The Current – Magazine
The Current is the Manitoba Association of Watersheds annual magazine that gives Manitoba’s watershed districts a platform to share their success stories.
Read our article here: The Current – 2025 Edition
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Manitoba Watersheds Conference
December 1-3, 2025
Join us as we celebrate 50 years of watershed district programming in Manitoba – honouring a legacy of partnership, innovation, and conservation at this year’s Manitoba Watersheds Conference.
The conference offers an opportunity for watershed district staff and board members to engage with industry professionals, decision-makers, businesses, and one another. It provides a platform for celebrating successes, fostering community building, staying connected to new and emerging practices, promoting education, and advocating for the protection of our water resources.
Registration is now open! Click Here to get started!
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Manitoba Forage & Grasslands Regenerative Agriculture Conference
November 12-13, 2025
MFGA’s Annual Regen Ag Conference – a 1.5 day event is being held November 12-13, 2025 at the Victoria Inn, Brandon, Mb. The conference will feature national and international keynote speakers, an outstanding trade show with many opportunities to engage with vendors and a silent auction. As well, thanks to an exciting agreement with Holistic Management Canada, a free kids program will be offered to families attending the MFGA conference.
Registration is now open! Click Here to view keynote speakers and agenda
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Manitoba Envirothon Accepting Registrations for 2026
October 21, 2025
By registering, you are committing your team to participate in the Regional competitions, being held around the province in April, 2026. From there, winning teams will be sent to the Provincial competition (Tim Hortons Camp – Whiteshell Provincial Park) from May 21 – 23, 2026.
New for This Year: Two Participation Streams at Regionals
This year, we are excited to offer two ways for teams to engage in the Regional event:
1. Competitive Stream
Teams choosing this stream will actively compete at the Regional level and will be eligible to advance to the Provincial competition based on their performance.
2. Experiential Stream
This non-competitive option allows teams to participate in the Regional event for the educational experience, without the pressure of competition. These teams will not be eligible to move on to Provincials. After the event, they will receive copies of their tests and answer keys for self-assessment and learning. This stream will be on a first come first serves basis, based on availability.
Teams are made up of 5 students and can be from mixed grades. Schools are welcome to register more than one team, but must register each team on a separate form and have their own advisors. Only one registration form per team should be submitted.
FEES
Regional event: $200 per team
Provincial event: $2000 per team
Registration opens October 21st, 2025.
Summary of important deadlines
October 21st, 2025 – Registration Opens
February 13th, 2026 – Registration Due
March 2nd, 2026 – All Team Member Information Submitted
April 3, 2026 – Participant Waiver & Release Form Due, Regional Fee Due
May 15, 2026 – Payments for Provincials Due
Click HERE for more information
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Manitoba Agriculture has developed a funding program to support livestock producers in accessing new or expanding existing water supplies during prolonged periods of dry conditions.
August 21, 2025
Program Information
Funding to support livestock producers in establishing new or expanding existing water supplies for agricultural use by installing infrastructure.
- Wells: drilling new or deepening/extending existing, plus test hole drilling, screening, casing, well caps, etc.
- Dugouts: constructing new or rehabilitating existing.
- Associated components and actions: purchase and installation of pipe, plumbing and electrical, trenching, earthworks, etc.
- Permanent pipeline development: pipelines below the frost line OR shallow/above ground pipelines that can be winterized, plumbing materials, trenching, earthworks, etc
Intake Information
The intake for this program is currently open; funding requests will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis from August 21, 2025, until available funding has been allocated.
Eligibility
- This intake is limited only to livestock producers.
- The land location(s) for the project must be within a Municipality, Northern Affairs Community or First Nation within a Designated Region as identified by AAFC’s 2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Provision. A list of Designated Regions is available on AAFC’s website.
2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Assessment – Designated Regions
Map of Canada highlighting the prescribed regions. Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS) and created on July 28, 2025. This map is for illustrative purposes only. The entire list of prescribed regions appears below.
- Alonsa1
- Alexander1
- Armstrong
- Bifrost-Riverton
- Coldwell1
- Division No. 1, Unorganized1
- Division No. 18, Unorganized, East Part
- Division No. 18, Unorganized, West Part1
- Division No. 19, Unorganized
- Division No. 20, Unorganized, South Part
- Division No. 21, Unorganized
- Division No. 23, Unorganized1
- Ethelbert1
- Fisher
- Gimli
- Grahamdale
- Grandview1
- Hillsburg-Roblin-Shell River1
- Lakeshore1
- Minitonas-Bowsman
- Mountain (North)
- Mountain (South) 1
- Mossey River1
- Rockwood
- St. Clements1
- St. Andrews1
- St. Laurent
- Swan Valley West
- West Interlake
- Woodlands1
Producers must apply through Manitoba Agriculture website here : BMP 4700: 2025 Special Intake – Livestock Water Supply.
If you are unsure of your eligibility or for more information, applicants can contact Manitoba Agriculture at agriculture@gov.mb.ca or 1-800-811-4411.
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The Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP)
The Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW) is pleased to announce that the expansion phase of the Prairie Watershed On-Farm Climate Action Project: “Deploying Real, Measurable, and Practical Climate Solutions for the Canadian Prairies” has been approved to receive up to $40,012,707 over the next three years under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions Program – On-Farm Climate Action Fund. This expansion phase will be delivered exclusively within Manitoba.
