Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau launched a $185 million climate-focused program today, called the Agriculture Climate Solutions program. Aimed at building “climate resiliency” within the agriculture sector, the ACS program is intended to be led by farmers and farm groups tasked with developing and deploying climate solutions tailored for each region,… Read More
The winners of the 2021 Soil Champion award from Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) have been announced. Henry Denotter, grain farmer from Essex county, receives the award in the producer category. Dr. Laura Van Eerd, professor at University of Guelph, Ridgetown campus, receives the research and extension win. The annual award recognizes leaders… Read More
AGCO, the parent company of Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, and Challenger, is conducting agronomic research trials and holding field demonstrations in 2021 with the objective of helping farmers successfully sequester soil carbon in their farming operations. The carbon credit market is evolving rapidly and is a potential revenue channel for farmers, especially in the U.S…. Read More
We cover a lot of different agronomy topics here on RealAgriculture, but one area that doesn’t get attention all the time is cover crops. Anne Verhallen, soil specialist at OMAFRA, joins Bernard Tobin to discuss her recent presentation at Ontario Agriculture Conference, and why cover crop agronomy isn’t talked about all that often. “I think… Read More
The topic of soil health has gained a tremendous amount of followers over the last ten years. There’s a large, dynamic community devoted to the topic, too — from farmers and researchers, to consultants and extension specialists. Dr. Abbey Wick, extension soil health specialist and associate professor at North Dakota State University (NDSU), recently presented… Read More
What type of return on investment do farmers realize when they make a long-term commitment to planting cover crops on their farm? That question can be tough to answer. In many cases, the payback can’t be calculated using only dollars and cents; better soil heath, the benefits of increased water-holding capacity, and a soil’s ability… Read More
Claire Coombs’ first agronomy love might be soil, but teaching and extension work are likely a close second. Coombs is currently teaching at Algonquin College at Perth, Ont., in the Business Agriculture diploma program. Since March, it’s been an adventure in adaptability, as programs shifted from in-person to online nearly overnight. That change alone would… Read More
Sixty-inch spacing for corn is sure not for everyone, but the math and soil conservation rewards can work for farmers who have limited rotations and can benefit from extended grazing for livestock on well-established cover crops. That’s Sunderland, Ontario, farmer Ed Hanson’s takeaway from the first year of growing corn in 60-inch rows on his… Read More
Keep your soil covered, do as little tillage as possible, maintain a living root system 365 days a year, and fit it all into an economic model that makes money: this is sustainable soil health. It’s a challenge, for sure, but it’s one Dresden, Ont., farmer Woody Van Arkel is happy to tackle. On this… Read More
Some of the earliest adopters in Western Canada have been growing cover crops for a long time, but interest has ramped up over the last few years, and so has the need for information and data to inform farmers, agronomists, and researchers in their decisions related to cover cropping. Callum Morrison, a PhD student at… Read More
A land and cattle operation that includes consistent cover crops in a diverse cropping mix can offer several benefits, including improved soil fitness, better equipment and water holding capacity, and a decreased diesel fuel bill. In this episode of the Soil School, Bernard Tobin is joined by Elmwood, Ont.-based Ken Schaus from Schaus Land and… Read More
Did September feel a little cool? Well, that’s because it was. Not that the month was that cold, but it was cool enough, and cool enough on consecutive days that the Ontario corn crop is taking for-ev-er to dry down. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson tackles some recent questions, offers encouragement,… Read More
Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson talks a mile a minute in this one folks, buckle up! In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson answers all the agronomy questions about wheat seeding, cover crops, and weed control, in a Farmer Rapid Fire style. We see what you did there, Johnson, trying to be… Read More
From the dreaded aphanomyces (hard to say, harder to control), to the potential of soybeans, fall weed control options, and on to delicious sounding diseases of fabas, Sherrilyn Phelps, agronomy lead for Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, has so much to cover in this week’s RealAg LIVE! segment. Host Shaun Haney and Phelps also discuss some of… Read More
They don’t call him Wheat Pete for nothing. It’s September and that means it’s time to talk about wheat, wheat, wheat. In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson is answering the most timely questions regarding the winter wheat crop, choosing seeding rates, the importance of seed treatments, and so much more…. Read More
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