There are few things on livestock operations more difficult than deciding whether or not to euthanize an animal. And according to Jan Shearer, professor at Iowa State University, we tend to let that decision go on way too long. Shearer was a speaker at this year’s UCVM Beef Cattle Conference pre-conference, where he spoke on... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Paterson Grain has announced plans to build a unit train loading facility near Daysland, in central Alberta. The 55,000 metric tonne inland terminal will feature a 120-car loop track with a dual receiving area for trucks. "The efficient truck handling capability combined with highly efficient rail car loading will allow Paterson to offer excellent customer... Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario today announced it has commenced legal proceedings against the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. “Late last week, Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) filed a request to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to provide an interpretation of the neonicotinoid treated seed regulations,” says Mark Brock, chair of Grain Farmers... Read More
Following regulatory delays over several years, Monsanto Canada representatives say they’re confident the company will finally be able to introduce its soybeans with tolerance to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides to the North American market for 2016. All the required biotech and herbicide approvals for the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend system are in place in... Read More
As a diverse set of volunteers in the agriculture industry, it's hard to assign a worth to the work beneficial insects accomplish, but their absence can speak volumes, if you're listening. To showcase that, Jim Broatch, pest management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, talks root maggots in this Canola School, and how an... Read More
Grains had a big week in the markets with everything ending in the green thanks to wet weather in the U.S. Midwest, and drier weather in Western Canada and Europe. November canola on the Winnipeg exchange nearly touched $12/bu, winter corn and soybean contracts pushed above $4/bu and $10/bu (respectively) in Chicago, and we’re starting... Read More
Not that I’m getting old (!), but back in the 1980s I was long into adulthood when the craft beer movement started, at least as far as I see it now. That’s when the spirit of the West led an entrepreneur outside of Calgary to create Big Rock beer, which remains one of my favourites.... Read More
Looking to add a bigger tractor to their farm and save some money along the way, Greg and Glenn Honey of Bracken, Saskatchewan spent the winter of 1978-79 building a giant yellow and black workhorse that has come to symbolize farmer ingenuity and sheer power. The original 500 horsepower, 2-wheel-drive Honey Bee tractor returned to... Read More
The diversity of North American agriculture is again on display in this week’s news podcast. From the farmer’s role in fighting antibiotic resistance to how Canadian dairy farmers could be affected by a potential Trans-Pacific Partnership to the trends at AgTech Week down in San Francisco, here’s a summary of what happened “This Week on... Read More
You have several corn fields and only one of you — how do you prioritize which field gets fungicide first? 2015 is shaping up to likely be a high disease pressure year, says Albert Tenuta, field crop plant pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and a little planning now... Read More