The incredible drought of 2021 in Western Canada will have a long-term impact on many farms and ranches, but fallout from trying to keep livestock in the breeding herd is impacting farmers out east, too. Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), says that while the total amount isn’t huge, farmers who… Read More
Category: Forage
Drought can be an unavoidable issue in some areas which can require cattle producers to make some tough decisions, especially when excessively dry conditions persist for years at at a time with little to no relief. This topic is one well researched by Dr. Bart Lardner, professor at the University of Saskatchewan, and he says… Read More
The On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) is a federal program being administered by 12 organizations across Canada. In Ontario, the funding for nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing is largely being administered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA). EcoCert is also administering a portion of funds for organic growers. Margaret… Read More
Farmers and ranchers interested in accessing funding through the Prairie Watershed Climate Program should get ready to submit their projects in early August, says Lynne Roszell, with the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds. The exact intake date for the On-Farm Climate Action Fund program in Manitoba and Saskatchewan has not been announced, but details of what’s eligible for… Read More
The Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association is administering the federal government On-Farm Climate Action Fund, and details have just been announced for farmers interested in applying. The program guide has just been released today, July 11, and the organization is hosting a series of online information sessions to help farmers decide which stream of… Read More
What an odd summer this has been already! Too wet in some areas, far too dry in others, a mean flip from one to the other, and too much wind. The markets have done some wild swings, too, and the host of Wheat Pete’s Word has decided to move to England! Well, OK, he’s visiting… Read More
It’s time to talk about one of host Lyndsey Smith’s favourite topics on The Agronomists. What is it, you ask? If you guessed forages, you would be correct! Today’s show, featuring Christine O’Reilly, grazing and forage specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and Andre Bonneau, range management specialist with… Read More
What’s happening this week in Canadian farm fields? Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson has the latest questions and some answers. In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, Pete tackles clover and hay questions, thin wheat stands, planting depth on corn and how to get that last bit of N on the wheat crop out west…. Read More
Drought conditions are adding insult to injury for some cattle producers who considering tough decisions if pasture conditions don’t improve soon. Producers Jocelyn and Travis Wasko, who own XTC Ranches and Bar 4 Bar Ranches near Eastend Sask., are going into their third year of drought conditions and say they continue to employ a “take… Read More
A five-year research project that will work to determine best-practices when it comes to carbon sequestration in perennial forage and pastures has received a $3.2 million grant from the government’s of Canada and Saskatchewan. The project will focus on identifying carbon stocks within forage acres throughout Saskatchewan and then further decipher if certain farming practices positively… Read More
Ranchers who employ multi-paddock grazing for cattle do so for many reasons, but a new study from the University of Alberta suggests the practice doesn’t significantly improve plant diversity on the land. A research team led by Jessica Grenke, PhD candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences, compared adaptive multi-paddock grazing, called AMP, with other… Read More
As corn and soybean planters roll on in Ontario, first-cut forage is nearing optimum harvest timing. The question many dairy producers will wrestle with in the days ahead is whether to continue planting corn and soys or park the planter and harvest forage. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs forage specialist Christine O’Reilly… Read More
Northstar Seed Ltd., based at Neepawa, Manitoba, has signed a deal to be bought by Germany-based, Deutsche Saatveredelung AG (DSV). Founded in 1982 by a group of alfalfa seed producers, Northstar Seed specializes in the production, marketing, and distribution of forage, turf, cover crops and native grass seed, as well as leafcutter bees and equipment. DSV, a… Read More
Saskatchewan farmers who convert at least 40 acres to perennial forage could qualify for a cash payout through the Marginal Areas Rehabilitation in Saskatchewan (MARS) program. Administered by Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association (SaskSoil), with some support by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), the MARS program will connect producers with an agrologist to help identify problem areas of… Read More
By John McGregor, extension support for Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association Supply shortages have become almost the norm for most of us. From the infamous toilet paper shortage back in 2020 to hay shortages presently, living with and planning for supply disruptions are becoming all too common. On the agricultural side, we read about supply… Read More