Wheat and barley grower organizations from across Western Canada are trying to figure out how to move forward with farmer involvement in variety development. The transitional Western Canadian wheat and barley check-offs implemented by the federal government with the end of the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly in 2012 are set to expire in 2017. The... Read More
Category: Western Canada
A Winnipeg-based company thinks farmers might find value in going back to steel wheels. The yellow 12"x16.5" steel skid-steer wheels made by Evolution Wheel were on display in the Inventor's Showcase at Ag Days in Brandon, Man. last week. "Evolution Wheel was designed for the user who needs to accomplish traction and address tire puncture... Read More
Last week I attended the Alberta Federation of Agriculture (AFA) annual meeting. Across Canada there are several general farm organizations that attempt to tackle the issues impacting farmers as a whole. Ontario has the OFA, Manitoba has KAP and Saskatchewan has APAS — all speaking for farmers, but with different representation and funding models. I... Read More
Canada's international trade minister says Canada intends to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement in New Zealand on February 4, while emphasizing "signing does not equal ratifying" the TPP. Chrystia Freeland posted an open letter on her department's website earlier today indicating "when the 11 other countries convene to sign the agreement next week, Canada will... Read More
In the ongoing quest to boost spraying efficiency, North Dakota-based Summers Manufacturing has developed a unit designed to cut down on fill times by preloading chemicals before the sprayer comes in for a pit stop. "When the sprayer (operator) pulls up, all he has to do is hook the hose up to the sprayer, fire... Read More
The final push is on this week to connect with farmers across Canada, for the first-ever national mental wellness survey of those who produce our food. Back when this initiative started in the fall, survey coordinator Prof. Andria Jones-Bitton of the University of Guelph, said she hoped to have 1,000 farmers involved in the survey... Read More
As we head into the last week of January, commodity prices started to finally rebound a bit, led by Brent and WTI crude oil jumping 11% and 6% from where they closed last Friday! This helped net-resource-exporting currencies like the Russian ruble, Australian dollar, and the Canadian dollar gain some ground to end the week... Read More
A little over a week after the announcement of over $7 million for 40 crop-related research projects in Saskatchewan, the provincial government, along with the Government of Canada, gave another announcement — livestock and forage research projects will receive a $7.8 million funding contribution. “The livestock industry plays an important role in driving jobs and... Read More
Advancements in farm technology often come from major investments in research and development by large companies, but there are still cases where farmer ingenuity is part of developing something new. Matt Reimer, a young farmer from Killarney, Manitoba, has received plenty of attention after posting videos on YouTube last summer of his work automating a... Read More
There were plenty of lessons to be learned about growing faba beans in 2015, as the number of acres covered by crop insurance in Saskatchewan tripled from just under 20 thousand in 2014 to around 60 thousand last year. "When you increase acres, there are definitely things we gain more information on," notes Sherrilyn Phelps,... Read More