The first phase of the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP), launched in 2022, spanned Manitoba and Saskatchewan and supported 4,100 producers and landowners, administering over $69 million. It focussed on increasing the uptake and awareness of Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) and was also funded by the On-Farm Climate Action Fund. The eligible BMPs under the PWCP are grouped into three key categories: rotational grazing, nitrogen management, and cover cropping. These practices will remain integral to the program’s efforts in the next three years.
“We are thrilled to continue to offer the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program in Manitoba through Manitoba’s watershed districts. The success of the pilot phase project can be directly attributed to the work on the ground down by watershed district staff, and the relationships they have with local communities. We look forward to continued partnership with watershed districts to support land management practices that protect our watersheds.” – Lynda Nicol, executive director, Manitoba Association of Watersheds
The expansion phase of the project will run until March 31, 2028, with MAW continuing as the lead organization managing the PWCP in Manitoba. Manitoba’s Watershed Districts will continue to serve as delivery agents for the program, working directly with producers to implement practical climate solutions.
“We couldn’t be happier with the success of the PWCP and the partnership MAW has had with the watershed districts delivering the program since 2022. We look forward to three more years of funding to support landowners in making better decisions for their farm, which in turn supports the health of our provincial watersheds.” – Garry Wasylowski, board chair, Manitoba Association of Watersheds.
Updated program information is currently being prepared and will be shared with delivery agents soon.
Read the official news release from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada here.
For more information about PWCP please visit https://manitobawatersheds.org/prairie-watershed-climate-program or contact your local Manitoba Watershed District.
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What is a Living Lab?
Launched in 2022, Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs is a $185-million program that will allow Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to build and strengthen a nationwide network of Living Labs over 10 years. There are 14 living labs across Canada, including Living Lab – Manitoba (LL-MB). Information gathered through ACS-LL will allow Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to provide Canadian agricultural producers with general and regionally-specific beneficial management practices.
The three main priorities of ACS-LL are:
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Sequester carbon
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Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
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Provide other co-development co-benefits
Please visit the ACS-LL website for more information.
What is Living Lab – Manitoba?
Living Lab – Manitoba is a research-based program that collaborates with agricultural producers to develop grassroots solutions for reducing agricultural impacts on climate and environment.
LL-MB is built in partnership with Manitoba’s 14 watershed districts and was developed in collaboration with a highly engaged network of local agricultural producers, industry groups, Indigenous groups, and nonprofit groups.
Funded through Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), LL-MB is a five-year project that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance carbon sequestration, and protect water through enhanced land management and integrated watershed management.
Research projects done on local Manitoba farms will inform the development of new and innovative agricultural practices and will provide a solid foundation for further policy planning surrounding agricultural production.
Click here to read the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Press Release
Click here to read the Manitoba Association of Watersheds press Release
What will be studied through Living Lab – Manitoba?
Multiple research sites will be identified across the province and research will occur directly on farms in Manitoba watershed district. Research will be conducted by various local industry organizations and academic institutions, and data collection/data processing will be performed by an AAFC research team.
Research activities will focus on the following themes:
Carbon Sequestration with Natural Infrastructure
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Prairie Wetlands, Riparian Zones, and Managed Buffers as Hotspots for Carbon Sequestration
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Maximizing Net GHG Sequestration in Pastures, Conserved, and Restored Grasslands
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Agroforestry: Evaluating the Potential for Carbon Sequestration, Crop Yield, and Field Health
Increased Soil Organic Matter to Increase Water Retention, Carbon Sequestration, Crop Yield, and Field Health
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Carbon Sequestration Through Varied Cropping Systems
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Annual Crop and Livestock Integration
Reduced Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
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Emissions Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions with Improved Nitrogen Management
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Nitrogen Fixing Crop Rotations, Intercrops, and Cover Crops to Reduce Input
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Evaluating Scenarios for Annual Crop, Livestock, and Human Waste Stream Integration – Practices that Facilitate a Circular Nutrient Economy
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Tile Drain and Retention Pond Nutrient Recuperation, Eutrophication, and GHG Emissions Examination
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Nutrient Leaching Mitigation and Rhizosphere Microbiome Health
Understanding and Targeting Spatial Distribution and Building of Soil Carbon
Developing Realistic Scenarios for Targeting of Conservation Efforts and Restoration of Natural Features with Modelling of Implications for Regional Net Carbon Balance
What are the Benefits of LL-MB?
Beneficial management practices (BMPs) developed with research data from the LL-MB project will help to increase the sustainability of the Canadian agriculture industry. The adoption of BMPs in agricultural ecosystems provides tangible environmental and economic benefits such as:
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Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
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Increased carbon sequestration
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Improved watershed health
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Decreased operating cost to producers
This also means producers may be more competitive in an evolving market, as consumers care more about where their food comes from, how their food is produced, and what impact their food has on the environment.
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Government of Canada and Manitoba Announce Launch of Province’s New Online Environmental Farm Plan Platform
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are announcing the launch of Manitoba’s new online Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) platform.
More information on the EFP and a link to the online EFP portal can be found at www.ManitobaEFP.ca.
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