There’s no denying that the COVID-19 outbreak is having a huge impact on our daily lives. But even among the negativity and scary unknowns, there is some good — like maple trees pushing out buds and soil warming up and drying out in southern Ontario. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson has… Read More
While there are certainly naysayers to the idea of steeping compost, proponents argue the practice has incredible benefits in adding nutrients and biology to the land. Rob Wunder, a Saskatchewan cattle producer, is one of those proponents and has experimented in the design and application of his own compost tea. Inspired by various speakers and… Read More
Wheat Pete’s Word host Peter Johnson is a lot of things — dynamic and opinionated for starters — but he’s also rather humble. This episode marks 250 episodes of this podcast and he’s likely not going to make a big deal of it, but the rest of the RealAgriculture team is! In this 250th episode,… Read More
Vermeer’s 604R classic and signature balers are familiar to many, but in late 2019 the company added a premium baler to the series, which adds more options and benefits to the baler. Josh Vrieze, product manager with Vermeer, was on hand at the 2020 National Farm Machinery Show to talk about the added features. “The… Read More
There are some surprising yields being reported across much of Ontario — some shockingly good, others disastrously bad. For at least one farmer, a timely rain or two on just half the field means the same surprise happened in the same pass of the combine. In this week’s edition of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter… Read More
Imagine rejuvenating a tired pasture (without the need to break it up and start from scratch), while simultaneously reducing the risk of bloat in future grazings. Recent studies conducted on the Prairies have shown that including sainfoin in an alfalfa stand at just 20-30 per cent can significantly decrease or even eliminate the risk of… Read More
Complete with a huge 925 horsepower engine, Claas has released two new forage harvester models that, for the first time, are offered with tracks. Matt Jaynes, Claas of America product manager for self-propelled forage harvesters, says that the new Jaguar 990 and 960 are available with Terra Trac, for rider comfort, reduced soil compaction, and… Read More
If you’re a farmer trying to figure out how to get a handle on fleabane populations, you’re not alone. Last week, it was a top discussion at a grower meeting — Wheat Pete’s Word host Pete Johnson is using that as inspiration to tackle the topic in this week’s podcast. Listeners will also hear a… Read More
There are plenty of questions and feedback rolling in for host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson. This week, Johnson is sharing some of the top marketing feedback he’s heard, what has worked and not worked for some with establishing, alfalfa, and he shares some insight into disease risks for the winter wheat crop following… Read More
Forage producers can rake up to a 30-foot swath with the New Holland Rolabar 230 twin basket forage rake. New Holland product marketing manager George Rigdon says the high-capacity rake is a good fit for producers looking to increase overall efficiency and productivity by reducing the number of field passes. The manufacturer unveiled the Rolabar… Read More
What are those black spots on the corn stalks? And if I’ve got to choose between two types of fertilizer — how do I know which is worth it? This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word is full to the brim with questions and answers (just like host Peter Johnson likes!). You’ll hear about yield averages rolling… Read More
When it comes to accessible data around forages, there isn’t much out there. That’s according to Grant Lastiwka with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry who spoke at AgSmart this year at Olds, Alberta. The forage extension specialist dubbed his talk to producers, “pasture and hayland Viagra” and his aim was to get producers excited about the data… Read More
Both the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) are urging producers in Manitoba to list available hay, straw, and alternative feeds in the wake of dry conditions, and lower-than-expected forage and hay yield reports. “Given dry conditions reported across much of the province, we feel that it is important to ensure producers… Read More
Citing the lack of moisture over the past few months, the Manitoba Government has announced it will be allowing livestock producers to temporarily let their livestock graze, and cut hay on Crown land not typically used for agriculture. “Under certain circumstances, Crown land can be made available for agricultural use,” the statement reads. According to… Read More
Retiring alfalfa fields used to be a simple process. Conventional tillage farmers would just drop the mouldboard plow in the fall, while those under a minimum tillage system would rely on a glyphosate burndown before planting a new crop the following spring. With the introduction of glyphosate tolerant (GT) alfalfa, however, glyphosate is no longer… Read More