Category: Eastern Canada

Hog prices have dropped sharply since hitting record highs in the middle of July. It turns out PED (porcine epidemic diarrhea) virus took a smaller toll on U.S. hog supplies than was expected, explains Tyler Fulton, director of risk management for Manitoba-based Hams Marketing Services, in the interview below. Fulton says traders were expecting an... Read More

As we close the month of August, the harvest itch was replaced in most areas with frustration as most of the U.S. Midwest and Canadian Prairies got hit with some untimely, heavy rains. The recent rains were seen as positive for both sides of the cornbelt with Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, & Nebraska all getting a... Read More

Following a report that says the World Trade Organization has sided with Canada and Mexico in the dispute over U.S. country of origin labelling rules, a coalition of American food and agriculture organizations is urging Congress and U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to immediately suspend COOL if the WTO rules against the U.S. Although the... Read More

Protecting honeybees and pollinators is a key focus for Ontario farmers. Limiting exposure of the bees to certain insecticides, namely neonicotinoid-based corn and soybean seed treatments, plays an important role in a thriving bee population in the province. Corn planter air exhaust has been identified as a possible risk to moving neonicotinoid particles off the... Read More

The largest outdoor farm equipment show in the U.S. — the Farm Progress Show — took place Tuesday and Wednesday in Boone, Iowa (Day 3 was cancelled due to rain and lightning risk.) Among the thousands of visitors was RealAg’s Bern Tobin. In the fourth episode of the Kickin’ Tires machinery podcast, Bern and Kelvin... Read More

It may have an ominous sounding name, but black chaff is rarely a cause for major concern in wheat, says a crop pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture. Black chaff is one of several wheat disorders that will catch a grower’s eye at harvest due to the dark colour and discolouration that appears on wheat heads. As... Read More

A better understanding of soil properties like electrical conductivity, organic matter and pH levels can go a long way in precision agriculture applications. As Veris Technologies president Eric Lund explains in the following video, mapping these properties is useful in variable rate fertilizer application, as well as for site-specific management when seeding, applying lime or... Read More

When a growing season doesn't go exactly as hoped — a late spring, a cool summer, too much rain — corn growers get understandably nervous. Corn is a C4 plant — it can tolerate hot weather and needs rather warm weather to grow, set yield and mature. As much of Ontario deals with "weird and... Read More

Farmers now have a chance to tell equipment manufacturers how they can make their machines safer. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) has created an online form where producers can share their safety concerns about equipment made within the last five years. “We decided to develop this online tool after routinely receiving calls from producers... Read More