As equipment becomes more sophisticated and tech-reliant, farming has become an increasingly precise and data-driven business. It's rare though that each tractor or piece of equipment and implement is purchased at the exact same time, complete with software interface, all from the same brand. And, even if they did, no brand of equipment has a... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Reports of increased bee deaths in the spring of 2012 in areas of Ontario and Quebec were alarming, but, at the time, attributed at least in part to the unseasonably cool and wet spring. This past spring, however, had more average temperatures but also had a higher than average reported bee kills. What's troublesome about... Read More
It's time once again for the least serious 10 minutes in ag news! And this time the RealAgriculture production team has gone above and beyond the call of duty and put together a truly entertaining package of highlights from Canada's Outdoor Farm Show. In this mostly-not-serious edition of Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, Shaun Haney and... Read More
Brennan Turner recently asked farmers if they'd prefer extra bushels but lower prices, or sky high prices but a poor crop. Not surprisingly, farmers would prefer inventory, likely in part because Canadian farmers are quite comfortable with storing grain. Of course, the yields and volumes coming off fields this fall has left many farmers without... Read More
This week Calgary is hosting ABIC 2013 which is a global conference on food and agricultural biotechnology. I had the chance to sit down with Jim Wispinski, President of Dow AgroSciences Canada, and discuss the panel that he moderated about the past and future impacts of biotechnology agribusiness and farmers. If you cannot hear the... Read More
We have run many different stories and interviews talking about the need to be an agricultural advocate in the past. I hear from many readers that they feel being a advocate for agriculture is a complete waste of time and not a practical role for a farmer. Just watch the below video being promoted by... Read More
Few farmers want to hear bearish news, but ignoring the warning signs of an impending price slide may just mean you end up on the wrong side of it. About this time last year, Moe Agostino, of Farms.com Risk Management, was calling for a price slide in both corn and soy, and farmers, begrudgingly, have... Read More
Bin-busting crops are never something to wish away, but the simple laws of supply and demand eventually come in to play when everyone has a lot of crop to sell. While that's oversimplifying grain markets, the overall message is clear — decent quality wheat, corn and other grains are going to be easy to find... Read More
A frost in mid-September isn't unexpected, but the damage caused varies widely, depending on a number of factors. Just because the temperatures dip doesn’t mean that your immature crop is a write-off. Crop type, maturity and length of time the temp sat below freezing all play a role in the final damage done. The first... Read More
If you're a farmer who didn't do much forward selling in the last two years, you've likely been very happy with the outcome. If you haven't priced crop for 2013-14 yet, however, it may not end up not having been such a wise plan. Many farmers are harvesting a big crop right now, and, at... Read More