From Louisville, Kentucky to Winnipeg, Manitoba, we were on the road again this week (so yes, TWORA is a day late.) We look back on CropConnect ’16 in Winterpeg, find out what separates the top 25 percent of farmers versus the bottom 25 percent in terms of financial success, as well as what farmers on the prairies can… Read More
Category: CropConnect
Some of the RealAg team (Jason and Kelvin) is Winnipeg this week, along with hundreds of farmers, at the third annual CropConnect conference. Attendance on day one was up from last year, with speakers (and guests in the RealAg studio) covering topics ranging from the latest UAV tech to struvite fertilizer to sunflower grading. Roberta… Read More
Employees need clear expectations and timely feedback. It might sound simple, but those are the two keys to creating a farm culture where the business gets the most out of its talent and where employees feel like they’re doing a good job, says Barb Dartt, a Michigan-based farm business consultant. “We tend to underestimate the… Read More
There’s a balance that must be struck in any farm succession plan. Mom and dad (the retiring generation) need enough money to retire and enjoy what they’ve earned, while the succeeding generation needs to start with enough to maintain a viable business. As Jacquie Gerrard of Backswath Management explains, farm succession conversations should start with figuring out… Read More
The third annual CropConnect Conference is coming up in Winnipeg on February 10 & 11. Farmer registrations are ahead of last year’s pace, says co-chair Theresa Bergsma in the preview above, noting they may have to turn walk-up attendees away (you can register here). So why head to #CropConnect16? Here are 5 things we’re looking forward… Read More
Wheat and barley grower organizations from across Western Canada are trying to figure out how to move forward with farmer involvement in variety development. The transitional Western Canadian wheat and barley check-offs implemented by the federal government with the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly in 2012 are set to expire in 2017. The majority… Read More
After three decades of fairly stagnant yields in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, a renewed focus on agronomic practices with flax could unlock higher yields, says a former flax breeder who now works as a research consultant for the Flax Council of Canada. “I think that flax has been undermanaged to some degree, even with fertility,” says Paul Dribnenki in the… Read More
Sunflowers may rival flax for the honour of “prettiest crop,” but this brightly flowered food and oilseed crop has another rather dubious distinction — disease magnet. From the very ominous sounding phoma black stem, to the insidious sclerotinia, Real Agriculture caught up with Sam Markell, extension plant pathologist with North Dakota State University to talk… Read More
Testing for clubroot falls into an interesting classification — it’s a disease, yes, but it’s in soil. Do you send samples to a soil lab or a seed lab? In this edition of Under the Microscope, Holly Gelech, business development manager with Biovision Seed Labs, walks us through how labs test for clubroot and while… Read More
A high pressure ridge centred over western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta will likely have a major influence on weather during the upcoming growing season in Western Canada, says the senior meteorologist with World Weather Inc. The impact from this wide ridge of high pressure will vary, depending whether you’re in front, underneath or behind it, explains Drew Lerner… Read More
Growth in the U.S. economy and the export opportunities that come with it are expected to offset some of the impact of low oil prices on the Canadian economy. The coinciding weaker Canadian dollar won’t hurt exports either, notes the chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada. “This is a good time if you’re… Read More
From new developments in Canada’s latest case of BSE to the need for more investment in rail infrastructure, here’s a quick audio snapshot of this week’s ag news — the TWORA podcast for February 19th, 2015: Mentions: CFIA Investigation Unveils Birthdate of Alberta BSE Case Corn School: My Standing Corn is Turning Black — Is it… Read More
Reflecting the explosion in soybean acres in the province over the last few years, the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association announced a change to its name during its annual general meeting at the Crop Connect Conference in Winnipeg. Going forward, the group will now be known as Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers. “Our organization has evolved… Read More
Nearly 700 farmers and industry braved a very cold few days to trek to Winnipeg to attend the second annual CropConnect conference. Guests were treated to expanded tradeshow space, engaging and sometimes controversial annual general meetings, dynamic speakers, improv and, well, some of the most burnt coffee this side of the Perimeter Highway. If you… Read More
Following the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk in 2012, new producer organizations were formed to lead market development and research for wheat and barley in Western Canada. In Alberta, the soft wheat and winter wheat commissions joined to form the new Alberta Wheat Commission, while the already-established Alberta Barley Commission assumed some new responsibilities. The… Read More