Already battered by drought, Manitoba cattle farmers could face even worse conditions

Jason Bednarek has never seen drought this bad in Manitoba’s Interlake region, and midway into July, the third-generation farmer is already racked with worries about what he’ll have to do to make it through winter. 

“I can’t even put it into words how bad it is,” said Bednarek, owner of 2B Land and Cattle. “I’ve never seen it worse.”

Bednarek doesn’t know how he’ll be able to keep his 2,000 calves near Ashern fed after a lack of rain and sweltering heat this season has left him with a shortage of hay and other crops for feed.

With more prolonged heat warnings on the horizon, he and others are