Kara Oosterhuis is a Field Editor for RealAgriculture, covering all things agronomy in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. She grew up on a mixed irrigation and dryland farm northeast of Bow Island, Alta. Kara has always had a love for agriculture and a desire for telling stories - so she figured she may as well choose a career that lets her do both. You can find her on twitter at
Weather is the one subject we just can’t help but talk about. As I sit here in southern Alberta and look out at the rain drops — albeit, not large amounts of it, but hey it’s rain — finally pitter-pattering against the window, I’m thinking about rainy-day traditions. On our farm, since we do live… Read More
In ideal conditions, the recommendation is to roll pea acres shortly after seeding. But what happens when a portion of the Prairie’s pulse growing acres are facing extreme drought? Jack Payne, agronomy solutions manager with South Country Co-op Ltd, says some growers may opt to roll later — because if you roll right after the… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. How do you make a choice to change your career, when you have committed to a certain track? What can you do to unite the industry, and break down silos within agriculture? Why is… Read More
Two well-known brands, especially in the U.S. Midwest — Busch Light and John Deere — have made the best of spring in an attempt to raise some funds for a good cause. According to the official Busch Beer website, “For the Farmers” is a partnership between the two companies to raise awareness of the needs… Read More
As I sit in my home office and listen to my house get sandblasted, while patio furniture flys around the yard, and watching topsoil swirl left and right, I can’t help but think — is this what The Dust Bowl looked like? Despite many areas of Canada experiencing too much moisture and cool temperatures —… Read More
With over 30 species of wireworms across the Prairies, the chances of you seeing some in the springtime are pretty good. For the most part, it does get narrowed down into three main species of wireworms that seem to cause the most issues in our cereal crops: the bicolor, the destructor, and the californicus. Lyle… Read More
We’ve all experienced those fields where the weeds have gotten out of hand. Sometimes weeds getting away on us is because we didn’t have a great handle on what was out there to begin with. RongRong Xian, technical service manager with BASF, says scouting before you get into the field with the drill is key…. Read More
Looking at the current state of the commodity markets, you may be tempted to make some last minute changes to your crop plan. Deviating away from your crop rotation may seem like a good idea in the short term, but as Sheldon Toews, technical service specialist with BASF, explains in this Canola School episode that… Read More
Update, as of late April 26: The Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District says it has been advised a deal has been reached between the Alberta government and the Peigan Nation that will allow water to begin flowing to the district. Read more here. There are conflicting accounts on what is happening, and the reason why, but… Read More
In the pulse industry, the use of inoculants is becoming more and more widespread. However, they can be a complicated input to wrap our heads around sometimes. Different than other products, inoculants are living organisms that help provide crops such as peas, lentils, faba beans, chickpeas, and soybeans with the required amount of viable bacteria… Read More
As the snow melts, many producers across the Prairies are eagerly awaiting for the day they can get in the field — if they there aren’t already. Sheldon Toews, technical service specialist with BASF, says when it comes to getting canola seed in the ground, farmers definitely need to pay attention to soil temperatures. “You… Read More
Editors note: This story has been updated as of April 25, 2022. Farmers are all well aware of what happens when mother nature turns off the water tap, but what happens when human-engineered access to water is suddenly blocked? Water users in the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) in southern Alberta are currently facing this… Read More
The values of some of the current commodities may be at numbers we’ve never seen before; however, the trends are not new. Brian Voth of IntelliFarm joined RealAg Radio to discuss some of the current trends in the markets, and how producers can navigate through them. “The patterns we’re seeing, they’ve shown up in history… Read More
Since the federal government has published its plan detailing expectations of carbon emissions reductions by 2030, it’s certainly been the hot topic of many farming conversations. The Dairy Farmers of Canada has made a commitment for dairy to be net-zero targets for 2050, while the Grain Growers of Canada have acknowledged they will work with… Read More
When it comes to talking insects — like many other aspects of agriculture — the threat level can be quite regional. What are the weather conditions like? What’s the soil type like? What’s tillage like? What’s the rotation history? The list goes on and on. Wireworms are no different. However, as discussed on the April… Read More
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