If your goal is to eat local, mushrooms should figure prominently on your list. Canada's commercial fresh mushroom growers produce about 99% of what you'll find at the grocery store. What's more, about 40% of the over 130,000 tonnes of mushrooms produced are exported, mainly to the U.S., and that demand is growing, says Ryan... Read More
Category: Crop Production
There is a nondescript building in the north end of Saskatoon that produces live organisms that are shipped around the world to help plants feed themselves and produce grain. It takes some management to make sure the live organisms make it to their destination – farmer's fields – healthy and vibrant, so they can get... Read More
The 2018 Ontario soybean crop is one for the record books, but you never would have predicted that back in July when much of the crop was desperate for rain. Not only did the 2018 Ontario crop set a record yield average at 54 bu/ac, it smashed the previous record of 48.3 set in 2012... Read More
The Canadian Prairies are exactly that — prairie. Rich soil supports incredible crop production now, but the climate, soil, and plants that have mingled and grown here long before agriculture moved in were all about permanent ground cover. Annual cropping leaves soil exposed or even bare if tillage is part of the equation, and while... Read More
Intercropping has become a hot topic at a lot of farm shows and workshops lately. One particular conference that stood out, was the inaugural intercropping workshop held at Brandon, Man. The workshop was put on by the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative, the Manitoba government, Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, and the Manitoba Organic Association. Lana... Read More
What's the most important agronomic resource Ontario farmers could hold in their possession? How about the new Soil Fertility Handbook? You'll hear all about it on this episode of the RealAg Bookclub podcast as handbook editor, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil fertility specialist Jake Munroe, tells us why there should be... Read More
There is constant talk about farmer-led commodity groups joining together to increase efficiencies. The farm groups in Manitoba are working on it, the Grain Farmers of Ontario have done something about it, and now so have the commissions for Alberta Barley (ABC) and Alberta Wheat (AWC). Alberta Barley has been hosting the Barley Summit in... Read More
Farmer directors representing five Manitoba producer organizations have completed a proposal to amalgamate into a single, new not-for-profit organization focused on research, communication and market development. The five groups looking to form one organization are: the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC), Manitoba Wheat and... Read More
There are many challenges that have the potential to dash the business plans and hopes of farmers —from trade agreements, to climate change, and primary risks. Strong government policy is part of the solution. Helping shape effective policy will be one of Dr. Alan Ker's goals as he assumes the newly-created Research Chair in Agriculture... Read More
It's nearly Christmas and finally — finally! — corn harvest is done for many, but there are actually many acres of soybeans still yet to be harvested in Ontario. Could soybean seeding be impacted? It's quite possible given some fields that are still left out are seed crops. Peter Johnson, host of Wheat Pete's Word,... Read More