The Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative is entering its final intake beginning November 2, 2021. LEADS cost-share projects must be completed by September 30, 2022. The program, funded through the federal-provincial Canadian Agricultural Partnership, supports cost-share projects that improve soil health and reduce the risk of nutrient losses on farms while improving water quality in… Read More
The Herrema family have been giving back since Gary Herrema emigrated from Holland to farming country in Ontario’s Durham Region in 1949. The Uxbridge, Ont. farm family has always been active in local fairs, farm and community groups, and municipal politics. They also believe investing in their soil is vital for the health of their… Read More
Erosion could be an issue for pulse crop fields after harvest, especially if the header was set very low and there’s minimal residue leftover. Edible beans in particular are a tricky crop for “field aftercare” as there is very little residue left over, and harvest requires undercutting, increasing the potential for soil wind erosion. Scott… Read More
It’s time to talk soil health, nutrient management, and more on Day 5 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Cover crops, soil compaction, topsoil sampling and soybean fertility are the focus of this episode. We’ll kick it off with cover… Read More
Members of the Ontario Soil Network are inviting complete strangers onto their farms — virtually, of course. Mel Luymes, communications and community director of the Ontario Soil Network, says that the Soil Road Trip allows farmers, researchers, or just those who are curious, to tour up to 100 fields and discover what each farmer is… Read More
We’re painting this episode of The Agronomists red — for red clover! On this episode, Dr. Dave Hooker, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, and Dan Petker, farmer and red clover grower extraordinaire from Port Rowan, Ont., join host Shaun Haney for a thorough discussion on being successful with cover crops, not just red clover. SUMMARY… Read More
A $200 million, three-year fund has been launched by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the federal government’s Agricultural Climate Solutions program. As of August 12, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund is now open for delivery partner proposals. The partner(s) will then provide direct grants to farmers to adopt beneficial management practices that store carbon and reduce… Read More
What’s the difference between weeds and a cover crop? You’ll have to listen on to this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word for the punchline. Listen below or download for later and hear host Peter Johnson who can’t believe the beans are turning already, wants to make Hay West happen, and talks clover success and weed… Read More
Buckle up, it’s time for Day 2 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Cover crops, forage and wheat management is the focus of this episode. We get started with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil management specialists… Read More
It’s possible Ontario could set a new wheat record for 2021, and that’s saying something, as reports are that many fields are yielding smaller than average seeds. Also this week on Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson tackles if corn will yield double cobs, why you need to be out scouting the soybean canopy, and… Read More
It’s important to know what’s going well, and what’s not, especially with soil. Certain “canaries in the coalmine” can indicate existing, persistent problems with management practices that over time can be improved. Adam Ireland, who farms with his family near Teeswater in Bruce County, Ont., is joined by Bernard Tobin for this episode of Soil… Read More
Some farmers practice strip till in their cornfields, some plant corn in twin rows, while others plant multiple hybrids. Then there’s Mike Strang — he does it all in the same field and even adds cover crops to the management mix. On this episode of The Sharp Edge, Strang, who farms with his family near… Read More
It was a dry start to the year for soybeans in Ontario as a lot of seed went into dry conditions, but the crop seems to have come along. A dry spring in Ontario can make for easier planting though, and coupled with timely rains the season’s start hasn’t been too bad. In this Soybean… Read More
Weather is the ultimate source for small talk, and rainfall is perhaps the most talked about — from how much, to when, to not enough, and on too much. For this episode of the Corn School, Bernard Tobin asks Dale Cowan, senior agronomist at AGRIS C0-operative, about how much rain a corn crop needs throughout… Read More
Soil health, in a rotational grazing and cattle operation sense, starts with ground cover and consistently adding organic matter that will eventually become sequestered carbon. Logistics-wise and from a management stand-point, how is improved soil health achieved in a cattle operation? In this Soil School episode, Bernard Tobin is in the field with Aaron Bowman,… Read More