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Pummelled by hail: The onslaught of erratic weather is real

If farmers think the weather was erratic this year, data says they’re right.

Earlier this summer, the Co-operator reported that farmers in the Rivers area were pummeled with near-apocalyptic hail. Weeks later, they’d been hit again. At the time, hail claims in Manitoba had already exceeded the total number of claims last year.

Why it matters: Weather is always a popular topic of conversation among farmers and this year, there’s been a lot to talk about.

Hail numbers have climbed since then.

The “white combine” visited fields again in the penultimate week of August. As of Aug. 28, the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation reported 1,830 hail claims, including 174 from the spate of storms just days before. Over the five years before 2023, claims averaged 1,280 a year.

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From Dry to Thrive: Forage Fixes for Future Fortitude

Video: From Dry to Thrive: Forage Fixes for Future Fortitude

Presented by Christine O'Reilly, Forage & Grazing Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA).

Prolonged dry weather impacted many regions of Ontario in 2025. With the growing season behind us, how can livestock farmers set their forage crops up for success next year? This session covers the short-term agronomy to bounce back quickly, as well as exploring options for building drought resilience into forage systems for the future.

The purpose of the Forage Focus conference is to bring fresh ideas and new research results to Ontario forage producers across the ruminant livestock and commercial hay sectors