I’m not a big markets person. I know, I know, it’s agriculture, how could I not be into markets? I have a basic understanding of charts and outlooks, of course, but by my heart is in the soil, plants and animals — the futures market is rather Greek to me. Still, it’s difficult to attend… Read More
Tag: Lyndsey Smith
Well, FarmTech wrapped up yesterday, and as all the farmers and industry folk get home and tackle the mound of work that’s been piling up the last three days, RealAgriculture.com has been hard at work putting together interviews from the conference, including this very special wrap up video. Rick Taillieu, Ron McLean’s number one fan and… Read More
From loud and colourful pants, to the excellent speakers’ line up, to true Saskatchewan innovation and the oddly-placed moat at the Saskatoon Inn, by all accounts 2013’s Crop Production Show and Crop Production Week was a roaring success. RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney and Lyndsey Smith took in the show and conference, but not content to simply… Read More
‘Tis the season for not just gifts and celebrations, but also countdowns and Top 10 lists. RealAgriculture.com is not immune to such year-end traditions, and, in the spirit of the holidays (and impending end of the world? Maybe), Shaun Haney and Lyndsey Smith have done an overview of the year’s top ag news and events…. Read More
The Liberal Party of Canada is in the middle of choosing a new leader. While the vast majority of attention has been lavished on a raven-haired prime minister’s son, Martha Hall Findlay has been the first (and perhaps only) candidate to bring any part of an agriculture platform into the race. RealAgriculture.com’s editor, Lyndsey Smith,… Read More
In September, Bernard Tobin, RealAgriculture.com’s Ontario correspondent, explained in this interview that the Slots-at-Racetrack program was ending and ending quickly. As of March 31, 2013, the slot machines would be pulled from Ontario racetracks, and the revenue generated by the slots (and shared with the province) would walk out the door with the machines. The… Read More
We may live in the information age, but it seems it’s easier to spread misinformation than it is to share facts. Never does this seem so apparent than when we ask urbanites about where they think food comes from and what’s in it. Farmers Feed Cities recently released findings from a survey it had done… Read More
Recently, I asked if farmland prices had surpassed the point of profitability. The response was mixed — prices in some areas were listed as quite high, but often actual sales occurred at a lower, more manageable price. As balance, however, prices far beyond even the $15,000 an acre discussed have since been reported in areas… Read More
It’s no secret that Manitoba farmers have embraced soybeans — in just 10 years the crop has gone from an experiment to topping 800,000 acres in 2012. Once only suited to the rich soil and hot days of the Red River Valley, soybeans are now grown as far north as Arborg, east to Beausejour and… Read More
It’s no surprise that the fertilizer markets have cooled off this fall, but those farmers shopping for a deal may not want to wait too long to pre-buy. Record prices for corn and soy will definitely pressure prices in to the new growing season, and international buyers are out shopping. Remi Schmaltz, general manager of… Read More
Harvest is a great time to grab a sample of grain and have it tested for germination and disease levels. Harvest is also the easiest (and warmest) time to get a representative sample, as you can sample as you fill bins. The sooner you know some basic quality parameters the better, as poor germ or… Read More
I’ll be the first to admit that the U.S. political system with its two houses, governors and senators and congressmen sets my head spinning. I also find it fascinating, as wrangling rules and regulations for so many people just seems like an overly daunting task. It would appear that our friends to the south also… Read More
Each year, the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation holds an annual conference that brings together over 100 agriculture journalists to offer an up close and personal look at agriculture. The conference is held in a different province each year in order to highlight many different aspects of food, feed and fuel production in the country. This… Read More
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2012 is set to get underway and RealAgriculture.com will be there throughout the event covering all the latest and greatest at the show. This year’s event features all kinds of live equipment demonstrations, grazing demos, seed demo plots and more along with new products from some of the biggest names in… Read More
Horses and horse racing may not always be top of mind as big business agriculture, but the recent announcement of Ontario pulling the plug on the Slots-at-Racetrack program as of March 31, 2013 is set to rip a huge hole in the equine industry and the economy of rural Ontario. The demise of a horse… Read More