The Government of Canada has announced an investment of $3.7 million to help Integrated Grain Processors Cooperative (IGPC) Ethanol Inc., of Aylmer, Ontario, install Canada’s first Fiber Separation Technology (FST) system. The FST system allows for the early separation of fibre from corn prior to its fermentation, increasing the efficiency of the distillation process and… Read More
Month: February 2015
You’ve likely heard it said that we’ve got to stop treating soil like dirt. To take it a step further, Ray Archuleta wants farmers to start thinking about soil as much more than a growing medium and instead consider it a living partner of the farm. Archuleta, a soil-focused agronomist, presented at this year’s SoilSmart… Read More
Millions of dollars can be spent on marketing, but to build a strong brand, you still need a good product. Having a high-quality product is what helped the Cooper sports equipment brand reach a 70 percent market share in hockey globally and a 30 percent market share in Major League Baseball, explains Donald Cooper, who now… Read More
No matter where you go in the world, farming happens. It can look very different, of course — from state-of-the-art rooftop greenhouses, to expansive, scrub pastures in Australia, to scratching out barely enough to eat from a tiny plot of land in Kenya. If agriculture looks so different, what’s there to learn from seeing how… Read More
Cattle will give you signals as to their health and well-being, says director-owner of CowSignals Training Company, Joep Driessen. Driessen was one of this year’s Canadian Dairy Xpo speakers, where he hosted a Robot Feeding Signals workshop. In it, and in an interview with Bernard Tobin, he emphasized the importance of good food and rest by comparing dairy… Read More
Prices for wheat, corn, soybeans and canola all declined on Tuesday following the release of the USDA’s February supply/demand report. “(The report) confirmed what the markets were thinking,” says Neil Townsend, director of market research with CWB in the interview posted below. “U.S. numbers were pretty firm — they’re not going to change the production… Read More
Mark Brock has taken on the position of Chair of the Board for Grain Farmers of Ontario, effective February 10th, 2015. Brock takes over from Henry Van Ankum, who finished the maximum term of three years in the role of chairman. A cash cropper and sheep farmer from Perth County (District 9), Brock has held… Read More
Crop rotation remains the most powerful tool in the fight against clubroot disease in Western Canadian canola fields, even with new resistant varieties being brought to market. As part of this episode of the Agronomy Geeks West podcast, host Lyndsey Smith caught up with Dr. Stephen Strelkov of the University of Alberta. His work documenting… Read More
It’s difficult to know exactly what motivated a Manitoba teenager charged with the theft of nine animals in 2014, but in Oklahoma, officials say cattle rustling is largely motivated by drugs. Last year, there were 30 reported thefts of cattle in the state, more than double the 13 reported the year previous. “Cattle rustling has been around… Read More
In Alberta, regulations require premises identification (PID) became law under the Animal Health Act on January 1, 2009. It is thus mandatory for livestock and poultry to be associated with a PID account. It’s part of a full traceability system aimed at improving disease and emergency response. Related: Alberta Beef Producers Proposes an Additional, Non-Refundable $1 to the… Read More
Both national railways say they reject the findings of a coalition representing agricultural shippers in Western Canada. The Ag Transport Coalition, which includes producer groups and grain companies, has started publishing weekly reports on rail performance in an effort to increase transparency and accountability between shippers and railways. The most recent report included performance information up until… Read More
Ontario’s dairy farmers — and those from across Canada — descended on the storied town of Stratford, Ontario, last week to take in the third annual Canadian Dairy Xpo. Bernard Tobin, our Ontario field editor, caught up with show president Jordan Underhill for a recap of what was new and exciting at the show this… Read More
The Canadian Grain Commission announced today that it is starting consultations on whether it should license feed mills and extend payment protection to farmers who sell grain to feed mills in Western Canada. Producer organizations have been asking the CGC to consider expanding its payment security program to non-licensed buyers after two of Canada’s largest hog… Read More
If you’ve noticed increasing levels of northern corn leaf blight in some of your fields, it could be that the hybrids you’re planting don’t have the right gene to resist infection. That’s because the pathogen has evolved to bypass some of the older sources of resistance, says Albert Tenuta, field crop pathologist with the Ontario… Read More
Being on site the day before FarmTech is mind boggling. So much work goes into setting up for a show like that. The floors are abuzz, with tradeshow participants, cleaners, lighting and camera crews, and food preparation staff. We’ve already shared with you a couple of Behind the Scenes videos, one where we crawled into… Read More