Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) have both made contributions to the Hay West 2021 initiative to help cover shipping costs to send hay to drought-stricken farmers in the Prairie provinces. The 2021 Hay West initiative, organized by Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), is moving hay from eastern Canada to the… Read More
Hay season can be demanding, and there’s nothing worse than hay on the ground and a rain cloud coming in. Case IH has a new line-up of windrowers, the WD5 series, that it says offers more consistent dry down and fast speeds, which could be an operational solution for hay producers out there. “The new… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. How do you build a program from the ground up? What is it like to go from one side of agriculture, to a different one? Why do we need to remember to listen just… Read More
In gearing up for Hay West, the question has been asked, why not cows east? It’s an important question to ask. After all, one load of cattle to Ontario, Quebec, or the Atlantic provinces saves sending several truck loads of hay west. There’s no shortage of easterners wanting to send “extra” feed west, but much… Read More
Bale moisture probes are great once a bale is made, but trying to determine moisture of a hay swath is another challenge entirely. Most methods — including drying down a sample and doing some quick math — still take more time than is ideal, especially if hay is drying quickly and is intended as ensiled… 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
As the drought continues across the Prairies, ranchers and grain farmers are navigating baling and grazing drought-affected crop. There are insurance considerations when offering field crops as grazing, but there are also several considerations for livestock producers when determining the suitability of a field as feed. Shannon Argent, business manager with VBP+, says that ranchers… Read More
It’s been a tough year for growers in the west — some crops are getting by rain to rain, and some are relying on soil moisture alone with the chance of rain being a hope. Drought can affect silage quality and yield, obviously, but how can smoke from wildfires affect the corn crop? Sara Meidlinger,… Read More
In the early 2000s, Canadian farmers from the east helped out those in the west with hay supplies, after the drought of 2002 left very little for feed. Dubbed Hay West, the grassroots movement was revived 10 years later, when western Canadian farmers returned the favour for many farmers in Ontario’s Ottawa Valley with Hay… Read More
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced $2.6 million in federal funding for the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) to support three projects that will assess and improve alfalfa growth using artificial intelligence and develop a carbon offset system for grasslands. Some of the funding announced July 19 will also be used… Read More
The University of Saskatchewan is establishing a new beef industry integrated forage management and utilization research chair position. The intent of the position is to connect the study of soils, plants, animals, economics, and ecosystems, to top into forage crops’ full range of benefits. “The chair will help to address concerns raised for a number… Read More
By John McGregor With calls for a searing, west-approaching heat wave bearing down on us this week and next, the moisture situation across the province remains pointed at a significant moisture deficient with our hay and pasture fields. A very well-timed rain in late June brought a bit of relief at the time, however, it… 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
Last week’s insect alert of weevil hitting second-year alfalfa fields has now been expanded to include the potato leafhopper and more acres. Leafhopper can be especially hard on newly-seeded alfalfa, even if it is a resistant variety. The resistant trait is not expressed in the first growing season, explains Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture…. Read More