A combination of rain, snow, freezing temperatures and strong winds rolled through the eastern side of the Canadian prairies over the Victoria Day long weekend, leaving farmers wondering about the fate of their crops and when they’ll be able to resume seeding (or begin re-seeding). 70 to 80 percent of this year’s crop is seeded… Read More
Search Results for: crop week
This week, I had the distinct pleasure of joining a small group of range enthusiasts for a ranch tour in central Alberta. I wasn’t sure what to expect, besides a scorching sun and gale-force winds. But the afternoon ended up being so much more than an excuse to step away from my laptop. It was the… Read More
Did you know that cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and green beans can grow more than eight feet in the air? And that, for a greenhouse, a power outage is much more dangerous in the summer than the winter? That’s because a missed automatic watering in the summer is far more detrimental to greenhouse plants than a… Read More
What a week! The planting is going fast and furious, and farmers are getting itchy for rain. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, hosted by Peter Johnson, we tackle why a dry spring is a-OK and why not to worry too much about rain just yet. What’s more concerning is the downright cool weather forecast… Read More
Frost concerns in May are an unwanted but not entirely unexpected weather pattern for Alberta farmers, but unlike some weather, political patterns can come out of nowhere. With the election of a majority NDP government in Alberta last week, many concluded that hell had, indeed, frozen over. That is one heavy frost, if I do… Read More
In the last few years, we have seen incredible innovations in food and agriculture, often inspired by environmental improvements, the push for more local food and increased global food security. Urban agriculture is cropping up in cities, insect farms are crawling out of the wood work, and cafes are repurposing would-be waste. In an effort to… Read More
Approximately 25 percent of the 2015 crop on the Canadian prairies was in the ground at the start of this week (May 4th), according to the weather and crop specialist with CWB Market Research. Dry conditions in southern Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan and south-central/southeastern Manitoba have allowed seeding operations to advance ahead of average, with “virtually all”… Read More
We’re into the first week of May, and the challenges facing farmers this year couldn’t be any more different than last year, even if we planned it. Speaking of polar opposite, let’s kick off this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word with a look at the tale of two wheat crops — those that look GREAT, and… Read More
The growing season is a busy one but once in a while some unexpected free time will bust its way into your itinerary. So what do you do? Like me, many of you likely struggle more with free time than with a full calendar of appointments or to do’s. Here are some thoughts on some… Read More
Welcome to an occasional series here on Real Agriculture — where we ask three farmers or ranchers four questions about their business, production and next steps. This first column features three Ontario sheep producers (you’ll have to ask them if they want to be called shepherds): Colleen Acres, of Maple Meadow Farms at Osgoode; Chris… Read More
We’re about to flip the calendar to May, and, perhaps surprisingly, soil moisture is becoming a bit of an issue for those rolling in the fields, says Peter Johnson, in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word. What can you do about soil that’s drying out too quickly? Well, you’re doing to have to adjust planting depth… Read More
Soybean planting time brings with it a number of decisions — what’s the optimal seeding rate? Which inoculants should be used, and should they be doubled up? What about seed treatment? Is a seed treatment with insecticide needed? As part of this Soybean School West episode, Kristen Podolsky of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers… Read More
Whether it’s the 30 percent increase in oat acres expected in Western Canada this year, the news that one of the largest millers in the world won’t accept oats treated with glyphosate, or the underlying trend lower in the entire cereal crop complex, there’s plenty of uncertainty to go around in the oat market right now. And… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario is asking the province of Ontario to extend past key planting dates the consultation period regarding new neonicotinoid regulations. “This request is within the spirit of the rules for the Environmental Registry consultations,” says GFO. The registry’s own website says, ‘Some proposals may provide more time (e.g. 60 days or 90… Read More
Ontario farmers who are accessing or have plans to access Growing Forward 2 funding have a new list of rules to learn. Of particular note, says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), intake dates have changed, as have the rules surrounding invoice dates, to highlight just a few… Read More