Now that the holiday season is behind us, we are full steam into meeting season. There’s so much to learn out there — for you, and for the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson. Keep sending stuff Pete’s way, and don’t forget, if you see him out and about, please say hi!… Read More
Category: United States
After spending close to 2,500 hours over the last five years operating a sprayer equipped with optical spraying technology on his farm near Fisk, Saskatchewan, Carl deConinck Smith is not only an early adopter, but also a proponent of weed-sensing technology on sprayers. “Five years ago, we felt it was about a three-year return on… Read More
For many in parts of southern Ontario, the summer dryness of ’22 caused stress and poor yields. Looking ahead, what’s in store for weather trends, water cycles, and average temperatures? At last week’s Ontario Agricultural Conference, Bernard Tobin caught up with Michigan State University professor of meteorology and climatology, Jeff Andresen, to talk about what… Read More
John Deere has signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that’s aimed at ensuring farmers and ranchers maintain the right to repair their own green and yellow farm equipment. The MOU, signed at the 2023 AFBF Convention in Puerto Rico this past weekend, is intended to secure “fair and reasonable”… Read More
Beef and cattle markets south of the border started the year off steady and on solid footing, which is good news at the wholesale level. Does this steady market offer a suggestion of what’s to come? For this first Beef Market Update of 2023, Anne Wasko, of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, joins Shaun Haney to… Read More
Now is an interesting time to be making decisions on old crop marketing or pulling the trigger on new crop pricing. Some farmers are well set for new crop, but market analyst Jonathon Driedger of Leftfield Commodity Research says there are three key factors that bear watching early in the new year. Looking very big… Read More
In agriculture — and hey, let’s face it, across the world — we like to compartmentalize. Whether you are a conventional farmer, organic farmer, rancher, no-tiller, etc., there’s a ton of crossover across all these systems. This topic came up earlier this week on RealAg Radio, when Bernard Tobin, Shaun Haney, and myself discussed our… Read More
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has requested new dispute settlement consultations with Canada under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA or USMCA). Ambassador Katherine Tai says her office has identified additional aspects of Canada’s dairy tariff-rate quota (TRQ) allocation process that it believes are inconsistent with Canada’s obligations after initiating the latest dispute in May 2022…. Read More
The name Alfred Slinkard often goes hand in hand with pulse production, as his lentil varieties made Canada the world’s largest exporter of lentils. Affectionately known as the “Father of Lentils,” Slinkard passed away with his family by his side on November 24, 2022. During his lifetime, Slinkard received multiple agricultural awards, but his most… Read More
A North Dakota State University (NDSU) study suggests that some kochia populations in western North Dakota likely have developed resistance to commonly used pre-plant burndown herbicides. Sold under the trade names Aim (carfentrazone) and Sharpen (saflufenacil), Group 14 herbicides are used by farmers to control kochia and other annual weeds. In the NDSU study, a… Read More
Planning for the next generation to potentially take over or deciding what comes next for your farm business can be very tricky. Not as tricky as not having a plan, however, so even if the farm business is pretty young, it still pays to ask some key questions. Trevor MacLean, a partner with MNP’s agriculture… Read More
One of my favourite parts about December is looking back at the year and reflecting on the past 12 months. Of course there are always personal aspects to it, but what I especially like doing is looking back at some of the great conversations I’ve experienced through my job here at RealAgriculture. I’ve compiled a… Read More
Many are familiar with certain forms of counselling — counselling on mental health, addictions, career, etc. But what about nutritional counselling? For this episode of the Fit Farmer podcast, host Gary Chambers is joined by registered dietician Georgie Fear to discuss the importance of eating properly, and what it can do to fuel your body… Read More
Plans have been unveiled for another major soybean crush plant to be built in North Dakota. Epitome Energy LLC has announced the construction of a US$400 million facility on the north side of Grand Forks, North Dakota — approximately 120 km (75 miles) south of Emerson, Manitoba. It marks the third — and most northerly… Read More
We’re often told not to dwell on the past, but what about the future? Elatia Abate, futurist, spoke at the Grow Canada Conference at Ottawa, Ont., to help producers build a bridge between the now — and what’s coming next. Looking at what’s next, Abate says we need to pay attention to the rate of… Read More