Weather is the one subject we just can’t help but talk about. As I sit here in southern Alberta and look out at the rain drops — albeit, not large amounts of it, but hey it’s rain — finally pitter-pattering against the window, I’m thinking about rainy-day traditions. On our farm, since we do live… Read More
There’s no denying the precision placement that a planter delivers, and there can be other advantages, too, including lower seed costs. But there are challenges to planting vs. seeding. Planters can limit fertility applications in one pass and require slower driving speeds. Plus, if you’ve got a well-equipped seeder, switching to or adding a new… Read More
Perhaps the only area of Canada really rolling full steam ahead on seeding or planting is southern Alberta, and that’s not because conditions are great — it’s just extremely dry. In Ontario, a slow start to the spring warm up and some wetter conditions have kept farmers from really getting going until just this weekend… Read More
It’s not totally uncommon for crop to go missing out of remote bins, especially when crop prices climb. Fuel thefts aren’t rare, either, and cattle rustling is still a thing. But lately, GPS units and pickup trucks seem to be the theft of choice for n’er-do-wells. Between a shortage of parts, high crop prices, high… Read More
It’s rare that cropping plans become a choice of winners. For many, including certain crops or level of acres in any given year is more about rotation benefits, weed control plans, or contractual obligations. But this year is different. This year, many if not all cropping options could prove profitable, if Mother Nature abides and… Read More
The federal government rolled out its 2022 budget this week, and in it are several programs for agriculture, including funding for research, adaptation, carbon sequestration and more. One of those programs, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund, received a major cash boost, from just under $200 million to $469.5 million over six years, starting in 2022-23. Announced last… Read More
Put aside for a moment your opinion on the current federal government’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. (Though, if you’re curious, you can read about what is proposed, here) There are two timeframes to think about in regards to carbon emissions — there’s the 2030 line in the sand, by which… Read More
In what feels like just a short time and also a lifetime ago, two months has passed since we asked the question of what you’re most worried about accessing for the year ahead. Our last poll on the topic included labour and feed, but we are focusing this latest poll on crop production (don’t worry… Read More
After a few years’ pause, the Bank of Canada increased the overnight rate March 2, 2022. Analysts suggests it’s the first of at leasts two or more increases for this calendar year alone, to try and cool inflation (that is sitting just below 6 per cent at last report). For lines of credit, variable rate… Read More
For Albertans, selling carbon credits isn’t a new thing — there’s been a carbon credit exchange in place for years. But for most of the rest of Canadian farmers, selling carbon credits is a new thing, but is potentially about to become very common. Right now, there is a voluntary market for carbon credits, but… Read More
When crop prices are favourable, it can seem that any pricing strategy works. That said, the higher prices are, the more inherent risk there is in leaving crop unpriced. There’s plenty of volatility in the world right now, with no end in sight, and that makes the risk management strategy all the more important. Which… Read More
Running a farm requires a combination of hard skills, encyclopedic knowledge, and a knack for business. Sometimes, everyone on the farm team needs to know a skill, and other situations might call for just one person or a few people to be capable or permitted to get the job done. Which brings us to this… Read More
The last three to four weeks have been nothing short of, well, wild in Canada. Regardless of where you sit on the protest/blockade/Emergencies Act issues, Canadians have witnessed a new kind of uncertainty since a convoy of Canadians converged on the nation’s capital and U.S. border crossings in late January and early February. The last… Read More
We often take inspiration from the social media feeds of those in our RealAgriculture community. This week, Ron Krahn, farmer in Manitoba and regular guest on the Farmer Rapid Fire, asked a great question on Twitter: Thinking about farm fuel use/storage (not because of the Ottawa truck protest/jerry can issue). ?? What % of… Read More
After losing a leadership vote earlier this week, Erin O’Toole’s short-lived leadership of the federal Conservative Party of Canada has come to an end. O’Toole says he intends to stay on as a Member of Parliament. A vote on February 2nd saw Candace Bergen, Manitoba MP for the Portage—Lisgar riding, step in as interim leader…. Read More
Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.