Every equation has a set of variables that impact the outcome. All variables have different levels of sensitivities and betas. The current fall run is shaping up to be a very interesting one. All the variables seem to be up in the air and creating a real sense of uncertainty. The interesting fact is that… Read More
Category: Western Canada
This week I was one of the fortunate people to be able to attend the AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 Training Conference in Chicago. This was a collection of the top agriculture social media people in North America. The results were amazing. This was a conference that was about more than just “how to use twitter… Read More
One of the special things in agriculture is the knowledge that is passed down from one generation to another. In most cases this is a possible experience but sometimes poor information slips through the cracks. A great example of this is the calculation of wheat seeding rates. Whether you are in Eastern or Western Canada… Read More
By Megan Oleksyn Peas, barley and corn, oh my! Here in Western Canada, there are many different forage crops that can be cost-effectively turned into silage for cattle. High River area rancher, Phil Rowland, comments that silage is €œthe easiest way to put up a consistent quality forage crop in Alberta€™s variable climate conditions.€ And… Read More
Canola research continues to receive a lot of attention from the breeding programs around the world. In Canada canola is a very important crop for seed companies, processors and most of all farmers. Due to the fact canola is an accepted biotech crop in Canada researchers are working very diligently to increase the traits available… Read More
I have had many different farmers comment on the potential impact of the Iceland volcano eruption on the weather patterns this year. Was there more of an impact than just cancelled flights in and out of Europe or has the extreme variable weather in 2010 been just a coincidence? Farmers love weather and drawing correlations… Read More
There is never a shortage of issues in the cattle business. Since 2003 we have dealt a rising currency, export bans and struggles with boxed beef demand. On the bright side the supply equation looks to be bullish and demand for middle meat appears to be recovering. On the political side there has been some… Read More
How many coffee shops in Western Canada are talking about the fall weather. Will we get an early frost? Does late spring mean early fall? Can September be the hottest month of the year again? Weather is always something that occupies a farmers mind because the timing is so critical. For example, if we have… Read More
It always amazes me how two weeks can make such a difference in the outlook for an industry. Two weeks ago Anne and I talked about the nervousness of the cattle market based on a high dollar, high feed and price plateau. Now the dollar is lower and the US fat prices spiked $5 last… Read More
Recently the Canola Council of Canada hosted a combine clinic to help growers optimize the settings of their machines. Throw-over loss seems to be more of a serious issue than many growers want to discuss or admit. In this weeks episode of the Canola School we put together a single video getting commentary from four… Read More