With an expected Stats Can report maintain the status quo in the cow herd numbers next month, the current state of tight cattle inventory isn’t going away any time soon. Low cattle stocks, a sinking loonie and cheaper feed all spell opportunity for Canada’s beef industry, but it’s not all green grass and juicy steaks.... Read More
Category: Western Canada
We have ways to kill weeds mechanically, but that typically means tillage, which has its own consequences. But what about a way to destroy weeds mechanically, long before the seeds even hit the ground? The Harrington Seed Destructor does exactly that. "The Harrington Seed Destructor (HSD) is based on a mill that processes the chaff... Read More
In case you missed it, RealAgriculture's content creation team was at FarmTech 2014 this week. (If the site has seemed a little quiet of late, that's why. All the fun was happening on Twitter, so you should join us there.) Click here to see all of our FarmTech coverage! As is our custom, we sat... Read More
If there's one thing farmers are focused on during the spray season, it's efficiency. A spray operation must accomplish its goal of getting the right product on, but time is of the utmost importance, especially during the hectic early season or when, say, conditions for disease progression are ideal. Learn more: What's an inversion? Tom... Read More
When new farm animal diseases rear their heads, one of the first questions asked is how they were discovered. Overwhelmingly, the sleuth turns out to be a rural veterinarian, summoned by the farm’s concerned owner or operator. Although our society is becoming much more urbanized, rural veterinarians play a critical role. In Ontario, the Ontario... Read More
If there's one crop that's been generating buzz this month, it's oats, followed closely by flax. A plugged supply chain for our export markets has several farmers exploring other viable crop options for the 2014 growing seasons. Hot on the heels of this, the federal government recently announced funding for the oat market to re-build... Read More
Not all good ideas pan out. Sometimes the effort you put in to a new venture or event is all for naught. But sometimes, what starts as something new and different catches on, and years later becomes the one farm conference that sells out year after year. The FarmTech conference is one such event that... Read More
Where is US ag policy headed? I guess that's the question of the day....or more accurately, that's the question that's been asked since 2010. Where is US ag policy headed? We've had some bi-polar insights into that direction with initiatives like MCOOL, which, from what we've seen and heard, do not have majority industry support... Read More
By Bernard Tobin, Ontario field editor This story was originally published on January 28, 2014. For continually updated information click here. Ontario's second case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has been confirmed at a Chatham-Kent region farm and a third farm is being investigated in the same area. (Editor's note: The number now sits... Read More
Maintaining good relationships should be a priority in any succession plan, but sometimes it's hard to get past the financial and legal jargon associated with the process. For both reasons, a farm business should consider appointing a third party to mediate discussions. And, in the meantime, it doesn't hurt to learn about some of your... Read More