Good forage makes money, but poor forage is money lost. Tom Kilcer, of Advanced Ag Systems in Kinderhook, NY, has spent years researching forage production, forage quality, and livestock performance. Here’s what he’s learned. Contrary to common assumptions, forage does not dry by the same mechanisms from start to finish. They are, in fact, three... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
With all the red tape and busy work farmers already face, who wants more? No one, I’m sure. Not even people who kind of like paperwork. But I’m hoping an effort underway to have farmers create an animal care code of conduct will be seen by most as more than a nuisance. In Ontario, an... Read More
This week, Winnipeg, Man., hosted the World Congress on Conservation Agriculture — a three day event that brought together research and extension staff with farmers and industry to discuss the state of conservation agriculture all over the world. Conservation agriculture, a combination of zero-tillage, cover crops, extensive crop rotation and more, looks very different from... Read More
The disease pressure landscape changes as the season progresses and from year to year, but there are always the endemic threats that farmers have to manage for. Part of the disease scouting process includes knowing what to look for, including some new or rare pests that could be making their way into your growing region.... Read More
For a year and a half, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs have had separate leaders, after premier Kathleen Wynne split the ministry to take on the agriculture portfolio herself in February 2013. See the entire new cabinet here. On the heels of the June 12 majority win... Read More
With three shiny, stainless steel counterparts amidst an array of hoses and nozzles, it's no surprise that JD Skiles Company's Pit Stop caught our attention last week at Canada's Farm Progress Show. The Pit Stop is a customizable chemical transfer system that enables applicators to hasten the filling process. The assembly is run by a... Read More
Bourgault introduced its L7550 last week at Canada's 2014 Farm Progress Show. The new seeder features an optional 20 bushel saddle tank; a staircase, railings and wide catwalk; a hydraulic metering drive that automatically adjusts with changes to ground speed; and a user-friendly hydraulic hitch jack. The cart comes standard with a monitoring system, with... Read More
One of the greatest threats to lost return and non-target plant damage in spraying is drift. Spray applicators have to be conscious of all kinds of factors that affect the risk of drift, including windspeed, boom height, potential inversions and, of course, spray quality. Related: Identifying Spray Quality with a Smartphone In this episode of... Read More
Grain markets continue to be depressed by favourable crop conditions, especially in the U.S. where the corn crop was most recently rated as 76 per cent in good-to-excellent condition while the U.S. soybean crop was rated as 73 per cent G/E. This is the fifth-best and best ratings for mid-June on record. University of Illinois... Read More
How long should openers last? Should you change them all at once, or in sections? How do you know when it’s time to change them? Shaun Haney, founder of Real Agriculture and new big fan of opener technology, stopped in at the Morris Industries booth at the 2014 Canada’s Farm Progress Show, to ask Garth... Read More