Grain corn acres in Western Canada this year might be down, but there’s potential for some big yields, assuming the crop can avoid late season pitfalls. “For growers who held onto those acres, they’re going to be rewarded, no doubt. Grain corn crops here in southern Manitoba look especially strong,” says Alana Serhan, market development… Read More
Finding soil fertility recommendations for different crops can be time-consuming and hard to pin down. A new app that is simple and quick to use provides tremendous value by bringing soil fertility recommendations for different crops — both field and vegetable — all to one place. “In terms of the Soil Test Manager app, it’s… Read More
Agriculture is full of unpredictable events — weather, markets, even a pandemic. How can a planning tool be useful when there are so many factors outside of farmers’ control? Chris Vanthuyne, a senior product owner with AgExpert at Farm Credit Canada, says that even when there’s uncertainty, key farming decisions still have to happen in… Read More
Innovation Saskatchewan has announced a new $1 million AgTech Growth Fund. The fund is the first program dedicated to accelerating the development of game-changing agricultural technologies in Saskatchewan, and is one of several additional supports for the tech sector announced for the 2020-2021 budget, according to a press release. The fund is open and accepting… Read More
Throughout the pandemic there’s been some struggle with meat supply chains and consumers getting the products they want. A new app developed by Lyndon Lisitza, Meatocracy, may just be the timely solution to widening the supply chain bottleneck. “The purpose of the app is very simply to bridge the gap between livestock producers and consumers… Read More
A team of about 400 Corteva Agrisciences agronomists across North America are now well-equipped with a fleet of drones, developed with DJI, and proprietary Corteva Flight software. The technology is taking off in eastern Canada and will soon be available in the west. Bernard Tobin was recently joined by Chris Olbach, Ontario agronomist with Corteva… Read More
Perceptions can be tough to overcome, especially when seeing is believing. A farmer from South Australia, John Gladigau, had some urban dwellers come visit the farm recently, and 4-year old Arcadia went for a tractor ride. Soon, she asked, “Why is it that adult girls don’t get to drive tractors and adult boys do?” Gladigau… Read More
Andy Pasztor, a grain and vegetable farmer in southwestern Ontario got a rather large nod from a big green and yellow machine recently. Pasztor, @apasztor82 on Twitter, has built a reputation for doing a rather thorough job cleaning and caring for equipment, so much so that he’s got his own hashtag for it — #AndyClean “I… Read More
Billing itself as a company ready to transform Canada’s food industry, Local Leaf Farms has opened a vertical farm in Barrie, Ont., with plans to launch 20 locations across the country by the end of 2025. Vertical farming is “always presented as the future, and I’ll state right off the top I don’t see it… Read More
John Deere is offering an in-cab solution to view AutoTrac automated guidance information for its 5R and 6M utility tractors. The addition of the corner post screen means farmers can purchase the hands-free steering component without the complexity of integrating full screens in the cab. “If you’re considering buying or leasing a new John Deere… Read More
Canadian-developed autonomous field unit DOT has made its debut in Ontario, beginning with a commercial fertilizer application in Chatham-Kent. This first autonomous unit is owned by Haggerty Creek and contributes to operator efficiency, says Chuck Baresich, general manager of Haggerty Creek. “The operator can be answering calls and providing service to customers while the machine… Read More
The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) has launched a social media, radio, and television campaign to bring awareness to the plight of grain farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ad calls out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian government for not doing enough for farmers, in comparison to what U.S. President Donald Trump has… Read More
Adopting new technology on the farm — from new hybrids to new pesticides, to full-on automation — comes with a price tag. This new or additional cost might be absolutely worth it if the technology makes more yield, decreases input costs, or saves you time and labour. While most technology comes to the farm with… Read More
At the National Farm Machinery Show at Louisville, Kentucky, Trimble was providing a connected farm tour. One of the highlighted kiosks shown was the steering and guidance solutions station that featured the brand-new GFX-350 display. The Android-based platform is on a 7″ display and runs Precision IQ — the Trimble software. Jesse Chisholm, director of… Read More
What technology can do for farmers in today’s day and age is incredible when compared to what there was even just 10 or 20 years ago. That being said, adopting technology can also have setbacks when it comes to cost, availability, ease of use, and more. At this year’s CropSphere conference, Brian Tischler, farmer from… Read More