You go out to check the cows, and you see a calf with scours — what do you do? For many producers, the first course of action involves a bolus gun. But, it's actions like this that have led Franklyn Garry, professor at Colorado State University, to unabashedly assert that "we grossly overuse antibiotics." Neonatal... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Dry weather might scare you to death, but what about wet weather? And, corn leaves appear to be wrapping during the heat of the day — what's up with that? It’s all in this week’s Word, as Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture, shares his advice and answers your questions in this update for the... Read More
Fuel theft is unfortunately an all-too-common problem on farms. As operations grow larger, and with more uninhabited farm yards, thieves may find fuel tanks unsupervised and unprotected. To keep fuel where it's supposed to be, Kenneth Johnson and Jace Ericson of Estevan, Saskatchewan came up with their own solution: a steel cabinet for fuel transfer... Read More
After a series of failed attempts by EU member states to reach a consensus to renew authorization for glyphosate, the European Union Commission plans to issue an 18 month extension for the popular herbicide. On Tuesday, just two days before EU authorization for glyphosate was set to expire, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis committed to extending... Read More
There were no major surprises as Statistics Canada issued an updated set of acreage estimates on Wednesday morning, ahead of the USDA's crop reports on Thursday. Lentils and canola both saw significant increases, while cereal crop acres dipped. The report was based on a survey of 24,500 farms between May 27 and June 12, 2016.... Read More
A good fungicide application is all about getting the active ingredient where it needs to be at the right time to prevent disease. That can be a challenge in lentils, especially when conditions have been conducive for thick canopy growth, as is the case in parts of Western Canada this summer. "We're looking for ways…Read More
As of October 1, 2016, Mexico will fully re-open its border to Canadian beef, ending one of the few trade restrictions that still remain from the initial discovery of a case of BSE in Canada in May 2003. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement in Ottawa on... Read More
The Canadian International Grains Institute is welcoming a farmer from Bentley, Alberta to its board of directors. Kevin Bender was elected at Cigi's annual general meeting last week, replacing the retiring Ron Nerland, a farmer from Morrin, Alberta. Jim Wilson, a farmer from Darlingford, Manitoba and Brent Watchorn, executive vice president of marketing with Richardson... Read More
Before applying a plant growth regulator containing chlormequat to wheat, make sure you've confirmed you have a buyer willing to purchase it, because most of the major grain companies say they won't. Potentially a valuable tool in reducing lodging, many growers are interested in applying Manipulator, a PGR introduced in Canada by Engage Agro in…Read More
No one is saying farmers aren’t tough. But when it comes to mental illness, it turns out they have the same vulnerabilities as everyone else – and more. A mental health literacy training program and mental health emergency response model for Ontario farmers are being created now, following early results of a study that shows... Read More