Are you up to speed on the Chipotle restaurant controversy? Briefly, Chipotle, a Mexican grill chain, teamed up with Academy Award-winning Moonbot Studios to create a sappy but incredibly popular animated video that takes a mean-spirited and unprovoked shot at commercial-scale agriculture. It’s become an internet phenomenon, drawing six million viewers over the past couple… Read More
Category: United States
As equipment becomes more sophisticated and tech-reliant, farming has become an increasingly precise and data-driven business. It’s rare though that each tractor or piece of equipment and implement is purchased at the exact same time, complete with software interface, all from the same brand. And, even if they did, no brand of equipment has a… Read More
Reports of increased bee deaths in the spring of 2012 in areas of Ontario and Quebec were alarming, but, at the time, attributed at least in part to the unseasonably cool and wet spring. This past spring, however, had more average temperatures but also had a higher than average reported bee kills. What’s troublesome about… Read More
It’s time once again for the least serious 10 minutes in ag news! And this time the RealAgriculture production team has gone above and beyond the call of duty and put together a truly entertaining package of highlights from Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. In this mostly-not-serious edition of Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, Shaun Haney and… Read More
This week Calgary is hosting ABIC 2013 which is a global conference on food and agricultural biotechnology. I had the chance to sit down with Jim Wispinski, President of Dow AgroSciences Canada, and discuss the panel that he moderated about the past and future impacts of biotechnology agribusiness and farmers. If you cannot hear the interview… Read More
It is amazing how fast things can change. With the corn markets fearing a very large US corn harvest some producers are starting to squirm about their profit margins a year from now. As I talk to corn growers many say, “the market will find a bottom and we will be fine” and some say,… Read More
We have run many different stories and interviews talking about the need to be an agricultural advocate in the past. I hear from many readers that they feel being a advocate for agriculture is a complete waste of time and not a practical role for a farmer. Just watch the below video being promoted by… Read More
Bees, as pollinators, are essential to food production worldwide. So when solid evidence of a link between corn planting and bee deaths in Ontario and Quebec was found, farmers and industry recognized the need to look into how to manage the risk of bee exposure to a particular insecticide class called neonicotinoids. As Steve Denys,… Read More
Few farmers want to hear bearish news, but ignoring the warning signs of an impending price slide may just mean you end up on the wrong side of it. About this time last year, Moe Agostino, of Farms.com Risk Management, was calling for a price slide in both corn and soy, and farmers, begrudgingly, have… Read More
Bin-busting crops are never something to wish away, but the simple laws of supply and demand eventually come in to play when everyone has a lot of crop to sell. While that’s oversimplifying grain markets, the overall message is clear — decent quality wheat, corn and other grains are going to be easy to find… Read More
If you’re a farmer who didn’t do much forward selling in the last two years, you’ve likely been very happy with the outcome. If you haven’t priced crop for 2013-14 yet, however, it may not end up not having been such a wise plan. Many farmers are harvesting a big crop right now, and, at… Read More
While the new Genesis line harkens back to its beginning 20 years ago, the brand new Genesis T8 line is anything but dated. RealAgriculture.com’s Bernard Tobin (@AgBern on Twitter) got the grand tour of the T8 line at this year’s Farm Progress Show, held at Decatur, Illinois. Changes to the Genesis T8 line start right… Read More
I’ve been thinking a lot about consumer awareness and needs, as the movement to “tell your [ag] story” continues to grow. I have concerns with some of the messages I’ve seen, and some I once felt compelled to give. I’ve heard again and again that consumers must be aware of where their food comes from…. Read More
Ever since I was a kid, everything “futuristic”, in books and TV pointed to automation as the pinnacle of what the future would hold. From the Jetsons and their automatic sidewalks and dishwashers to my personal favourite, the old “Science International – What Will They Think of Next” tv show, automation was the future of… Read More
Just as energy requirements change as a cow moves through pregnancy, calving and lactation, so to do mineral requirements. The same can be said for a growing calf or yearling — the bottom line is, if you’re tweaking a ration based on growth or energy requirements, the mineral type or level may need to change… Read More