I suspect there will be a lot of angst over the new federal farm review and forecast – even though statistically, it’s a good news story. The report, released last week, showed farmers produced 96.5 million tonnes of grain in 2013. That’s a major leap over the previous year's relatively dismal 76.7-million tonne crop, which... Read More

It won't be business as usual, but if a newly-signed deal goes through, there may be at least some business happening at the Leamington tomato processing plant going forward. A group of investors, Highbury Canco Corporation, has a signed letter of intent with H.J. Heinz Company that will see the consortium take over the plant.... Read More

New Holland will be making its new Roll-Belt 560 Round Baler available in a few months. The baler has some significant upgrades from previous models, including ActiveSweep pickups, bale-slice systems, monitor choices and a specialty crop option. According to New Holland, the ActiveSweep pickups will increase the capacity of the machine by 20% and are... Read More

John Deere has introduced two new series of compact utility tractors introduces — the 4M and 4R Series. Six models between the two series (4044M, 4052M, 4066M, 4044R, 4052R, 4066R) offer farmers, ranchers and acreage owners new options for tasks such as loading, mowing, raking and digging. The 4M and 4R models feature Final Tier... Read More

It’s time for another edition of AgNerds, where Shaun Haney and someone else equally tech-savvy talk about gizmos, gadgets and other techie things! And, yes, for this edition we do indeed have the one and only Peter Gredig back in the saddle/tradeshow chair to talk about, of all things, the cloud. The what, you say?... Read More

Flat as a pancake. That’s how Rob Saik, host of Agri-Treks and founder of Agri-Trend, describes the Mississippi Delta. It’s an apt description, but that flat land and flood plain also produces some pretty amazing crops, including cotton. In this episode of Saik’s Agri-Treks we learn about how cotton grows, identify some of the quality... Read More

Who doesn't want some diversity in the crop rotation? If you're the kind of farmer who likes to grow smaller acreage crops and lock down contracts with end-users, hemp may be for you. While this towering, leafy plant may be recognizable for its uncanny resemblance to that other crop that shall remain nameless, hemp is... Read More

Editor's note: Gaining Ground is a series of feature articles written about cultural management practices common to all production systems. With a heavy focus on soil management and productivity, Rob Wallbridge, a Quebec farmer and blogger, will tackle a new topic in each article, from the use of cover crops, to integrated weed management and... Read More