For those who didn't tune in this weekend to an episode of CTV's W5 on "factory farming", let me sum it up for you: according to the episode hog farmers are heartless, sadist wretches that abuse and mistreat all their animals. While attacks and misinformation on and about farming practices aren't rare, this particular program... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Moving livestock safely, even short distances, requires the right type of trailer, skilled handlers and an informed plan for transport length and conditions. In order to ensure Canadian cattle are being handled with positive outcomes in mind, we need scientifically-informed guidelines for what appropriate travel durations and conditions are. Dr. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, an Agriculture and... Read More
The standard 90 pounds of nitrogen on wheat in Ontario just doesn't cut it anymore. That's according to OMAFRA Wheat Specialist Peter Johnson. Johnson noted that some of the top growers in Ontario are using anywhere from 130 to 150 lb of nitrogen applied to ground that doesn't have residual nitrogen from a cover crop.... Read More
Those who haven't thought about or planned their business succession will have someone who has planned theirs take over their farm or business. It's that simple. That's according to Daryl Ritchie, chairman and CEO of MNP LLC, in this episode of the RealLeaders series. What's more, Ritchie says that too often businesses and farms focus... Read More
An early spring with warm conditions, decent moisture at planting and high-yield-potential genetics make for a best-case scenario in the face of unfavourable weather conditions. The 2012 corn crop generally started out with excellent root structure and good moisture before Mother Nature turned off the top and cranked the heat. In spite of the dry... Read More
The Liberal Party of Canada is in the middle of choosing a new leader. While the vast majority of attention has been lavished on a raven-haired prime minister's son, Martha Hall Findlay has been the first (and perhaps only) candidate to bring any part of an agriculture platform into the race. RealAgriculture.com's editor, Lyndsey Smith,... Read More
A few key environmental and agronomic factors converged in the 2012 crop that led to some surprising and even outstanding soybean yields. Of course, there were areas that suffered from dry weather, but there were also some areas that achieved yields in the 80 bushel range — some small plots even topped 100 bushels an... Read More
The final Statistics Canada numbers are tallied for the 2012 crop and while there are few surprises in the report over the last version, it should be noted that corn and soybeans both had banner years. Grain corn is estimated at a record 13.1 million tonnes, up 15.0% from 2011. In Ontario, Stats Can estimates... Read More
Last week, a great contributor to the Canadian cattle industry was taken from us much too soon. I was very saddened when I heard that last week of the passing of Neil Jannke. I had a beer with Neil and his son Shane at the Saskatchewan StockGrowers AGM last spring. Always when with the Jahnke's... Read More
It is great to to see that the Peterson Bros have struck gain with another great song parody to promote the story of agriculture. In case you missed the original song parody, "I'm Farming and I Grow it" This time the brothers have focused on the hit sensation Gangnam Style by PSY. Enjoy and congrats... Read More