Editor’s note: This is Owen Roberts’ Real Talk, Real Action column. Each week, Owen will offer his insight into how farmers and the agricultural industry can participate in the rural- and ag-related discussions going on around them. Contact Owen at [email protected] or on Twitter at @TheUrbanCowboy. So you’ve done your homework, tested your feed for mold… Read More
There are few things I love more than the smell of fresh cut hay. The joy of that smell for some comes from the incredible value a high-producing alfalfa field creates. But while alfalfa stands can produce for several years, each winter takes its toll on the crop, and a careful evaluation of production potential… Read More
If you are aggravated by puns or organisms belonging to the family Apidae, a warning: this article may bug you. But honey, I’ll try not to drone, if you promise to bee open-minded. There has been a lot of media coverage on the recent and very controversial propesed two-year suspension of neonicotinoids in the European… Read More
Seeding has just started in Saskatchewan, though most acres seeded are concentrated in the southwest and west-central parts of the province.That’s according to the first crop report of the season, current to May 6, The vast majority of farmers are still waiting for the land to dry out and the snow to fully disappear. According… Read More
You may have run out of hay this winter, but at least you have the know-how to start your own snow-removal business! There’s a plus side to everything, right? We were actually pretty fortunate, this winter (I mean, besides from the experience gained by the aforementioned snow collection). Though we used more hay than anticipated,… Read More
On Tuesday, April 9th, a widespread day of protest will be held against – of all things troubling our country – GM alfalfa. Activists will be gathering at about 20 locales, including 12 in Ontario, to show their opposition to its pending arrival. The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, a relatively benign group with agricultural ties… Read More
Milk volume is only one aspect of dairy production — the level of individual components in the milk matter just as much. Managing butterfat is often a challenge, as high producing genetic lines tend to have lower butterfat milk. RealAgriculture.com asked Adam Lock, assistant professor, dairy cattle nutrition with Michigan State University, for his perspective… Read More
It’s positively refreshing to see a discussion on the plight of threatened grasslands, world hunger and political unrest have a tangible, though only partial, solution. What’s more, livestock production has been criticized by environmentalists as too water intensive and hard on delicate ecosystems to be sustainable. A recent presentation, however, is turning this notion on… Read More
Tillage Radish, a large-rooted cover crop, is one we’ve talked about before on RealAgriculture.com. Kevin Elmy walked us through how he and his neighbours are making use of the crop in Saskatchewan. In this video, filmed at Farm Tech 2013, Patrick Fabian explains how farmers in his area of Alberta are making use of this… Read More
Saskatchewan forage industry members will work together to develop and implement a strategy to improve the sector’s competitiveness and to ensure its long-term prosperity with the help of federal government funding announced this week. Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was on hand this week to announce a $148,000 investment to help the Saskatchewan Forage Council… Read More
Planting grazing corn is a great way to extend the Western Canadian grazing season well into the winter or start it earlier in the spring. The crop works well as a forage, even when seeded a bit later than ideal, as you’ll see in this interview. In this interview, Kevin Elmy, of Friendly Acres Seed… Read More
Graze it. Use it as a cover crop. Use it instead of iron to break up hard pan. It would seem no matter what your cropping system, farmers in Western Canada could find a use for Tillage Radish. Nature’s own plow, the massive tap root that the crop grows in a very short amount of… Read More
The very dry conditions in Ontario this summer have left many livestock producers very short on forage. The Hay East initiative (www.HayEast2012.com) is still looking for donations from the west and now has widened the request to include Ontario farmers with a little extra to spare. Jim Hair (@OFA1) posted this tweet this morning: #HayEast… Read More
What if there was a way you could get at least 25% more grass out of your pastures with minimal investment? There is — the secret is adding electric fencing and moving your cows more. Jack Kyle, grazier specialist with OMAFRA, says that restricting the cows to smaller pastures and then moving them every day… Read More
Western Canadian farmers struggling to feed livestock in the very dry 2002 growing season were helped out by their eastern counterparts when an ad hoc program dubbed “Hay West” sent thousands and thousands of tonnes of hay to those in need. This year, western Canadian farmers are returning the favour with Hay East 2012. Livestock… Read More