Minimizing erosion, better crop inputs management and higher corn yields is what Port Rowan, Ont., farmer Dan Petker was looking for when he adopted strip tillage five years ago. Farming with his family on the shores of Lake Erie, Petker turned to strip till — the process of minimizing tillage by cultivating eight-inch wide strips... Read More

One of the busiest people in agriculture may be Senator Rob Black. The Ontario senator seems to be everywhere these days talking to everyone on a host of issues. Earlier this month, Black's sponsored bill to establish Food Day in Canada received unanimous support at third reading in the House of Commons. The first official... Read More

Working together towards a common vision is the driving force behind 3Gen Organics, one of the country's biggest and most progressive family-run organic farming operations. On this episode of Profitable Practices, we visit with Brett Israel, near Wallenstein, Ont, to learn how three generations of the family have worked together to carve out a market... Read More

There are many variables that determine the success of a crop and crop rotations can be used to maintain and manage nutrient and moisture levels in the soil. Anne Paquette is a masters candidate at the University of Saskatchewan whose thesis is focused on water use efficiency. Research typically shows increased water use efficiency of... Read More

Conventional soil testing provides growers with a look at the concentration of minerals present in soil. Western Ag soil analysis takes soil testing one step further by providing growers with a look at what minerals are available for root uptake. Edgar Hammermeister is one of the lead agronomists for Western Agriculture, and he spoke with... Read More

There are two key messages from this episode of The Agronomists: avoiding compaction and minimizing topsoil movement is well worth the planning and effort, because the alternative results in significant yield loss and is expensive to fix. To dig in (!) to the topic, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by guests Dr. Jeff Schoenau, from... Read More

This post is part of a series of short introductions of Students of Agriculture. From undergraduates, to PhDs, or those learning out in the world, this series will share snippets of different journeys in agriculture education. Know a student with a neat story? Send Lyndsey a message (lsmith@realagriculture.com) to have them recognized as a Student... Read More