As Gary Larson once said, The Chickens are Restless. If you're not on Twitter, you likely haven't heard about a growing group of disgruntled farmers taking aim at Panera Bread Company's cheap shot at conventional agriculture. Cheap shot is perhaps being generous — an entire ad campaign has been built around fear mongering and misinformation,... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Guess what? The old "turn the fans on and leave them on" at harvest isn't necessarily true. Contrary to what farmers have been told and have been doing for quite some time, warm days actually add or maintain moisture levels in grain bins. Yes, really. Research on the subject out of the Indian Head Agricultural... Read More
While there is increased interest in narrow row corn both north and south of the Canadian border, the harvest equipment required for 15" row corn isn't exactly the norm. Sure, the Geringhoff header may one day mean row width doesn't matter, but in the interim, 30" centres are the norm. In response to the interest... Read More
Have you heard that Monsanto has been driven out of doing business in Europe? Not so, says the company, though they are changing the business direction in that market. "People have said we are exiting the GMO business in Europe, but we don't really have a business," Jose Manuel Madero, Monsanto's president and managing director... Read More
The 2013 calving season was, to say the least, awful on our farm. Ugh, I still shudder at the thought of it. If you were anything like me, you were confused. The lack of sleep and surplus of snow certainly didn’t help. Why is this calf sick? What are these signs and symptoms indicative of?... Read More
Well-managed pastures can produce good yields for years, but will produce best if fertility of those pastures is planned for the long-term. Big producing pastures require big fertility numbers, though grazing helps to cycle these nutrients back to the soil. Over-grazing, too low or high stocking densities and time all can begin to mine pasture... Read More
Hedging is a big scary word to many farmers. And it's understandable — it's an account that can flucuate significantly, making it seem like you've lost money. But, unlike speculators that never grow or store crops, farmers are in a unique position to use hedging as a low-risk price management tool. Why? Because as your... Read More
How does your auger hopper look? Does it need a few more rolls of duct tape and a couple more square bales to keep it in service? If you think auger hoppers are in desperate need of a re-design you are not alone. Cue Hoffart Services, based at Odessa, Sask., who thought it was about... Read More
Good reasons exist to better understand what sustainability means on the farm – and a lot of them have to do with consumers. It’s vital for farmers themselves to know how to best care for the land, water and air in which they produce food. No smoke and mirrors. Unsustainable practices mean trouble in the... Read More
Have you ever walked around a farm show and thought, "If only I had the money." We put that question, and a few others, to a group of farmers we bribed with t-shirts asked to participate in the latest installment of Talking to Farmers. Watch the video below to hear about how often these farmers... Read More