Change happens fast in agriculture. Just a century ago, Canadian farmers were behind a horse and plow. Today, we talk about cab comfort, the potential for unmanned aerial vehicle spraying, smart phone apps and biotechnology. The seed industry is no different. The process of collecting and testing a sample of seed is continually evolving as well…. Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Wheat production in the United Kingdom hovers just below 200, 000 hectares (about a half a million acres). It’s used for export markets, human consumption, and plays a key role in animal rations. Thanks in large part to the UK’s temperate climate, yields of 120bu/ac are not uncommon. And, as you’ll find in the following… Read More
As part of TWORA for January 15th (yeah — it’s the middle of January already!), Lyndsey denies stealing a megaphone from a plane in Saskatoon and shares some highlights from her time at CropSphere. This week’s podcast also touches on the record shipping year for the St. Lawrence Seaway, fines levied against CN and CP Rail… Read More
While wheat breeders have traditionally focused on improving agronomic and milling characteristics of the crop, there’s value to be gained by the wheat industry in focusing on nutrition as well, says a cereal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The nutritional characteristics of wheat have generally remained unchanged while yield potential, disease resistance and bread-making attributes have improved… Read More
Today, in Saskatatoon, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced that Pulse Canada will receive an investment of over $3.3 million for projects addressing sustainability, pulse demand and trade. “This Government remains committed to the economy, and our hard-working pulse growers play a vital role in creating jobs and keeping our economy strong.,” said Ritz. “We are… Read More
Fewer winter wheat acres were planted than what the market thought, but other than that, the first USDA report of the new year, released Monday morning, did not contain any major surprises. “This really was a wave of new numbers for the market to digest, and yet if you look across the whole scope of it, there’s… Read More
The Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) is well known for its hybrid trials, which compare hybrids for yield potential in various regions across the province, but, thanks to grower input, this year might look a little different. 2011-2014 OCC Hybrid Corn Performance Database “The Ontario Corn Committee has decided that in 2015, we will begin a… Read More
Want to do a health check up on your topsoil, but not a soil expert? Easy! Get digging in the fence row or nearby woodlot for a good gauge on how different the fields are from what they were before being farmed. Anne Verhallen, soil management specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and… Read More
I’m a big proponent of farmers speaking out, of advocacy and of standing up to activists. It’s encouraging that Don McCabe, recently elected president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said in his 2015 outlook address Friday that the federation’s advocacy role has never been more important. The same goes for beef producers. Their new… Read More
Grain markets started 2015 out on a bad foot as the first trading day of the year on Friday, January 2nd was all red. But the complex rebounded in the following days thanks to weather concerns and managed-money changing positions. Oats, corn, (Chicago) wheat, and soybeans continue to hover over some nice even numbers of… Read More
Low oil prices should translate into reduced input prices for farmers, but don’t expect to see major declines in fertilizer prices before the 2015 growing season, according to a lending institution consultant speaking at St. Jean Farm Days in Manitoba this week. “I think in the long run we will see our cost of production… Read More
Start clean, stay clean is a smart motto when it comes to corn and soybean fields, but what’s the right amount of “clean” in relation to weed cover and yield potential? Dr. Peter Sikkema, professor of plant science with the University of Guelph — Ridgetown Campus, took to the field to answer that question. If,… Read More
With the holidays now behind us, the machine that is Canadian agriculture is revving up again for a busy few months of meetings and planning. Calving and another seeding season will be here before we know it. From the social media frenzy surrounding the #farm365 hashtag to a new disease found in canola — here’s a farm… Read More
To some, animal agriculture is no more than the exploitation of innocent lives, often likened to human slavery, rape and torture. The animals didn’t ask to be confined to cages, separated from their mothers or artificially inseminated, opponents argue. Thus, humans should take on a vegan diet, void of any animal products or by-products. Instead, it’s plants humans… Read More
What started out as a commitment to agvocacy has quickly turned into a social media frenzy of a very nasty kind — animal rights activists have highjacked the #farm365 hashtag and are posting memes, pro-vegan slogans and calling out farmers as, well, murderers. Of course, there’s also a hefty dose of other farmers following Andrew… Read More