It has been a very crazy week in the world of economics, politics, and news. Thank you for all of your feedback on this column in the past and please keep it coming. I love interacting with you and getting your thoughts on all the issues impacting agriculture. You can email me at [email protected] Here… Read more »
Category: Features
Left on the desk, Sept 7: Grumpy Germans, Chinese frustration, and interest in Argentina
After a one week hiatus, I am back trying to get my desk uncluttered by covering many of the issues Left on the Desk this long weekend shortened week. Lets dig deep into the pile and explore some cool pieces of data, random facts and weave some of it together. Have a great weekend everyone… Read more »
Left on the desk, Aug 25: Raw meat, universal blood and spilt milk
Unless you were under a rock, this was a wild week in politics, trade and agriculture in both Canada and the United States. It’s like Canadians and Americans are competing for the headlines on an hour to hour basis. It’s that time of the week where we connect some dots with all the the info, data,… Read more »
Beef Market Update: A lot of mouths to feed
You might be forgiven for thinking that every fall is the same when it comes to cattle leaving the summer range and heading off to the auction ring. Every fall is different and every fall farmers study the markets to see how they can best react to what they see coming up. Anne Wasko, market… Read more »
Left on the desk, Aug 18: Banned diesels, BRICS, and activist BS
It has been another very busy week in the world of news impacting agriculture. It’s also been a very turbulent couple weeks for farmers and consumers on the crop protection front as glyphosate and neonics have been in the news regularly. Let’s connect some dots with all the the info, data, and fast facts “left… Read more »
Left on the desk, Aug 10: Disappearing prime ministers, Saudi relations, and hot swaths
We are back for week two of Left on the Desk, my weekly attempt to clear my desk of all paper, data points, and extraneous information so I can start next week fresh. I got some great feedback on the new column last week so I thought it was enough encouragement to give week two… Read more »
Beef School, Ep 10: Planning for your priorities in grazing management
A grazing plan doesn’t have to be all or nothing — some ranchers will use set-stock grazing, rotational grazing, and any combination of corn, swath, or stock-piled grazing. The key is to figure out what you’re trying to accomplish, then use the strategy that’s best suited to your land base, calving season, and labour availability…. Read more »
An unforgettable sight — the record-breaking Harvest for Kids
303 combines created an unforgettable sight (and sound) on August 4th near Winkler, Manitoba, as they set a new Guinness record for most combine harvesters working simultaneously in a field. The Harvest for Kids was organized to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Camps International. Read/hear more: 303 combines set new Guinness record in Winkler, Manitoba… Read more »
Left on the desk — Aug 4, 2018
Every week I end up with a massive pile of tidbits, data points, interesting perspectives and stories that I don’t get around to writing about. Instead, they end up in a massive pile on my desk. In an effort to deal with the inability to find a pen in this haystack of paper, Kelvin has… Read more »
Beef Market Update: Quiet trade week as we get closer to the halfway point of summer
As our beef market expert Anne Wasko puts it, ‘It was the dog days of summer —but for the beef industry’ last week. It was a quiet trade week, and the cattle that did trade looked about $2 lower than the average price this year — however, it’s not a big surprise due to the… Read more »
Beef Market Update: Strong demand, Canadian basis levels & packer margins for Cargill
It’s been a volatile couple of weeks in cattle futures, with the market giving back most of last week’s gains in the last few days. Meanwhile, cash prices in Western Canada have remained strong, reports Anne Wasko in this latest Beef Market Update, with average prices for fed cattle getting back into the mid-150s in Alberta…. Read more »
Harvest for Kids organizers aiming for 300 combines in new record attempt
Organizers are aiming to create a harvest scene in southern Manitoba on August 4th that’s never been seen before: 300 combines working simultaneously in the same field. The Harvest for Kids 2018 record attempt is planned for 2 pm on the Saturday afternoon in a winter wheat field just south of Winkler, Manitoba. Created to… Read more »
Have your say about food waste from the farm
Food waste has become the poster child for inefficiency in agri-food. But how much are farmers contributing to the problem…or to the solution? That’s what a study led by Second Harvest and Value Chain Management International (VCMI) is trying to find out, in what they say is the world’s first comprehensive look at food loss… Read more »
Put on the plaid for dad this Friday
One in seven Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. It’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian men. This Friday — leading up to Father’s Day — will mark the fourth year where Prostate Cancer Canada has partnered with workplaces and individuals across the… Read more »
Beef Market Update – Strong beef demand, lower carcass weights, and the wall
It has been a busy week in the cattle markets, as Canada and the United States are on the brink of a trade war that we would not have imagined a year ago. Much of that is out of the control of feedyard owners and ranchers, but the impacts will most certainly be felt, depending… Read more »