There’s no way to get around putting up feed for wintering livestock, but there are several ways to minimize the amount of hay fed, the cost of feed delivery, and the cost of hauling away and spreading manure. Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching at Busby, Alta., says that planning for winter grazing and feeding… Read More
When livestock producers and ranchers think about year-round grazing, most think about winter feeding strategies — bale grazing, swath grazing and more. But Steve Kenyon, custom grazer at Busby, Alta., says winter grazing is more about how you manage pastures in the growing season. Kenyon, who runs Greener Pastures custom grazing on over 3,500 acres,… Read More
If hay has seemed in shorter supply over the last few years, it’s because it has been. In a recent webinar series exploring grazing cover crops and annual forage, Ontario forage specialist Christine O’Reilly shared a nearly 40 year trend line of both hay production and livestock numbers for the province. Since the early 90s,… Read More
There’s still room for privately-owned, smaller players in the seed business, according to BrettYoung. In this episode of RealAg LIVE!, BrettYoung’s Rene Mabon and Eric Gregory discuss how new ideas move variety offerings forward, how partnering on research and development with global players keeps the company on the leading edge, and what has changed for… Read More
Kainai Forage — the forage export business owned by the Blood Tribe in Alberta and Indigena Capital — has announced it has secured a $15 million long-term finance facility with Farm Credit Canada, and an operating line of credit with Bank of Montreal. The company says proceeds from the credit facilities will expand Kainai Forage’s… Read More
Farmers are taking a closer look at their soil’s health lately, and measuring the impact of cover crops or different types of strip-tillage. In this episode of Soil School, we’re talking about overall soil health and nutrition and we’ve got a great example of what you can achieve when you combine soil health and balanced… Read More
SaskTel and the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have announced a partnership to launch a “living laboratory” at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE), south of Clavet, Sask., to test, develop, and demonstrate agricultural technologies. Through a memorandum of understanding, the two organizations will focus on smart farming research and innovation to “accelerate transformation… Read More
The last week hasn’t been kind to the Ontario grain crop as a light frost caused heavy damage to many edible beans, some soybeans, and corn. More than that, we’re in the heart of optimal winter wheat planting timing and conditions are dry — what’s a farmer to do? To answer that question, plus so… Read More
It’s time for Day 5 of the virtual Ontario Diagnostic Days! This week we’ll look at crop staging and how you can use an understanding of plant development to make better management decisions. We’ll call on a host of Ontario soil researchers, agronomists, and extension specialists to cover everything from soybeans, to canola and forage,… Read More
When there’s good wheat in abundance, those loads with sub-250 falling number are going to get dinged — and so begins some of the tougher lessons of this harvest season, says Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson. On this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, you’ll get a harvest season update, more on the cover crop survey for Ontario,… Read More
For this special Canada Day edition of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson has got answers to your timely agronomic questions. The good news is there are no alerts this week, but that doesn’t mean you can let the throttle off scouting — there are insect pests creeping in and populations can grow very quickly!… Read More
Some years are disease years and some are insect years. 2020 is shaping up to be an insect year, which is perhaps not surprising given the dry bias to the weather. In this mid-June edition of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson answers so many of your agronomic questions, including what to do about armyworm… Read More
When deciding on a forage species or mix for hay or pasture, the options can be overwhelming. A new resource can help make the decision easier and can assist in determining seeding rates, weed management, and more. The Forage U-Pick tool, created by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), matches forage species to growing conditions,… Read More
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