MARCH 2026
CELEBRATING 147 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION
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FOOD SECURITY
Water pipelines: a natural resource infrastructure goal
Flood or drought. The prairies have had their fair share of Biblical times. At Southern Potato Company Inc. some of that risk is being managed with a massive water storage and irrigation system for 2,500 acres of fresh, chip and seed potatoes. The Kuhl family is committed to that conservation effort near Winkler, Manitoba. Marlon Kuhl can be spotted in the bottom right-hand corner of the photo taken by Steve Langston.
KAREN DAVIDSON The Kuhl family of Winkler, Manitoba may not farm directly within the flood path of the mighty Red River but that doesn’t mean they don’t understand and respect the power of water. “The Red River Valley has dark, fertile soil,” explains Marlon Kuhl, who shares management responsibilities with his brother Jeremy at Southern Potato Co Ltd. “The challenge is that there is a clay base underneath and more often than not, our crops would have wet feet if it weren’t for extensive tile drainage. In my entire career, I’ve only seen a couple bad droughts.” Farming 11,000 acres of canola, corn, wheat, soybeans, edible beans and potatoes in rotation affords a yearly allocation of approximately 2,500 acres which produce fresh, chip and seed potatoes. They are sold under the
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Volume 76 Number 03 P.M. 40012319
Southern Potato Co banner. Exploring ways to de-risk the farm’s exposure to occasional drought, an increasing worry in light of climate change pressures, they decided to build two water reservoirs, six miles apart, on farm property. A four-year project that started in 2015 was supervised by local engineer Bruce Shewfelt, PBS Water Engineering Ltd. He managed the permitting process with municipal and provincial authorities. At the same time, he partnered with other technical specialists to choose suitable sites for a combined total of 500-acre feet of water storage. As Shewfelt explains, portions of southern Manitoba were originally submerged beneath Lake Agassiz, an ancient glacial lake that produced a heavy clay base in the soil today. This type of geological formation is advantageous for building water storage, but requires diligent testing to determine the exact location where the clay core is closest to the surface. Once the two sites were
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identified, the reservoirs were built with a four-metre dike above ground to safely store the water. “There are two pump stations -- one at each reservoir at different points in the pipe network,” says Shewfelt. “Jointly, the pumps deliver close to 5,000 gallons per minute.” Water is syphoned from the reservoir through variablespeed electric pumps capable of drawing water at up to 90 psi pressure. Miles of pipe, ranging from 10-inch to 15inch diameter, create an irrigation network that delivers water to above ground pivot and linear sprinkler systems. The entire network is fully automated, enabling the Kuhls to turn it on and off without having to enter the field. Environmental permit considerations included setbacks from municipal roads and directional boring to install leak-proof pipe underneath rural roads and the creeks that intermittently flow during spring runoff. Continued on page 3
Crop protection, spraying, potatoes
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