It’s that time of year again, when a student’s thoughts turn to looking fashionable while still staying warm (hahahahaha, as if) and, more importantly, the students from the University of Guelph’s Crop 4240 class launch their weed identification and control videos. This is the second year that instructor Francois Tardif and lab lead Mike Cowbrough… Read More
Month: October 2013
Canola seedlings faces a host of enemies before they even see the light of day — seeds can get bashed around in the air seeder, plowed down too deep, hit by root rots or burned by seed-placed fertilizer. There are ways and means of minimizing the impact of each of these threats to your eventual… Read More
Farmers could play a big role in the movement to turn food waste from a habit into a villain. In some circles, food waste is now being called the number one issue in the food business. It’s described as a major stumbling block in the drive to feed the world. According to this line of… Read More
A three-year deal still needs to be ratified by workers, but Canadian National (CN) railway reports today that a tentative deal has been struck with the Teamsters union and a rail strike has been averted. The threatened strike would have crippled an already severely taxed logistics system trying to move the huge 2013 crop. As… Read More
Its the scariest day on the farm because its Halloween. One of the most common traditions at Halloween time is the carving of the pumpkin. Below are some readers tweets showing off some great carving creations. If you have a pumpkin that you would like to share post it in the comment section, tweet… Read More
Respiratory disease and distress can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from viruses to drastic changes in diet. Signs and symptoms, though alike, often go undetected, their subtleties akin to those of other prey animals, who mask illness in order to fool predators. By the time producers or health professionals recognize symptoms, the ailment… Read More
Let’s face it, most sprayers are built to cover a lot of ground quickly. (Hi-fives all around) But what happens when when you don’t have that big area to cover? The old analogy of using a bazooka to kill a fly may not be quite as spot-on as we’d like in this situation, but that… Read More
This month my good friend Janice Person attended the Borlaug Dialogues. There were several events and observations that impacted her greatly. This is a great post from a great friend. I hope that you enjoy it like I did. — Shaun Haney This post was originally published on the Monsanto Blog by Janice Person Last… Read More
If Manitoba farmers weren’t concerned enough about the arrival of clubroot in two canola fields this summer, perhaps the latest confirmation of clubroot galls found in a North Dakota canola field will serve as a wake up call. Of course, this also serves as a giant red flag for American canola growers as well. The… Read More
Modernizing Canada’s varietal registration system needed to happen — the removal of kernel visual distinguishability and the CWB’s monopoly in recent years has changed crop variety development in Canada. The registration system needs to evolve with it in order to stay current and competitive. Read More: Upov 91, Gerry Rits and Canada’s variety registration system… Read More
Farmers who banked on moving crop in September are running into road blocks left and right, even on the eve of November. A bumper crop across most crop kinds in all three Prairie Provinces is taxing Western Canada’s railway service and elevators are at or near capacity, even with huge piles of grain being stored… Read More
The 2013 growing season was one of the most productive on record for Western Canada. There were big crops of everything from peas, to canola, to cereals. Durum and hard red spring wheat crops were huge on many farms. While this is good news for farmers (as long as they can get the crop moved),… Read More
On November 26 and 27 Canfax will be hosting its second annual Canfax Market Forum at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino in Calgary Alberta. I had a chance to talk to Canfax Market Analyst Brian Perillat about the conference and specifically about some of the headlining speakers. Whether its COOL, currency and cattle markets or… Read More
It’s time to get down, get your hands dirty and take stock of, well, what you feed your stock. As discussed in the last Beef Research School, rangelands serve several purposes beyond just growing grass, and their health is a measure of five key components — species mix, nutrient cycling, site stability, water management and… Read More
The ninth edition of an award winning calendar showcasing the photos and stories of 13 Ontario farmers and farm families was unveiled at a gala in Milton last night. The “Faces of Farming” calendar, featuring this year’s theme of Real Farmers with Real Heart, is produced annually to introduce the public to a few of… Read More