What’s the Old Wives’ Tale regarding fog? Or is it hoarfrost? Does it matter? That’s the burning issue co-hosts Shaun Haney and Jim Hale kick off this edition of the Kickin’ Tires podcast with, but don’t worry, they get into some much more machinery-related discussions after that. From what the used combine market may look… Read More
Category: Technology
Farm management and variable rate advisory firm Decisive Farming and Canada’s largest Case IH dealer — Rocky Mountain Equipment — have announced an alliance to integrate tech support for variable rate equipment. “There’s always been a gap in the market before this alliance between the variable rate provider and the equipment dealer. This is closing… Read More
What do you get when you combine footage from a GoPro, UAV, time-lapse camera, smartphone, with film editing software and a fantastic soundtrack? You get the video below — an entire growing season, from seed treating, to growth stages, to harvest — in about 11 minutes. Alberta farmer Jay Schultz (@WheatlanderJay) and his family have… Read More
Hello! If you visit this site regularly you’ll be very familiar with me, because my work is everywhere. If for some reason you haven’t heard of me, my name is Rhett Soveran and I joined the RealAg team at the beginning of the year as the Product Manager. I handle all the technical stuff that… Read More
The idea that GMO-free foods are more “natural” than those with genetically modified ingredients is a misconception, says a plant biologist and advocate for genetic modification from the University of Florida. Speaking at the University of Manitoba last week, Kevin Folta discussed how transgenic (or GM) technology works and misunderstandings about genetically modified organisms. He said by definition,… Read More
I frequently travel to “friendly Manitoba” for business. Manitoba is the proud home of the Winnipeg Jets (after a brief hiatus), a brand new Human Rights Museum, and some of the most productive farmland in Canada. Some of my best friends and business clients proudly call Manitoba home. Manitobans carry a provincial pride that rivals any… Read More
What’s a GMO? What do the letters GMO stand for? Do you try to avoid GMOs? Genetically modified organisms received some mainstream attention this week on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The late night comedian sent a reporter to a farmers’ market to find out how much people actually know about biotechnology and food. We don’t know the complete… Read More
The federal government has announced a $7.5 million investment in a new agency that will look after developing and operating a national livestock traceability database. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced the funding for the Canadian Agri-Traceabiity Services in Calgary today. CATS is a not-for-profit corporation that brings together the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) and Agri-Traçabilité… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000, with the merger of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation. “It’s a charitable foundation that’s based on two very important principles,” says Lawrence Kent, senior program officer. “The first one is that every life has equal value. And the second one is… Read More
On the heels of Canada’s National Biotechnology Week, the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) is taking place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan this week. ABIC, hosted this year by Ag-West Bio, was initiated in 1996 in Saskatoon, and has grown to include delegates from over 60 countries, promoting and discussing the benefits of agricultural biotechnology. The conference started on… Read More
RealAg’s Bernard Tobin and Shaun Haney were among the many Canadians who attended the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin last week. The WDE attracts around 70 thousand visitors each year. The 2,600 head of cattle on display had a new home for the 2014 expo, as the show included the opening of the new $24… Read More
Switching between corn varieties on-the-go while planting is showing a yield benefit, according to Kinze, as the Iowa-based equipment manufacturer ramps up production of its multi-hybrid planters. The last time we heard from Kinze’s Luc Van Herle on Real Ag, the company was rolling out its new electronic metering system for its 4,900 series multi-hybrid planting units. Bern… Read More
Now in its 11th year, September 26 – October 3, 2014 marks National Biotechnology Week. Initiated by BIOTECanada (the national biotechnology industry association), this week is a dedication to exploring biotech across sectors and across Canada, with events including lectures, tours, networking and workshops (a full list of events here). Of course, biotechnology has and does play a massive role… Read More
Beyond the “cool” factor, the value of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for farmers comes down to how they help them make more-informed decisions. That includes helping a producer understand plant stand counts across entire fields early in the growing season, explains Kris Poulson, CEO of Casselton, North Dakota-based North Country Ag Services. “If we just talk about… Read More
The concept of nitrogen fixation in cereal crops is getting some mainstream attention after a trio of 16 year-olds from Ireland won an international prize for their work with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in wheat, barley and oats. The prizes for the 2014 Google Science Fair — the world’s largest science competition for teenagers — were handed… Read More