I’m not a big markets person. I know, I know, it’s agriculture, how could I not be into markets? I have a basic understanding of charts and outlooks, of course, but by my heart is in the soil, plants and animals — the futures market is rather Greek to me. Still, it’s difficult to attend… Read More
“Farm succession is a journey, not an event.” That’s the key message farm succession expert Len Davies has for farm families in the final episode of Agricultural Management Institute’s (AMI) new five-part video series. In the earlier episodes, four farm families shared their personal insights on what made their farm succession plans work. In the final episode,… Read More
FarmOn.com, an Alberta organization focused on connecting young farmers with resources, information and people to help them get started or continue farming, is launching the #farmvoices movement on April 22, 2013. Also celebrated that day is Earth Day, a fitting day, says board member and farmer Sarah Wray, as farmers are one of the largest… Read More
As of Monday, March 4, 2013, the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) is accepting cash advance applications for the 2013-14 Advanced Payments Program (APP). “This is the third year that we have accepted applications ahead of the April 1st program start date,” says Rick White, General Manager of CCGA. “By doing so, we provide farmers… Read More
Fertilizer management, and especially nitrogen management, can be a bit of an art form when it comes to corn planting. Not only is it sometimes difficult to get all the N down at planting, but using split applications of nitrogen can also just be good risk management. Going in later in the growing season means… Read More
The most important pass a farmer makes every year is the one with the seeder. There’s no way to add yield or plants if you make a big mistake on that first pass — no amount of fungicide, herbicide or specialty product is going to come to the rescue. But seeding conditions in Western Canada… Read More
It was only a matter of time before clubroot infection or viable clubroot spores were found in Manitoba soil, still it’s not welcome news. Manitoba’s provincial ag department released this press release today, underscoring the importance of spread prevention (Click here for a Canola School on the topic): Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives… Read More
Last week, RealAgriculture sent some Twitter love to a list of #westcdnag Twitter accounts, based solely on how active the accounts were and whether or not they wore their RealAgriculture free T-shirts. Well, maybe not solely on that, but what we’re trying to do with these lists is just get you some names to get… Read More
They may not be the most common sight on North American farms, but those who use Fendt tractors speak very highly of their driver comfort, high fuel efficiency and maneuverability. Available in the 600, 700 and 800 series, Shaun Haney took a tour of the 828 model at Louisville’s National Farm Machinery Show. In this… Read More
Farm safety took on a new meaning for me when I first met Alberta farmer Cliff Breitkreuz Jr., on his meticulously kept farm near Onoway. That’s going back a few years. Cliff had typed me a letter (on a manual typewriter) and then surface mailed it, inviting me to his farm to talk about politics… Read More
The transition from the closed to open wheat and barley market has gone very smoothly, of that most will agree. Sales have gone through, prices have been strong and the hiccups have been relatively minor. Earlier this week, several market analysts, grain buyers and farmers converged on downtown Winnipeg for Wild Oats Grainworld, a conference… Read More
As average corn yields are pushed higher and higher, some companies view the traditional row crop corn header as approaching maximum capacity. Geringhoff, a specialized corn header company, has unveiled a new type of corn header that combines aspects of both the row crop type and the solid-seeded type best suited for corn silage. The… Read More
Ah, early spring — the days are getting longer, the snow is starting to melt ever so slightly, and farmers are dusting off the machinery in hopes of an early seeding season. While many are fine-tuning their crop rotations and acreage counts, the savvy farmer is also pouring over seed test results and using the… Read More
It’s one thing to know that you should be scouting for blackleg, sclerotinia, sulphur deficiency and cutworms, for example. It’s another thing entirely to actually scout every field for every pest at the optimal timing during the hectic growing season. What if there was a way to practice insect, disease and nutrient deficiency identification when… Read More
Whenever someone mentions risk management in grain marketing, someone also mentions futures, options, puts, calls and, eventually, most people’s eyes glaze over. Anyone who has done a marketing course has also run through a hedging example or five in their education only to find that these tidy examples involving one crop rarely mirror real life…. Read More
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