lewis baarda

They don’t wear lab coats but more farmers doing on-farm research

Getting scientifically valid data takes time and work -- and often at the busiest times of the year

Reading Time: 4 minutes With all the decisions that must be made in a growing season, on-farm research trials are a way for farmers to increase the odds of making the right call on major changes. “When you do something yourself on your own farm, you can be pretty certain it will work in your conditions,” said Lewis Baarda, […] Read more



(AmsterdamBeer.com)

Denmark’s Royal Unibrew to buy Toronto’s Amsterdam Brewery

Brewer seeks new capacity in North America

Corrected, July 18 — Copenhagen | Reuters –– Danish brewer and beverage maker Royal Unibrew will acquire Toronto craft brewer Amsterdam Brewery in a deal valued at around 250 million Danish crowns (C$44 million), Royal Unibrew said in a statement on Friday. “The acquisition we are doing today is very important for the future growth […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Grains under pressure awaiting new crop

Farmers 'digging in and being patient'

MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in Western Canada continue to come under pressure, as feedlots chew through corn imports from the United States and wait on the new-crop harvest. “We’re certainly seeing things soften,” said grain trader Shaun Smith of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. Declines in the Chicago futures and good Prairie growing conditions […] Read more



Cereal groups merger heads to a vote

Cereal groups merger heads to a vote

Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta wheat and barley farmers will vote on a proposed merger of the two crop commissions this fall. “Farmers can expect plebiscite information to come to their mailbox this fall, although voting in the plebiscites will be conducted online,” an article in the most recent Grain Exchange newsletter states. Provincial rules require separate plebiscites for […] Read more





(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle trade at 52-week highs

New-crop feed grain values under pressure

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings traded steady to $2 higher with exceptional demand noted on steers over 700 pounds. Calf values were mixed in Alberta with markets trading $2-$4 on either side of unchanged; however, prices were steady to $4 higher in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Small groups of various quality characterized the feeder […] Read more