The grass is greening up, the calves are hitting the ground and the steaks are about to hit barbeques across North America, even as cattle prices flirt with new record highs. There’s no way around it — it’s a great time to be a cattle producer in Canada. No one begrudges the cattle industry some... Read More
Category: Podcasts
Catch up on this week’s ag news — from seeding to the federal budget to the avian influenza situation in Ontario — here’s This Week on Real Ag for April 24th, 2015: Mentions: Wheat Pete’s Word: Plant’15 Begins, Celebrating Soil, Trouble in the Corn Bins and More More Wheat and Oats, Fewer Canola Acres —... Read More
Ontario farmers who are accessing or have plans to access Growing Forward 2 funding have a new list of rules to learn. Of particular note, says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), intake dates have changed, as have the rules surrounding invoice dates, to highlight just a few... Read More
Farmers and fishing businesses will save a projected $50 million in taxes over the next five years thanks to another increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains exemption announced in the federal budget this week. The exemption, which helps farmers reduce their tax burden when transferring ownership of farm assets, has been raised to $1 million... Read More
Statistics Canada published its annual pre-seeding acreage estimates on Thursday morning. As expected, the planting intentions survey showed Canadian farmers plan to seed more wheat, oats and barley and less canola and soybeans than in 2014 (see chart.) There were some surprises in the report, as the canola acreage projection of 19.4 million acres was... Read More
Did you know it’s Soil Conservation Week? Here we are just one day after Earth Day, and in that spirit Peter Johnson kicks off this week’s crop update with a challenge for farmers. When’s the last time you sat at the kitchen table and talked about your farm’s biggest asset, the soil? Johnson says if... Read More
Is your planter ready to roll? Corn planting season will soon be here for growers in Ontario and Western Canada. While it's been a cool spring in Ontario, an early melt in Western Canada meant some fields were dry enough to plant several weeks ago. However, the date on the calendar and the temperature reading... Read More
Soil conditions in the heart of the soybean growing area on the eastern prairies have been dry this spring, leading to questions about planting deeper than normal to ensure the seed has access to moisture. This Soybean School West episode takes us to the middle of a windy field near Portage, Man., where Dieter Schwarz... Read More
Years of financial and regulatory challenges have taken a toll on pork production in Manitoba, to the point where the province’s largest hog processing facility now needs around 175 new barns built to operate at full capacity, according to the company’s president and CEO. Speaking at the Manitoba Pork Council annual meeting in Winnipeg on... Read More
With corn planting season around the corner, the annual routine of getting planting units ready for a new growing season is well underway. The planter setup and calibration process should account for the size of corn seed going through the planter, notes Dieter Schwarz of Pride Seeds in this latest Corn School episode. "Look at... Read More