I think every farmer is tired of reading about activists saying agriculture is making Canadians unhealthy, especially when the opposite is true. From what I read and hear, it’s sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary choices that are leading to alarming rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, not the crops and livestock that ultimately become… Read More
Month: August 2013
Supplementing cattle rations with mineral may seem expensive at first glance, but the cost of an incomplete nutritional package can show up as quickly as one breeding season where fertility rates plummet. The cost of open heifers or cows adds up far faster than the cost of mineral. When deciding on a mineral supplement, amount,… Read More
In a recent post on the Fast Company website, Comedian Nick Offerman was photographed chewing on a piece of raw meat. I like rare steak but I am not sure I would like this meal. I think the good thing is that even though it is meant to be funny in a series of strange… Read More
The canola crop is ripening at an incredible pace — should you wait and straight cut or try and swath ASAP? How fast is too fast to combine canola, in either scenario? These are questions that come up every year, but the trade-off between swathing and straight-cutting are especially important this year as the canola… Read More
Federated Co-operatives Limited, on behalf of the Co-operative Retailing System (CRS), has entered into an agreement to purchase 17 fertilizer, seed and agriculture chemical supply centres from Viterra Inc. Pending completion of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close by the end of September, according to a company press release…. Read More
After a busy week of networking, mind mapping and proposing solutions to food insecurity at the Youth Ag Summit in Calgary, I am now preparing to leave for Australia to meet up with the Five Nations Beef Alliance. Who is that, now? Allow me to elaborate. Four of the world’s major beef producing nations –… Read More
Several analysts and farmers were caught off guard by the significant move to the upside made in soybean, corn and associated markets earlier this week. Corn markets moved higher, yes, but the big boom came in the form of some significant weather risk weighing on the U.S. soybean crop. As you’ll hear in the SoundCloud… Read More
As a result of the international Youth Ag Summit, hosted in Calgary, Alberta, a global committee on food security has been formed. The executive (pictured below) is comprised primarily of youth volunteers and will spear-head the continuation of the summit’s discussion around food security. As a part of the Summit’s agenda, delegates and mentors were… Read More
If you’ve never been to a product launch from an equipment manufacturer, believe us when we say it’s typically a very big deal. More often than not there is fanfare, a light show, possibly smoke and sometimes even a parade. But when the confetti settles and the food brought out on combine headers (yes, really)… Read More
If you’re still seeding wheat by “about two bushels per acre”, it’s time to revisit your seeding strategy. Not only does the old bushels per acre rule-of-thumb not take into account a targeted plant population (the cornerstone of the crop year), it also ignores seed lot differences of size and weight. While varieties may perform… Read More
Editor’s note: This is a special guest editorial from Kim McConnell, founder of AdFarm. The following was shared with his team at AdFarm after a week at the Youth Ag Summit, held last week in Calgary. This past week, I had an opportunity to participate in an amazing experience. I moderated the week-long Global… Read More
Pulse crops are prime targets for harvest dry-down applications, if only because of their indeterminate growth. Add in some less-than-stellar weed control at times, and a desiccant or pre-harvest application of glyphosate can be a great harvest management tool. There are a few things to keep in mind, however, in order to maintain top yield… Read More
When Bob Dylan appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 playing an electric guitar, he was booed off the stage for being untrue to the genre. Ten years later, country awards named John Denver Entertainer of the Year – to the chagrin of presenter Charlie Rich (“Behind Closed Doors”), who, in front of millions… Read More
Air seeders can be tough on seed — the amount of air needed to push seed and fertilizer all the way to the openers can be tough to get just right, and, to avoid plugs or bridging, can sometimes run a little high, causing seed to bounce out of the furrow. Dutch Industries has developed… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario, in collaboration with the Ontario Agri Business Association and soybean processors, has announced changes being made to the way soybean drying charges will be calculated under the Agreement for Marketing the Ontario Soybean Crop made under the Farm Products Marketing Act (O. Reg 485/09). According to the new terms, effective September 1,… Read More