Sunflowers aren't just one of the prettiest crops to grow, they're also an increasingly attractive cropping option for 2014 for some areas. While still a small acreage area crop in Manitoba, both oil and confection sunflowers can be a profitable option and one with several benefits that go beyond a basic crop budget. That's the... Read More
Category: Western Canada
First, an apology. Eagle-eyed RealAgriculture readers will note that this column was absent last week. After three days at FarmTech '14 there was more than enough to share, but no time to do it, so I'll work some of last week into this, if you don't mind. It's no secret I like trains. Furthermore, I... Read More
Farmers in Manitoba know the symptoms of fusarium head blight all too well — bleaching of the grain head, sometimes with a pink tinge, that results in shriveled and shrunk kernels. Sometimes called scab or tombstone, fusarium head blight not only bites into yield, it's also a downgrading factor of grain. Grain with fusarium damaged... Read More
The U.S. Senate passed the 956 page, $956.4 billion Farm Bill on Tuesday, following last week's House approval, and is now awaiting President Barack Obama's signature. The bill has been hugely controversial for many reasons, including Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), which remained in the 2014 Farm Bill despite reaction from eight major lobby groups... Read More
Anyone that has ever fed cattle has targeted a hole in the market to get a better price at some point. Sometimes the hole develops as predicted and sometimes the market adjusts and the hole is no more than a dent. In the first four weeks of January, cattle packers in the US found themselves... Read More
Taiwan and Canada have signed an arrangement to expand market access to include Canadian bone-in beef and other specified beef products from animals under 30 months of age (UTM), according to an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada press release. The arrangement will level the playing field for Canadian beef producers and generate export opportunities to the... Read More
How much nitrogen (N) does a corn crop really need? Are split applications the way to go? What's the biggest risk of N loss in a Western Canadian crop setting? As King Corn marches north and west, these are the questions that need answers if you're going to go from being a farmer who grows... Read More
Cereals Canada announced today the appointment of Cam Dahl as the organization's first-ever president. The Manitoban most recently headed up the Manitoba Beef Producers as general manager, and has also served as commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, chair of the Canadian International Grains Institute Board of Directors and executive director of the Grain Growers... Read More
The Healthy Grains Institute was launched in November of 2012 as a not-for-profit organization with a goal of guiding Canadians in their pursuit of health and weight management. The Institute works to provide the public with science-based information on the benefits of whole grains and is guided by an independent, multi-disciplinary Scientific Advisory Council made... Read More
As news of the sixth and seventh confirmed on-farm case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was announced (as of February 5, 2014), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is urging farmers to make use of a special biosecurity intake for farmers impacted by the devastating disease.... Read More