There's no better place to conduct practical agronomic research than in the real world, under the same conditions, using the same equipment and management practices. That's the premise underlying the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers' On-Farm Network, a farmer-driven research program that was officially launched 10 years ago, in 2014. "We really saw a need... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Cattle markets reacted negatively to the news earlier this week of dairy cows testing positive for HPAI in Texas and Kansas. As Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange explains, it's unfortunate but not unexpected to see a downward dip in futures when uncertainty creeps in to the marketplace. Cash trade in the U.S. was... Read More
We know what the seasons are like for cattle and grain farmers, but have you ever wondered what a typical season is like for a bee keeper or what challenges they might experience? Joining me, Paige Warner, in my first time as a podcast host is Brennen Smith, manager and co-owner of Baconian Bee Farm.... Read More
The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has revoked the grain dealer and primary elevator licences for Zeghers Seed Inc., based at Holland, Manitoba. The company, which also operates as Zeghers Canada, is no longer licensed as of March 25, as it did not meet the requirements of the CGC's producer payment security program. If a producer... Read More
Southern Alberta has been in a multi-year drought, so when the most substantial snowfall in, well, years, fell last week, there's been plenty of talk of how to keep the snow where it is in hopes it percolates in to the soil. There's also been action, and one farmer's innovative approach to water conservation has... Read More
Canadian farmers have been making plans for the 2024 season assuming that the interest-free portion of the Advanced Payments Program would revert back to the pre-2022 level of $100,000. As of today, however, farmers will have access to the first $250,000 interest-free, following an announcement by Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The Advance... Read More
A frigid fundraiser hosted by a seed business at Domain, Manitoba has raised more than $70 thousand for STARS air ambulance. 19 people from the seed industry and broader agriculture community, including RealAg's Kelvin Heppner, plunged into a hole cut in the thick ice on the Pitura Seeds farm pond on Friday afternoon. All the... Read More
Consultations have been done, and the "What we heard" document was published in 2021. So why then has the actual opening of the Grain Act — and modernization of it — not happened? On Tuesday, March 26, industry participants, government, and farmers are getting together to talk about exactly that, says Ian Boxall, president of... Read More
The Saskatchewan government is planning to spend just over $1.5 billion on agriculture programs and resources in 2024-25 — a 5.6 per cent increase over last year's budget. The budget announced by Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Donna Harpauer on Wednesday includes $571 million specifically for the Ministry of Agriculture. "Our investments in this year's... Read More
One of the most commonly-used tools for fighting insect pests will be missing from the toolbox in many situations on Canadian farms again in 2024. There's been no change to the label for products that contain lambda-cyhalothrin, such as Matador and Silencer, heading into the 2024 growing season, says Ian Epp, agronomy specialist with the... Read More