Flax — it’s beautiful to look at in the field, healthy to eat in your cereal but a pain in the butt to coax real production out of. Or is it? Dr. Paul Dribnenki, a former flax breeder and current consultant, challenges farmers to begin really understanding and managing this crop to get the most out… Read More
Category: Cropconnect 14
It’s time for another edition of AgNerds, where Shaun Haney and someone else equally tech-savvy talk about gizmos, gadgets and other techie things! And, yes, for this edition we do indeed have the one and only Peter Gredig back in the saddle/tradeshow chair to talk about, of all things, the cloud. The what, you say?… Read More
A basic crop budget will tally up fixed and variable costs to compare to average or projected crop prices, yes, but how do you account for some non-cash pros and cons of growing a particular crop? These benefits can range from soil management, to ease of seeding, to herbicide resistance management and more. Each of… Read More
Who doesn’t want some diversity in the crop rotation? If you’re the kind of farmer who likes to grow smaller acreage crops and lock down contracts with end-users, hemp may be for you. While this towering, leafy plant may be recognizable for its uncanny resemblance to that other crop that shall remain nameless, hemp is… Read More
What’s the yield penalty for planting soybeans in Manitoba in early June? What’s the penalty for planting into cold soil? How much damage will I do if I roll the seedlings early in the morning? Brent VanKoughnet, lead with Agri-Skills, has been running trials for the last two years to answer these and more questions… Read More
As the Olympics move into the second week and come to a close, you’re going to get your fill of epic wrap-ups…this is not one of them. As is the Real Agriculture tradition, Shaun Haney and Lyndsey Smith sit down at the end of a conference and share the highlights (and sometimes lowlights) of the… Read More
There’s a need in the Middle East for many of the crops that Canada grows. The area is production light and demand heavy — the city of Dubai, specifically, is also a major trading and processing hub for several other markets. But getting volumes of grain to the region is challenging and expensive. Of course,… Read More
Biotechnology’s fatal flaw, says Mark Lynas, was that the first well-know trait associated with the technology was herbicide resistance. First impressions matter, and on that account, genetic modification and the resulting GMOs failed miserably. Lynas, a UK-based environmentalist and former anti-biotech activist, says that GMOs’ bad publicity needs to move past this tough start and… Read More
At CropConnect 2014 I ran into Brad Ewankiw who is working with FMC in Manitoba. Brad and I chatted about FMC, the potential growth in flax acres for 2014 and his first impressions of CropConnect 2014 in Winnipeg. I have known Brad for quite some time and its great to finally get him on… Read More
As crop prices fall and margins tighten, every farmer is looking for an edge — whether a bump in production or more efficient use of inputs. The increased pressure to scratch out a profit takes extra time and effort on planning and management. Deciding on where to focus that extra time and effort is the… Read More