Only days ago it was Canada Day; a day to celebrate our country and embrace all things Canadian. Some think of poutine, but I, and the thousands of other dairy and poultry farms, celebrate our truly Canadian supply management system. It’s how I feed my family, how I feed my country and how I help... Read More
Category: Western Canada
In order to have an effective fungicide strategy, the approach behind it has to be more preventative than reactive. That approach can be a little scary sometimes when spraying based on a risk assessment instead of seeing actual symptoms. It's an approach that can leave you wondering if you did the right thing, but if... Read More
Farming involves making the most of short windows of opportunity. Sometimes missed hours can translate into missed days at harvest time. That's why time is of the essence when it comes to any job on the farm. A long drive back to the shop in a combine to switch headers can eat up a lot... Read More
I had the chance to spend a very hot and sunny afternoon with Don and Jeannine Guyot, who farm at Fannystelle, Manitoba. It's been a rough few years in the area. Last year, Don says he only used maybe a quarter of his total storage. It would seem that 2012 is poised to make up... Read More
This week Monsanto announced they are finally going to make the TUA and canola seed purchase one transaction. According to the press release, Monsanto stated that overwhelmingly growers provided feedback that canola TUA's should be handled no differently than other crops like corn, soybeans and wheat. It is surprising how long it has taken to... Read More
We could easily call this episode of the Beef Market Update the "even Steven" episode or the "good news bad news" episode as it seems as though every point has a counter-point and every yin, a yang. In some cases it's less of a counter-point than it is a "wait just a minute, not so... Read More
Equipment management at planting or harvesting can become a bit of a chess game. You often have to think two or more moves ahead when you're moving equipment from field to field. Tractors can become a hot commodity and a scarcity when you're making those moves and that can leave you waiting on one job... Read More
Early is best when it comes to catching any type of canola disease, especially one as potentially devastating as sclerotinia. Scouting your field early and regularly is important, but knowing when your field is vulnerable can also help you to employ preventative measures against sclerotinia. Prevention is the first line of defence against sclerotinia. If... Read More
A good fungicide program is important in your pulse crops. Variety selection, rotation, product selection and proper application of that product should all come together to get you the most bang for your fungicide buck. While all of those elements are vital to the health of your crop, your whole program could suffer if the... Read More
One of my favourite things about this year's Farm Progress show was getting to watch live demonstrations of all of the cool equipment and products that manufacturers brought to the show. There is nothing that sells you on a product better than watching that product in action. One of the really cool things I got... Read More