The new Roll-Belt round baler with a Kombi wrapper from New Holland allows producers to bale and wrap simultaneously, eliminating the need to make a second pass with a tractor and bale wrapper. New Holland says the baler-wrapper, which debuted at the recent Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, will also significantly reduce regrowth damage and the… Read more »
Category: Dairy
Deere forage harvester chops 400 tons per hour
John Deere’s new 9000 Series self-propelled forage harvesters claim to deliver both high-capacity harvesting and forage quality. The 9000 Series harvesters, which provide up to 400 tons of throughput per hour, debuted last week at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. In this video, Deere senior marketing representative Shaun Fritchey explains how the four new models… Read more »
Divided: New poll shines light on what Canadians think about supply management
37 per cent of Canadians want to end the supply management system and compensate farmers in order to secure a trade deal with the U.S., suggests one of the latest Angus Reid Institute (ARI) polls. On the flip side, 34 per cent of people surveyed say they stand firm on the system and trade-related restrictions… Read more »
New Holland unveils MegaCutter 533 at Farm Progress Show
Attendees at the Farm Progress Show held in Boone, Iowa, were the first to view the New Holland MegaCutter 533, fully mounted disc mower conditioner — and it is big! Jordan Milewski, New Holland crop cutting product marketing manager, says, “The big cutting width on this machine is 33-and-a-half feet wide.” He explained, this means you can… Read more »
La Coop federee purchases 50 percent stake in Ontario feed company
Quebec-based agri-food cooperative La Coop fédérée is buying into Ontario’s animal feed industry. La Coop has announced a deal to purchase a 50 percent stake in W-S Feed & Supplies Limited, an animal nutrition company that operates feed mills in Tavistock and Mount Forest, Ontario. “This investment represents a strategic entry into the Ontario market, in… Read more »
Be cautious when buying in hay, says forage specialist
If you’re running low on forage, chances are you might already be starting to look for hay suppliers outside of your area. Terry Kowalchuk, forage specialist for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, says you have to be conscious of who you buy from, so that you do not get more than you bargained for. He… Read more »
City kids connect farmers to consumers in ‘Before the Plate’
What do you get when you connect two ‘city kid’ filmmakers, a world-class chef, and nine farmers and their families? You get Before The Plate, a genuine behind-the-kitchen-door, on-the-farm look at how food is produced in Canada, and the passion and commitment chefs and farmers apply to their craft. The driving force behind the film… Read more »
Keenan moves to a horizontal design for its mixer wagon
Keenan Alltech is going in a different direction with mixer wagons, literally. The company is gong horizontal rather than vertical with its mixer. Field editor Dale Leftwich was at Ag in Motion last month and got a chance to talk to Keenan’s western Canadian sales manager, Brayden Van Driesten, about what can happen when you… Read more »
5 scenarios for Canadian dairy in NAFTA 2.0 talks
The three NAFTA partners are reportedly making progress on a deal around auto-content rules, meaning we could see a change in focus to the remaining issues, which includes Canadian market access for U.S. dairy products. There’s plenty of speculation about what the ultimate compromise required to get a deal done will be, but we can… Read more »
Preventing heat stress in a long, hot summer
In the words of country music star Keith Urban: “It’s going to be a long, hot summer.” That’s according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), whose recent global report states 2018 is shaping up to be the fourth hottest year on record. 2016 remains in the top spot for the hottest year with… Read more »
Why water quality should be monitored throughout summer
Water quality can affect animal welfare and the financial bottom line long before visual symptoms start to appear. “It never bothered them before” is an often-heard refrain when the welfare of animals is impaired by poor water quality. “We just can’t determine the quality of water by just looking at it,” explains Leah Clark of… Read more »
Living life to the fullest: Reflecting on the Canadian Milk Tour tragedy
The news on Monday about the Schuurmans and the tragic collision on the Canadian Milk Tour near Saskatoon was devastating. This is clearly a situation that comes with shock, surprise, and sadness. In reflection of the events, it really hits home for me that life can be so fragile. My takeaway from this event is… Read more »
Ideal fertility timing for top-notch hay
Hay crops can be tricky when it comes to agronomic considerations. Unlike annual crops, hay breaks dormancy, continues to grow and then mature after cutting, and eventually needs to rest up to go dormant again. The unique characteristics of perennials means that fertility is needed at different times of year than most are used to,… Read more »
Tragedy strikes dairy farmers’ Canadian milk tour
An Ontario farm couple’s cross-country tractor tour to show support for Canada’s dairy sector has ended in tragedy on a highway northwest of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The tractor driven by Henk and Bettina Schuurmans, dairy farmers from Elmira, Ontario, collided with a semi on Highway 16 near Dalmeny on Monday at around 9 am. Bettina, 55,… Read more »
Quebec Premier says Canada should consider appeasing the U.S. on class 7 pricing system
In a statement that some people will consider a surprise, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard mentioned to Bloomberg that Canada may want to consider appeasing the U.S. by changing its class 7 pricing system. According to a story in the Financial Post the Premier said, “If that’s the main issue, let us see how we can… Read more »