Blog post by John Guelly, BSc, P.Eng Wheat and Canola Farmer and Ag Engineer at Westlock, AB So we just ordered a new tractor, state of the art 2011 JD 8260R, complete with all the bells and whistles. We sold our old tractor to some neighbors and I asked them if they also were interested... Read More
Category: Western Canada
We have all heard the saying, "what goes up must come down," but does that maybe not apply to land values? This week FCC released its newest version of the Farm Credit Canada Farmland Values Report and the results continue to verify the upward trend of land values. It is becoming ever more difficult to... Read More
With the wet weather across the prairies getting all the media attention, you would assume that most farmers would be dealing with pests that come with an over abundance of moisture. With the majority of the west being wet except for the Peace, pests that love moisture will become a real problem. The interesting thing... Read More
Wet weather hasn't just played havoc for farmers trying to get into their fields, feedlot operators across the west are dealing with disastrous conditions in their pens. Those muddy wet, conditions impact cattle movement and gains in the yard. Producers are bedding cattle, moving cattle, or cleaning what they can in the pen to... Read More
The "big picture" is very important when it comes to evaluating plant stands, especially in winter wheat. The first place a farmer will naturally be drawn to is the visually accessible poor spots in the field. Those areas should be looked at, but always in the broader context of the entire field. If they aren't,... Read More
By Shaun Haney With the Conservatives winning a majority it took very little time for the speculation to begin on how long it will take the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk responsibilities on wheat to be extinguished. It was interesting to watch the live discussion on twitter while the election results were being posted on... Read More
With the discovery of glyphosate resistant ragweed last year in Ontario, many researchers and farmers are growing concerned about the potential impact of glyphosate resistance. The is not just a problem for Canada but around the world where glyphosate tolerant traits are planted. By no means is this a wide spread issue as it seems... Read More
When the conditions are right, flea beetles move quickly and devastate quickly. The bugs are the most chronically damaging insect pest of canola in Western Canada. They inflict the most damage on canola at the seedling stage, inhibiting proper plant growth and delaying maturity. They will feed on more mature plants, but canola at later... Read More
In some areas of the country, whether on time or late, farmers will have to deal with seeding into cool, wet soil conditions. As we approach the 1st of May, farmers who haven't seeded yet may be looking at planting canola in less than ideal conditions just to get the crop in the ground. The... Read More
If you've lived out west for any length of time, one of the things you've probably noticed is that farmers are pretty good at taking advantage of any opportunity they have to get their crop in the ground early. Around the clock seeding, multiple drills in fields and rotating shifts in the tractors are just... Read More