It has been quite the ride for soybeans over the past five years in Western Canada. From the promise of a can’t lose proposition, to the struggles of the past two years due to environmental conditions, soybeans are still working at finding a stable base of acres in the west. Due to the dry conditions… Read More
With U.S. shipments of agricultural commodities slowly beginning to resume after a lengthy hiatus due to the a trade war with China, farmers are relying on U.S. President Donald Trump’s negotiating skills to close a deal with China. That’s no small feat as, the deal includes not only a resumption, but also an increase in… Read More
“Patience is a virtue” – William Langland It’s been six years in the making as the Canadian canola industry waits for the approval of three canola traits for export into the Chinese market — Bayer’s TruFlex (introduced under Monsanto), Optimum Gly, owned by Corteva, and BASF’s Rf3. Whether it’s the opportunity for expanded application windows… Read More
Every year, Agri-Trade marks the unofficial launch point for the next growing season. Most years, farmers have the crop in the bin, they have a good idea of their income or loss on the year, and they come to the annual show at Red Deer with a decent idea on areas of improvement for their… Read More
Canadians and Americans share the largest border in the world which creates similar opportunities and challenges for farmers no matter where they reside in relation to the 49th parallel. When the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk fell, Western Canadian growers looked forward to some of the same free market opportunities that American growers in Montana… Read More
It’s the first week of November which means winter is getting much closer to settling in. Farmers continue to race against the calendar to finish harvest in parts of the country with some challenges. Today on the show: Shaun talks about his amazement of the success of Alabama football coach Nick Saban and his dedication… Read More
It might not yet be December, but when things are all said and done the story of the year in agriculture for 2018 will be the U.S./China trade war. We have seen a a tit-for-tat tariff battle, shifting of traditional export pathways, and increased subsidy programs attempting to cover market losses while longer-term repairs are in… Read More
It’s FRIDAY! on RealAg Radio with a full slate of topics and guests. To open the show, Shaun discusses the Trump tweet on China trade talks and whether there will be a deep change or shallow deal. Jade Reeve of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council on what the legalization of cannabis means for your… Read More
Financial planning and management of your farm business is a year-round activity, but just after harvest is an ideal time to take stock, review where you’re at, and begin planning for next year. I think many times in any small business we are energetic on the planning, but fall flat on the follow up at… Read More
On Tuesday’s show, RealAg Radio show host Shaun Haney flies solo on a couple fronts. We will have the top ag news stories of the day from across the world of agriculture. This includes should the federal government buy oil tanker cars to possibly takeaway from grain capacity. Shaun also discusses some of the key… Read More
Growing a crop is not easy with all of the variables and factors impacting your decisions made and results achieved. If only we could make all agronomic decisions with hindsight, it would allow us to be way more effective agronomists and farmers. This year has brought its own challenges across Canada that have proven to… Read More
It has been great to be back this week writing stories for RealAgriuclture.com and hosting RealAg Radio. Time away with family is such an incredibly important component of recharging before the next big run that we see in front of us. As usual this week’s “Left on the Desk” features a scattering of tidbits, slices… Read More
There is not a farm in North America that would refuse a major influx of cash if it was awarded to them. There’s cash to get you by, and then there is generational, life-altering cash. This week, the United States Powerball jackpot reached $1.5 billion, and the winning ticket was printed in South Carolina. It… Read More
Farmers are all about efficiency and productivity as they keep their eyes on profitability. It’s a real accomplishment to make sure you have the right size of equipment for the task at hand. With the cost of machinery and rising interest rates in 2018, this calculation has become even more critical for managing capital purchases… Read More
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has released its September flash report for new equipment sales. In Canada (shown below), the results continue to be mixed depending on the category. In 2018, 2WD tractors are up 8.0%, 4WD are virtually flat at 0.3% lower, and self-propelled combines are down 4.6% in comparison to the end of… Read More