A drone designed specifically for broadacre aerial applications of pesticides was on display at Manitoba Ag Days, at Brandon, Man., earlier this month. With some features different than the typical rotary drones you see out there now, the hybrid drone has a vertical takeoff and land. As Don Campbell, of ROGA Drone Ltd., explains in… Read More
Category: Western Canada
Weather is the biggest variable farmers face, and as many have seen throughout their career — too much or too little of something can seriously wreak some havoc. Andrew Pritchard, senior meteorologist with Nutrien, spoke earlier this week at the Northern Pulse Growers Association AGM, at Minot, North Dakota, to discuss the weather outlook for… Read More
The Plant and Animal Health Centre located in B.C.’s Sumas Prairie will be rebuilt in a new, more secure location, says the B.C. government. The current lab was heavily damaged in the flood of late 2021, and the government says that although it has largely returned to full operation, its location leaves it vulnerable to… Read More
Imperial says it plans to spend around $720 million on building the largest renewable diesel facility in Canada at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alta. The plant is expected to produce more than one billion litres of renewable diesel annually from locally sourced feedstocks, including canola oil, the company said on Thursday, noting this fuel… Read More
The Government of Saskatchewan has announced that rates paid by producers leasing Crown grazing land remain the same for 2023 and will not be increased. As well, growers leasing Crown land for grazing who have had to reduce stocking rates due to dry conditions are eligible to have rent reduced by up to 50 per… Read More
Every day is a good day to phone a friend and see how they are doing, but especially today, when mental wellness is in the spotlight: make sure to use your Wheat Pete 15! And on that note, we begin this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, where host Peter Johnson answers your questions on… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. If you sit down and talk to many of our parents and grandparents, they will remember harvesting potatoes from the garden growing up, and getting rid of the small, undersized potatoes. Flash forward to… Read More
A program that offers free one-on-one counselling to farmers in Manitoba is seeing demand for its services, but is also working on raising awareness as it marks its first anniversary. The grassroots and non-profit Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program was launched in January 2022 and started offering farmers and their family members free, confidential counselling sessions… Read More
Jill Verwey, whose family operates a mixed dairy, beef, and grain farm at Portage, Manitoba, was elected president of the province’s general farm organization — Keystone Agricultural Producers — on Tuesday. Verwey has served as vice-president of KAP since 2018, and won the election at KAP’s annual meeting over fellow incumbent vice-president, Jake Ayre, in… Read More
It’s been nearly two years since the first in a series of five separate announcements were made regarding plans to build or expand canola crush facilities in Saskatchewan, largely in response to low-carbon fuel policies driving demand for canola oil. Announcements are one thing, but actual construction is another. While Ceres Global Ag has since… Read More
Imposter syndrome is a feeling many are familiar with whether they define it as such or not. Imposter syndrome happens when we doubt our own knowledge or skills, and these doubts manifest a fear of being exposed as an imposter or fraud. When challenged, it is often not as simple as just admitting you don’t… Read More
The president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has stepped down from her post. Siddika Mithani sent a letter to colleagues and industry partners last week informing them of her retirement from the public service, effective Friday, January 20th, 2023. The letter, obtained by RealAgriculture, does not state any reason for the immediate departure, but… Read More
A Grande Prairie, Alta. company that designed an aftermarket remote-control system for controlling a tractor’s PTO and hydraulics has now developed a driverless system for grain bagging. RCFarmArm’s new GPS-controlled steering system for grain bagging tractors was on display as part of the Innovation Showcase at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon, MB this week. “It’s… Read More
It’s been a mild January so far in Saskatchewan, where star of the Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, is reporting from today. Wasko joins guest host Lyndsey Smith this week to discuss cattle prices in the U.S., Western Canada, cattle-on-feed numbers, Canadian kill prices, and more. Check out the full… Read More
On many topics, we can require some convincing on what the right move is. Does a fungicide pass make sense? Can I fully move to zero-till? Will managed grazing be worth the investment? Too often we rely on anecdotes and personal experiences, but it can because that’s all there is to draw from. Solid data,… Read More