A probiotic developed at the University of Alberta (U of A) that supports milk cows before and after calving is heading towards being commercially available in Canada. Burim Ametaj, immunobiologist and professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences at the U of A, says this is the first of its kind to... Read More
Category: Western Canada
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
The winter of 2013-14 stands out in the minds of many who were involved in growing and marketing grain in Western Canada as the year of the massive grain backlog, as railways struggled to meet demand for moving crops from country elevators to export markets. With no access to water, like the St. Lawrence or... Read More
How can you turn a decades-old planter into an up-to-date planter? Talk to Precision Planting. Bryce Baker of Precision Planting was at Commodity Classic, at Orlando, Florida, earlier this month to discuss how you can upgrade your older equipment, and turn it into something more modern, for about half the price of a new implement.... Read More
New Holland is billing its new T7.300 model long wheelbase tractor as the most powerful and compact tractor in its range, delivering more power than other T7 models while maintaining tractor dimensions and maneuverability. Farmers got their first look at the tractor at the National Farm Machinery Show last month at Louisville, Kentucky. In this... Read More
The popularity of robot milkers continues to grow dramatically across Canada. Today, between 15 and 20 per cent of Canadian farms milk cows using robot technology. Ten years ago, that number hovered near five per cent. Western Canadian dairy farmers are the biggest adopters with between 25 and 50 per cent of farms in different... Read More
Before we head into the field, there's plenty of things to consider; however, once we do finally get out there (which, for many across Canada seems to be a ways away, yet), that planting pass is crucial. Tonight's focus is on corn — and getting that crop established to the best of our abilities. What... Read More
In 1923 it took a crew of 12 people to cut, bind, thresh, and bag grain for storage. That was the same year that Curtis, Edwin, and Ernest Baldwin developed the Gleaner combine to make harvesting more efficient, less labour intensive and more enjoyable for the farmer. Fast forward 100 years and the Gleaner brand... Read More
Often when talking about the cattle markets, we talk about carcass weight, but sometimes without even completely realizing what it means or what the average weight can tell us. Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange says at the end of the day, we're all selling beef tonnage — pounds of beef is what consumers... Read More
There's something about us rural folk and the appreciation we have of just how beautiful our surroundings can be. For those of you that know me, you know that sunsets, sunrises, and a bright starry sky can make me take a deep breath in ways that not much else can. Lately, I've been stuck in... Read More