Western Canadian farmers would be well advised to start making some key decisions now in regards to soybean production in 2013 as Manitoba soybean acres alone are set to surpass a million for the first time. While some farmers in the province are working on a decade of growing the crop, there will be many... Read More
Category: Western Canada
The high clearance sprayer isn't the sexiest of machines on the farm, but so much is riding on it doing a perfect job every time. Fall is a great time to give your sprayer a little attention and the respect it deserves so it'll be ready to roll first thing in the spring. We caught... Read More
With a mostly beautiful harvest under our belts and the cold weather setting in, it's easy to forget that some canola went into the bin on very, very hot days. While 8% moisture is considered the "safe" moisture level for long-term canola storage, the safety of that bin is in jeopardy if the temperature was... Read More
Farm Credit Canada recently released its latest farmland values (for January to June, 2012). The national average increase of 8.6% semi-annually is staggering, especially considering that it follows on the heels of a 6.9% increase from the six months previous. I have to ask — if this trend of increasing farmland prices continues, what will... Read More
We are in a battle. It may not seem all that bad right now as our combines roll and livestock gets sold. Sure, we hear talk about hormones and GMOs and animal treatment and all of that other stuff. But people keep lining up at the grocery store and buying food. After all, they need... Read More
One of the things I love most about Twitter is impromptu sharing of stories, interests and events between near-strangers. From the mundane, to the hilarious, to the very interesting, Twitter connects those with similar interests and backgrounds, even if geography conspires against you. At the end of last week, some of my Tweeps (@MartinkaCCC @ShaneAgronomy... Read More
Quebec-based Olymel has officially made a bid for Big Sky Farms, the Saskatchewan-based hog producer that recently entered receivership. Olymel has made a bid of $65 million to purchase the company. If successful, it's likely operations would not change significantly, as Olymel processed much of Big Sky's production. While this is the only current bid,... Read More
Dow AgroSciences LLC announced today Canadian approval of the Enlist trait for corn and soy. This will allow for the first-ever cultivation of the traits, which provide tolerance to 2,4-D herbicide, giving Canadian farmers options when dealing with hard-to-control and resistant weeds in both crops. The Enlist corn and Enlist soybean traits have undergone evaluation... Read More
Saskatchewan agriculture minister Lyle Stewart announced today the first 10 federal community pastures to be transferred to the province and to patron-controlled operation for the 2014 grazing season. Patrons (current users of the community pastures) will be given the opportunity to own or lease these pastures. "Patrons have had cattle grazing these pastures for years;... Read More
Can we capture the energy from manure that dairy cows produce and use it to fuel the trucks that pick up and deliver milk? The short answer is yes, but we're not going to see bio-methane pumps around town any time soon. RealAgriculture.com caught up with OMAFRA's Don Hilborn at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show to... Read More