The third annual CropConnect Conference is coming up in Winnipeg on February 10 & 11. Farmer registrations are ahead of last year’s pace, says co-chair Theresa Bergsma in the preview above, noting they may have to turn walk-up attendees away (you can register here). So why head to #CropConnect16? Here are 5 things we’re looking forward… Read more »
Month: January 2016
Managing Your Ranch as a Business First, Private Haven Second
In December, immediately after attending the Farm Forum Event in Saskatoon, I hit the air again, this time bound for Boise, Idaho. I was en route to Ranching for Profit, a course I signed up to attend with a few of my close family members. The only cautionary tales I had heard were from people… Read more »
A Joyous January — This Week in the Grain Markets
Grains ended the month of January making up some gains from the tough losses that they started the year off with. Some bullish acreage and weather news helped get some of shorts in the wheat market covered, pushing the complex actually up almost 2% on the futures boards! Rounding out the complex, corn continued to… Read more »
Corn School: Big Plans for 2016 with WheatPete and AgBern
Put down your popcorn, buckle your seatbelt and hold on as Real Agriculture’s Bernard Tobin and Peter Johnson rip through a 2016 Corn School preview. What’s up for Corn School 2016 on Real Agriculture? Where will we go? What will we cover? Who will you see? You’ll get it all in three minutes. The 2016… Read more »
Don’t Get Lulled by Quiet Times in Ag: Public Understanding is an Urgent Matter
Grain prices today are okay (thanks to the weak Canadian dollar). Crop yields last year were decent. Livestock prices are not what they were, but they’re not in the tank. Supply management looks to be secure for the time being. The Wheat Board is gone. COOL has been repealed. We don’t have a grain transportation… Read more »
FarmTech ’16 — Sorting Out the Details of Bill 6 — Ag Minister Oneil Carlier
The Alberta government is in the process of figuring out the details of its controversial farm labour legislation — Bill 6, which took effect on January 1st. “There are a lot of technical things that have yet to be worked out,” explains Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier in this video, filmed at FarmTech in Edmonton earlier… Read more »
TWORA — FarmTech, Acreage Expectations and Building Trust — Jan 28
It’s the week of FarmTech in Edmonton. We head to the Northlands to hear some highlights from Debra Murphy, as well as to KAP’s meeting in Winnipeg for a panel of farm leaders from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and prairie general farm groups discussing the need to “maintain social license” — here’s this week’s… Read more »
Poll: As a Farmer, Do You Watch or Listen to CBC?
This week at FarmTech we had the unique opportunity to talk to Terry O’Reilly, the host of CBC’s Under the Influence. Terry wowed the crowd with his insightful look at the power of storytelling. After the keynote, I heard a surprising number of RealAg fans sheepishly mention that they listen to CBC radio. Now, it’s not the… Read more »
FarmTech ’16 — Loonie Moves, Lentil Acres & Best Sports Movies — Brennan “George” Turner
With planting season around the corner, markets are starting to focus on acreage expectations, looking for answers to questions like “how high will lentil acres actually be in Western Canada and the northern US?” But while there’s plenty of talk about pulses, there are also questions to be answered about 2016 wheat and canola production,… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, Jan 27: FarmSmart, YieldSmart & Acres Per Foot of Drill
In this week’s Word, Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture and host of this weekly podcast, shares highlights from the FarmSmart and YieldSmart conferences, Ag Days in Brandon, as well as answers to several specific questions on thin wheat stands, manure management, under-seeding with red clover and more. Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call 1-844-540-2014, send… Read more »
FarmTech ’16 — Telling a Great Story — Terry O’Reilly
Farmers are often urged to tell their story, to share their perspective on what happens on farms, but what does that look like? Most producers tend to enjoy growing crops and raising livestock — storytelling isn’t usually on the list of skills required to be a farmer. Speaking at FarmTech in Edmonton on Tuesday, author and CBC… Read more »
What Should Farmer Involvement in Wheat & Barley Variety Development Look Like?
Wheat and barley grower organizations from across Western Canada are trying to figure out how to move forward with farmer involvement in variety development. The transitional Western Canadian wheat and barley check-offs implemented by the federal government with the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly in 2012 are set to expire in 2017. The majority… Read more »
What’s Old is New Again: Steel Wheels
A Winnipeg-based company thinks farmers might find value in going back to steel wheels. The yellow 12″x16.5″ steel skid-steer wheels made by Evolution Wheel were on display in the Inventor’s Showcase at Ag Days in Brandon, Man. last week. “Evolution Wheel was designed for the user who needs to accomplish traction and address tire puncture issues,” explains… Read more »
Lynn Jacobson: AFA Looks To Build Its Representation of Alberta Farmers
Last week I attended the Alberta Federation of Agriculture (AFA) annual meeting. Across Canada there are several general farm organizations that attempt to tackle the issues impacting farmers as a whole. Ontario has the OFA, Manitoba has KAP and Saskatchewan has APAS — all speaking for farmers, but with different representation and funding models. I… Read more »
Canada to Sign TPP in New Zealand Next Week
Canada’s international trade minister says Canada intends to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement in New Zealand on February 4, while emphasizing “signing does not equal ratifying” the TPP. Chrystia Freeland posted an open letter on her department’s website earlier today indicating “when the 11 other countries convene to sign the agreement next week, Canada will attend… Read more »