Soil moisture observations collected by a new NASA satellite will be used for a number of agricultural applications in Canada. The space agency launched the SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) satellite on Saturday, January 31st — it’s the first satellite dedicated to monitoring soil moisture levels around the globe. Jarrett Powers, manager of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Knowledge… Read More
Category: Western Canada
Not only are there environmental benefits to improved soil biology, but there are economic incentives as well, says a farmer from Ohio who spoke about cover crops and a systems approach to microbiology at the SoilSmart conference in Waterloo, Ont., in late January. Jeff Rasawehr joined Bernard Tobin to discuss six steps for establishing healthy soil, which… Read More
Paul Hetherington, CEO of the Baking Association of Canada says we need a better understanding of the public acceptance of genetically engineered wheat. Hetherington spoke at the Western Association of Wheat Growers’ AGM in early January, with a presentation entitled The world as it is, not as we may want it to be. In the presentation, he identified… Read More
Wheat may not be the high and mighty king of the prairies it once was, but it’s still a valuable, consistent crop for the majority of farmers’ rotations. And for good reason — this cool season crop is well adapted to a wide swath of growing conditions, performs well and competes on a global scale… Read More
Who makes the best equipment salesperson — a former mechanic? How great is your local equipment dealer at trouble-shooting all the new tech and equipment in the tractor and combine cab? For this very special FarmTech edition of the Kickin’ Tires podcast, co-hosts Shaun Haney and Jim Hale are joined by spray application specialist and… Read More
Despite the tumble in wheat futures over the last month, there are still reasons for growers to be optimistic about where wheat prices are headed, according to the president of LeftField Commodity Research. Chuck Penner shares his take on what’s happening in the grain markets in this video filmed at FarmTech in Edmonton. “I’m friendliest… Read More
Between 2010 and 2013, Transport Canada issued 1,527 approvals for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations, with the number growing every year. Last fall, the organization announced exemptions to the Special Flight Operations Certificate, once mandatory for all non-recreational use of UAVs. Find out if you need permission to fly a UAV. The exemptions could pave the way… Read More
Last week, the U.S. released its cattle inventory numbers for January 1, and, as expected, there was some growth of the cattle herd. The numbers were slightly higher than anticipated, but still make for a historically small cattle herd. What does it mean for cattle supplies going forward? And will the Canadian numbers follow the… Read More
While the Groundhog Day forecasters across Canada are sending mixed messages about what kind of weather to anticipate for the next six weeks, the senior meteorologist with World Weather Inc. says farmers in Western Canada should expect more of what they’ve been getting. For the eastern side of the prairies, that means surges of cold… Read More
Do you know someone who has made a major contribution to agriculture in Canada? Here’s a chance to recognize them and celebrate their achievements — the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame is looking for people to induct into the hall in 2015. For the first time in the hall’s 55-year history, the induction ceremony will not… Read More
There’s a robust corn research project in the works in Manitoba looking at not just the agronomic impact of corn in rotation, but the economics of adding the crop being used for food, feed and — sometimes — fuel. If you check out the CropConnect agenda (here), you’ll find a list of names associated with… Read More
Farmer customers of Saskatchewan-based G-Mac’s AgTeam retail sites will have access to Decisive Farming’s My Farm Manager data platform, following an announced agreement between the two companies. Launched in 2014, My Farm Manager is a data platform designed to manage precision farming and variable rate application technology on-farm. “We’re a growing company and My Farm… Read More
This week’s edition of TWORA is tardy, and for that I offer my sincerest apologies. Between a full week of FarmTech (check out our growing coverage of the event), weekend bull sales and a luddite with some technical issues, getting TWORA published was a bit of a challenge. So, we offer it as your Sunday morning… Read More
If there’s one thing the agriculture industry knows how to do, it’s hold a conference. Agronomy updates, grower group meetings and local get-togethers aren’t just about learning, they’re also about catching up with friends and breaking bread together. Have you ever wondered what it takes to get all those meals ready to roll, hot and… Read More
Grain markets ended the month of January well below where they started, despite volatile currencies, weather, and geo-political risk keeping prices off the lows. Managed money continue to drop their net long positions in the agricultural complex recently to its lowest levels since October, mainly thanks to the strength of the U.S. dollar. Investors in… Read More