Do what you do best and hire the rest, the saying goes. Agronomy, crop scouting and field diagnostics are a keen interest of many farmers, sure, but not everyone has the Guide to Crop Protection memorized. What’s more, field scouting takes time to do properly and typically needs to be done in a tight window…. Read More

Every year as the calendar turns to a new year, the Southwest Ag Conference greets us with two days of learning and networking with agricultural colleagues.  Due to travel issues into Toronto, Shaun Haney attended SWAC via twitter from the Las Vegas airport while Ontario Field Editor, Bern Tobin took in the event in person… Read More

New Holland is unveiling its new 2014 Speedrowers, replacing the H8000 series, including the 130, 200 and 240 models. The changes in the new series are wide-ranging, but not unlike most new models, there is a heavy focus on operator comfort and user-friendly features. See more: How do I know when to swath canola? Still… Read More

Bigger is sometimes better, but everything comes at a cost. Choosing bigger tractors and wider implements may mean a faster planting season, but can the farm shoulder the cost? The idea of finding the right size of machinery for your farm was tackled by John Molenhuis, business analysis and cost of production program lead, with… Read More

This week the Canola Council of Canada released its long term objectives for 2025.  The Canola Council of Canada was bold in its plans to set the clear objectives for the industry. Is 22 million acres at a yield of 52 bushels/acre producing 26 million tonnes crazy? Is it too lofty? Is it out of… Read More

By April 1st of 2014, four diseases that affect cattle will be moved from “reportable” to “immediately notifiable” under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The change is significant in a few ways, most notably that once a disease is no longer reportable, any financial assistance in managing the disease evaporates. The four diseases are: Chronic… Read More

“It’s an atrocity to block the humanitarian gesture of improved nutrition,” says Kevin Folta, scientist and associate professor at the University of Florida, referring to opposition towards Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). We saw incredible public interest in food in 2013, with polarizing discussions often centred around biotechnology. Many, including Folta, argue the current debates are largely… Read More

While many of us industry types were getting back into routine this week, the bad weather hangover in Ontario was still raging. Our own Shaun Haney got hung up in Las Vegas while trying to get to the Southwest Agricultural Conference (SWAC), and even Bern Tobin, our Ontario field editor missed the first day do… Read More

I spent much of my Christmas holiday in rural Alberta, where gossip of snow-induced roof collapse was becoming incredibly common. In most instances, more than just a roof was impacted, with reports of damaged machinery and livestock losses. So, for the first time in my life, I helped shovel snow from an altitude. (And for… Read More

It’s calving season. You waited – we’ve delivered! Our second podcast is up and available for download! This podcast features an interview with Travis Peardon, a livestock specalist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, about how last year’s harsh winter is still affecting ranch management. The rest of the podcast is a blur of activity,… Read More

January 9, 2014 – The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) announced its new target for Canada’s canola industry earlier today, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The CCC aims to increase the demand for canola, create a stable and open trade environment and sustainably and profitably increase production of canola to 26M tonnes by 2025. The CCC’s new targets have… Read More

Consumers want food that’s as cheap as possible. True, they want safe food, too, and all those other features such as wholesome, nutritious and environmentally sound food. But mainly, they want food cheap. The huge increase in grocery items at big box stores and discount outlets bears that out. Exceptions exist, particularly with the growing… Read More

Every conference season, presentation after presentation reminds farmers of the cost of too-short crop rotations. Increased disease pressure, insect infestations and nutrient depletion of soil all weigh on yields in tight rotations. Agronomic decisions like these commonly play in to the decision on what to seed next on each field, but 2014 is shaping up… Read More

 

Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.

Register