Western Canadian farmers know all too well what kind of impact the logistical challenges of the last year had on local grain prices, but how did the rail backlog impact international customers? How concerned are they about the reliability of Canadian grain shipments? To get a feel for what overseas buyers are saying, I spoke… Read More
Calving seasons should be 63 days (3, 21-day cycles), with at least 60% of the calves born in the first 21 days, according to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. This helps calving cows stay on track, increases the size of calves at weaning (by up to 100 pounds from 1st to 3rd cycle) and improves… Read More
It was the Interactive Combine Adjustment (ICA) technology that won John Deere an Ag Innovation Award at Agri-Trade this year. ICA was first released in 2014, and is designed to minimize losses, while optimizing straw and grain quality. The operator is offered the choice between single and multiple optimization targets. Then, s/he receives suggestions for possible… Read More
The outlook for grain and oilseed prices might not be as bad — and the cattle market’s trajectory not as good — as the general consensus, according to our guest on TWORA for November 19th, 2014 (click above to listen.) From the Ag Excellence Conference in Winnipeg, Kelvin Heppner chats with FCC chief economist JP Gervais… Read More
31-33% moisture: that’s when corn reaches physiological maturity, or black layering, according to Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). But, harvesting corn above 28% can result in damage to the grain, difficult marketing and the burdens of attempting to dry in storage. This late in the season, stalk quality may make the… Read More
Time-permitting, we love finding unsuspecting (or surprisingly agreeable) individuals for a segment we refer to as Talking to Farmers. The clips are often filmed at trade shows and conferences, and the interviewees are never given more than a hint at the questions they’ll be asked. This year, at the Agri-Trade Expo in Red Deer, we cajoled four people into… Read More
John Deere has expanded its range of high horsepower tractors, with the recent introduction of the 9R/9RT 4WD Series. The Series includes the 9420R, 9470R, 9520R, 9570R, 9620R and 9470RT, 9520RT and 9570RT, ranging — as the names suggest — from 420 to 620 horsepower. Designed for large arable farms with hillside terrain and tough field conditions, the… Read More
If you happen to pass the TRCW-24, you’ll need a second glance — it’s huge. A standard disc blade is an overwhelming 36″ in diameter, and somehow, there’s an even bigger option: the 1,100 lb, 42″ disc. The implement is designed for deep plowing, mixing, aerating and plowing through heavy trash. Indeed, the machine can plow through tree stumps, small trees and… Read More
Successful winter wheat crops depend on the process of vernalization in order to spur the wheat to shift from vegetative to reproductive growth. The process is initiated by the presence of cold temperatures and, surprising to many, is not dependent on seedling growth. “Wheat’s a pretty interesting crop,” says Peter Johnson, cereal specialist for the… Read More
The idea that municipal, provincial and national boundaries should be ignored when managing water is gaining momentum in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern North Dakota. Around 150 delegates representing farm groups, landowners, conservation organizations, scientists and governments met in Regina last week to discuss plans for the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative. “This type of approach, a basin-wide approach… Read More
The 2014-15 NHL season is into its second month, with Tampa Bay leading the Eastern Conference standings and Anaheim leading the West. Offensive leaders Sydney Crosby and Tyler Seguin (for goals and points, respectively) are sitting pretty, while Jake Allen and Craig Anderson are stopping pucks left, right and centre, making them current goalie leaders (in goals… Read More
Well, it seems winter weather has arrived across much of Canada. If you’ve been busy clearing snow, or trying to get a few more things done before the snow flies in your area, why not catch up on what you’ve missed in farm news over the last while? As part of this week’s podcast, Kelvin… Read More
Degelman’s Pro-Till 33 and Pro-Till 40 are certainly heavy-weight competitors, weighing in at over 32 000 lbs, and carrying it all in their frames. And somehow, with all that weight, they still compete at high speeds, levelling ruts, shredding heavy fall residue and breaking up clods at over 10 miles per hour. The units… Read More
The federal and Manitoba governments are offering AgriRecovery funding to help flooded livestock producers cover feed and transportation costs. The Manitoba government estimates 75,000 acres of hayland belonging to approximately 330 farms around Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis were flooded in May and June. Earlier today, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and… Read More
On November 5, at Agri-Trade Expo, BASF announced the release of Compass Grower, a new web-based farm management tool. The tool was developed by Affinitiy Management Ltd., a partner of Microsoft, and is intended to fully integrate all aspects of farming in their accounting platform, which combines crop, financial and grain marketing management data. With… Read More