another. 

Looking back over some 40-years it seems like it was such a crazy thing, but repurposing the pails was pretty standard. I’m pretty sure potatoes came from the garden to the cellar bin in similar pails. 

Of course I clearly recall Dad taking plugged nozzles off the sprayer, his gloves getting soaked in the process, and then simply blowing out the nozzle with his breath. 

Knowing what we do now it’s a wonder what health problems were caused in a time we didn’t know better, or were reluctant to change. Dad lived to a considerable age, his heart giving out one day, but one wonders. 


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A Day in the Life of a Barn Manager

Video: A Day in the Life of a Barn Manager


We go behind the scenes with Travis, a dedicated barn manager in Manitoba’s hog sector. He plays a key role in making sure pigs are well cared for, that operations run smoothly, and that his team stays safe and supported.

Discover how the role of a barn manager fits into the wider story of the pork industry’s impact in our province:
Over 22,000 Manitobans depend on the hog sector for for a high-quality, well-paying job.
The sector contributes more than $2.3 billion annually to Manitoba’s GDP.
It accounts for roughly 55% of all agriculture & food-manufacturing jobs in the province.

Want to explore a career in this fast-moving, meaningful industry? Visit www.manitobapork.com/careers to learn about opportunities, training pathways, and how you can be part of it too.