Stuck in some pricey land rent agreements? Worried that falling crop prices can support recent land payments? You’re not alone. Merle Good, farm business consultant and farm succession expert, is set to present at the very first CropConnect conference set for February 18 and 19, 2014 at Winnipeg, Man. In the audio interview below, Good… Read More
Tag: Lyndsey Smith
(If you’ve never been to a Manitoba social, a) you’re totally missing out! b) you won’t get the title of this post, and, c) you should ask a Manitoban about the very specific food that is consumed at one. Moving on…) Mr. Shaun Haney, very productive interviewer, and Ms. Lyndsey Smith, editor and Manitoban, managed… Read More
If you’ve got a GPS-equipped yield monitor in your combine, I have good news. You’re already well on your way to developing a practical precision farming plan for your farm. Well of course I am, you say. But, if we’re all being very honest here, what do you actually do with that yield map beyond… Read More
I feel like I probably could have written a daily update of all that went on this week, as each day had the RealAgriculture team busy. If you attended CropSphere or any of the Crop Production Week festivities in Saskatoon, perhaps we even crossed paths. The week kicked off with a bang (and more than… Read More
We may not be able to change the weather, but we sure can have a super time anticipating what may — or may not — happen as we head towards the seeding season. Always a popular speaker, Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc., spoke to a packed house at CropSphere 2014, outlining current snow pack,… Read More
Every conference season, presentation after presentation reminds farmers of the cost of too-short crop rotations. Increased disease pressure, insect infestations and nutrient depletion of soil all weigh on yields in tight rotations. Agronomic decisions like these commonly play in to the decision on what to seed next on each field, but 2014 is shaping up… Read More
After a few months of the Agronomy Geeks podcasts, I’ve learned a few things. Like how I still don’t like the sound of my own voice, but that I really do love agronomy enough to push through that and continue. While I do enjoy exploring new topics, perhaps what I’m enjoying most are the people… Read More
Ever had a soil test come back with some surprising nitrogen levels? While it’s typically lower than expected (don’t we all wish N didn’t just disappear?), every now and then a crop may have left some behind due to any number of factors, like water availability, timing of mineralization or some other something that maybe… Read More
This week started out very different from most weeks, as word came that the Minister of Agriculture would be making a “very large announcement” in the afternoon. I shuffled my schedule and packed my gear and braved the cold to be in the audience when ag minister Gerry Ritz announced Bill C-18, the Canadian Agricultural… Read More
The ability to measure, track and vary inputs and other agronomic data far exceeds most people’s comfort level with data analysis. And if you’re all, whoa, what the heck is she talking about? You’ve made my point. Any new(ish) equipment comes with the fantastic built-in capability to track what its doing, and as farmers add… Read More
I had the great pleasure of joining the Manitoba Canola Growers Association for its second Canola Leaders event held November 29 and 30, 2013, at Brandon, Manitoba. About 20 young farmers participated in two days of fun, networking and learning, with a heavy emphasis on the importance of food, understanding consumers, learning leadership skills and… Read More
I’ve got to tell you, this week has been a bit of a marathon, maybe only a little bit because it started off in the rosy afterglow of a Rider win in the 101st Grey Cup championship (sorry Ti-Cat fans!). That, and we were everywhere this week. Everywhere! The RealAgriculture team was in Banff for… Read More
What’s your process for tracking what you do in each field? Most farmers have some combination of pen and paper, app, Excel documents and more for recording the activities carried out in each field. But what process do you have in place for diagnostics? For tracking what you’ve noticed, the possible causes, the decided-upon cause… Read More
I’d say I’m more of a proactive than reactive person, but there are most certainly times when circumstances simply require us to react. Last week, Heinz announced the closure of its Leamington-based tomato processing plant, and 40% of the Ontario processing tomato industry evaporated. The reasons it happened and the fallout to both the town,… Read More
Seed labs, the services they offer and the role they play in crop production is changing. Within the year, changes to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will shift certain roles and responsibilities to the private sector. Crop inspection services and some analytical services will move outside of the CFIA and seed testing labs are… Read More