No matter where you go in the world, farming happens. It can look very different, of course — from state-of-the-art rooftop greenhouses, to expansive, scrub pastures in Australia, to scratching out barely enough to eat from a tiny plot of land in Kenya. If agriculture looks so different, what’s there to learn from seeing how... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Prices for wheat, corn, soybeans and canola all declined on Tuesday following the release of the USDA’s February supply/demand report. “(The report) confirmed what the markets were thinking,” says Neil Townsend, director of market research with CWB in the interview posted below. “U.S. numbers were pretty firm — they’re not going to change the production... Read More
Mark Brock has taken on the position of Chair of the Board for Grain Farmers of Ontario, effective February 10th, 2015. Brock takes over from Henry Van Ankum, who finished the maximum term of three years in the role of chairman. A cash cropper and sheep farmer from Perth County (District 9), Brock has held... Read More
Ontario’s dairy farmers — and those from across Canada — descended on the storied town of Stratford, Ontario, last week to take in the third annual Canadian Dairy Xpo. Bernard Tobin, our Ontario field editor, caught up with show president Jordan Underhill for a recap of what was new and exciting at the show this... Read More
Remember seasoned sergeant Phil Esterhaus (actor Michael Conrad) in Hill St. Blues, who warmly but firmly reminded the squad “Let’s be careful out there!” as they filed out of his daily briefing? Well, the same applies to farming – it’s safer than police work, but it certainly has its hazards, not the least of which... Read More
In the cattle industry, interest in new corn varieties stems from a desire to increase efficiency and production, whether utilized as a grain source, ensiled or left standing for winter grazing. Ensiled, corn offers high energy, a key to high milk production. And, although much of a silage's quality is determined by in-field management, harvest…Read More
Grain prices started the month of February looking to come out of the gate running – mainly from their January shadow (much like the groundhog did, but you probably don’t need a rodent to tell you if winter’s over or not if you live in Canada). Most of North American’s major growing regions are starting... Read More
There are signs the long-running dispute over U.S. mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) rules for meat is moving closer to resolution, as a Canadian delegation led by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz visited Washington, DC. this week. “COOL is on life support,” Ritz told reporters on a conference call on Thursday afternoon. In what was... Read More
How can a producer make their farm more resilient and less vulnerable to both economic and climatic stresses? Focus on the health of the soil, says Ray Archuleta, a conservation agronomist with USDA-NRCS in North Carolina (and also known as the “The Soil Guy.”) Archuleta spoke about the “journey to soil health” during his keynote... Read More
Kelvin Heppner returns to host this week's news podcast, recapping some of the main ag stories from the past week, including the end of an era in futures trading in Chicago, a weather forecast for the rest of winter and spring in Western Canada, keeping nutrients out of the Great Lakes and what "sustainable" looks... Read More