AAFC seeks southern Alberta bins for insect testing

AAFC seeks southern Alberta bins for insect testing

The goal is to help detect potentially new invasive pests to the area

Reading Time: 2 minutes Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is looking for six to 10 sites to monitor for insects in bins in southern Alberta this fall. It is an opportunity to further understand what is in the bins and how insects can be controlled. Participants who volunteer can ask for the results from their own bins and bin yard. […] Read more



CN releases 2022-23 grain plan

CN releases 2022-23 grain plan

More high-capacity cars, locomotives, staff included in plan

Reading Time: < 1 minute CN Rail published its 2022-23 grain plan July 29 in which it describes preparations for moving a western Canadian grain crop expected to rebound from last year’s drought-reduced harvest. Plan details include the addition of 57 high-horsepower locomotives, new rolling stock and 500 additional employees to bolster operating crews in Western Canada. More high-capacity grain […] Read more




Is a return of ‘grain gridlock’ in the cards?

Is a return of ‘grain gridlock’ in the cards?

Grain movement was slow last winter but CN and CP say they’ll be ready to move this fall’s harvest

Reading Time: 4 minutes Fears are mounting that CN and CP may not be up to the job of getting grain to port later this year, even though the forecasts are for only an average-sized crop. “Last year wasn’t very reassuring,” said Geoff Backman, manager of business development and markets with Alberta Wheat and Barley. “Every year farmers are […] Read more


A lot of the pre-harvest safety checks are the same tasks you should take to prevent spoilage, says farm safety expert Robert Gobeil.

Be safe and profitable when storing grain

Best practices for safety and preventing spoilage in bins frequently cross over, says safety expert

Reading Time: 3 minutes The pre-harvest season is a good time to think about best practices around grain bin safety. Sounds like one more set of things to do on top of about a million others, right? Not necessarily, said a farm safety specialist. Those already taking action to minimize grain spoilage are also eliminating safety risks, said Robert […] Read more

Attempting to dry high depths of canola in large bins can cause conventional fans to stall, creating a potential need for three-phase power.

Large bins may be too large when it comes to drying canola

Bins hold a lot more these days, and that makes it challenging to push air through small seeds like canola

Reading Time: 3 minutes When is a grain bin too big to allow for proper drying? When it comes to canola, leading researchers may now have an idea. The Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute (PAMI) found that commonly used conditioning fans stall when canola is piled too high in a tall grain bin. Adding an extra fan in parallel didn’t […] Read more


BNSF crews clear track near Lemmon, S.D., about 300 km northeast of Rapid City, in late December 2016. (BNSF.com)

Biden steps in to help end freight rail labour disputes

Disputes dragging at BNSF, Union Pacific

Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order creating an emergency board to help resolve disputes between major freight rail carriers and their unions, in a move that could help loosen up some supply chain constraints. The order came ahead of a deadline next week to intervene in nationwide […] Read more

File photo of barley being loaded for export at the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv, Ukraine on July 9, 2013. (Photo: Reuters/Vincent Mundy)

Baltic Dry Index at three-month lows

Demand for ocean freight seen backing off

MarketsFarm — Ocean freight rates have come under pressure over the past month as demand for freight backs away, which could be seen as a sign of the slowing global economy. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), which is a major indicator of shipping rates, settled at 2,081 points on Monday, up 14 points from Friday’s […] Read more