How high can wheat yields go? Is 150 bushels an acre achievable, and, if so, how do we get there? That’s the question we asked several farmers at this year’s FarmTech conference. The answers are evenly split between yes, no and yes, but only if fill-in-the-blank happens. It would seem it’s that fill-in-the-blank part that… Read More
Category: Features
Understanding and managing antimicrobial resistance is important for livestock production and to ensure the continued effectiveness of veterinary products. It’s also a complex issue under intense public scrutiny two factors that, under the wrong conditions, don’t go well together. The Ontario Medical Association recently began pushing for governments to step up its involvement in the… Read More
It was high noon in steamy Windsor, Ont., when the Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Program was launched at a lunchtime steak BBQ back in the summer of 2001. Given the heat, you could have grilled the corn-fed beef directly on the strip mall parking lot where the sweltering event was staged, and skipped the middleman –… Read More
We use our phones for so much more than talking and texting — from tracking markets and weather, to finding and sharing information, to just killing time with some entertainment. There are a seemingly infinite number of apps out there, and more are developed each week. How do you decide which are worth it? This… Read More
If you cannot see the above embedded audio player, click here With growing speculation that feedyards in the US and Canada would be attempting to contain losses by limiting the amount of cattle they fed, the February placement number in the USDA Cattle on Feed Report confirmed it. The March 22, 2013 USDA Cattle on Feed report… Read More
How’s the weather where you are? It’s a common question because, even though there’s not one thing we can do about it, it’s a topic of endless fascination for many and especially farmers. Weather risks and events work themselves into the market conversations as well, as no one can control the weather, and ultimately it’s… Read More
Everyone wants in on the local food craze. Some believe formalizing its place in society through local food legislation or institutionalizing it would open doors for farmers who now feel left out. That thought prompted a University of Guelph research team to look into local food for hospitals and long-term care facilities. On the surface,… Read More
Farmers do an amazing job of keeping current on the latest agronomy findings, and many are keen to work on new and improved practices each year. But not everyone loves biology — some prefer the business side of farming and enjoy the time spent analyzing markets and setting up a hedging strategy. Each crop type… Read More
It is among the most infamous of alcohols and depending on your “interactions” with it, the mere mention of the name can turn your stomach and make you crawl under your bed in shame. For others who can exercise a bit more restraint, it’s a more unique experience closer to scotch than it is to… Read More
Acidosis, a severe drop in pH in a cow’s rumen due to a change in feed, isn’t just an issue in feedlots. Cattle being moved from low quality to very lush pastures are also at risk, for example. Not managing for acidosis can lead to cattle that reduce their feed intake and are slow to… Read More
Pure seed is pure seed, right? Well, yes and no. When it comes to seed testing, purity can take on a few different meanings. Some of the distinctions are set out by CFIA, but other tests are used to confirm the presence or absence of a trait or gene. There are actually four different types of… Read More
With the public eye increasingly fixed on agriculture, twitchy farm policy makers may be inclined to act first and ask questions later. And that has farmers worried. For example, last spring in Ontario, more than 200 bee kill incidents were reported. No question about it, that’s a problem. Thousands of hives were affected. What’s the… Read More
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. What’s spreading faster in Canada — herbicide-resistant weeds, or growers… Read More
Farm safety took on a new meaning for me when I first met Alberta farmer Cliff Breitkreuz Jr., on his meticulously kept farm near Onoway. That’s going back a few years. Cliff had typed me a letter (on a manual typewriter) and then surface mailed it, inviting me to his farm to talk about politics… Read More
Ah, early spring — the days are getting longer, the snow is starting to melt ever so slightly, and farmers are dusting off the machinery in hopes of an early seeding season. While many are fine-tuning their crop rotations and acreage counts, the savvy farmer is also pouring over seed test results and using the… Read More