London, Ont. | Reuters — Canada welcomes the suggestion by U.S. President Donald Trump that the deadline for concluding talks to modernize NAFTA could be extended beyond the end of March, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Friday. Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday that “a lot of things are hard to […] Read more
Canada welcomes Trump suggestion of NAFTA deadline extension
More snow lately over the Sahara than the Prairies
CNS Canada — Parts of the Sahara Desert received rare snowfall over the past week, with up to 40 cm falling in the Algerian desert town of Ain Sefra. That freak snow — only the third time in 40 years — made for some fantastic photographs before melting, but would be more welcome in Western […] Read more
Loans pledged for wildfire-damaged Alberta farms
Ranchers and farmers in two southeastern Alberta municipalities hit by wildfire in mid-October may soon be able to apply for interest-free rebuilding loans. The province’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) on Wednesday announced loan applications will be available Jan. 8 for eligible producers in Cypress County and the MD of Acadia. Applications under the Hilda […] Read more
What are the alternatives if peas don’t pencil out for your farm?
A canola-wheat rotation fosters weed and resistance problems, but a major drop in pea acreage will leave a big hole in cropping plans
Reading Time: 3 minutes Experts are stumped on what to grow this spring as a third mainstay crop. Peas have increasingly been the choice of many looking to avoid a canola-wheat rotation — but India’s trade barriers along with disease issues have left many of those producers scrambling to find an alternative. “I do believe pea acres will be […] Read more
No prison for Saskatchewan rancher over stolen farm equipment
A western Saskatchewan rancher who pleaded guilty in August to charges over the discovery last year of missing tractors, balers and other farm equipment will serve time outside the prison system, Saskatoon media reported Friday. Iain Stables, now 40, was sentenced Friday in Provincial Court in Saskatoon to a conditional term of two years less […] Read more
Harvestec owner Linamar set to buy MacDon
Canadian harvesting equipment company MacDon is set to join the ag arm of industrial equipment and parts manufacturer Linamar. Guelph-based Linamar Corp., which markets the Harvestec brand of corn harvesting headers in North America, on Thursday announced a “definitive” agreement to buy 100 per cent of Winnipeg-based MacDon and its group of companies for $1.2 […] Read more
Mycotoxins — the invisible danger for livestock
Ruminant nutritionist offers tips to ensure feed doesn’t pose a health hazard to your cattle
Reading Time: 3 minutes Mould and mycotoxins can be tricky, but there are a few tips that can help prevent them from hurting your cattle. That was the message that Amanda Van De Kerckhove, ruminant nutritionist with Co-op Feeds, brought to Northlands’ first BeefTech event. “It can be a little overwhelming when you look at all the factors that […] Read more
Wildfire-damaged grazing areas up for Saskatchewan aid
Saskatchewan’s provincial disaster assistance program (PDAP) will be opened up to cover southwestern grazing areas damaged by this fall’s wildfires. The province’s government relations minister, Larry Doke, on Wednesday announced producers who incurred wildfire damage on “tame and native lands” intended for grazing may now apply for assistance to get feed for affected livestock. Winds […] Read more
Saskatchewan to offer discount option on Crown land
Facing another rent hike in 2018, some Saskatchewan farmers leasing cultivated and “formerly cultivated” Crown land from the province are getting an option to buy the land instead at a 10 per cent discount. Provincial Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart on Tuesday announced a “targeted incentive” program aimed at about 1,100 eligible leaseholders, offering the 10 […] Read more
Have a plan to get the most out of your feed supply
Strategies include keeping alfalfa until the third trimester and monitoring the calcium/phosphorus ratio when feeding cereals
Reading Time: 2 minutes Livestock producers have several months of winter ahead of them. “It’s best to develop a strategy to get the most out of your feed supply at the start of feeding season, and it’s not too late,” said provincial beef extension specialist Andrea Hanson. By testing the various feeds and knowing the nutritional values of each, […] Read more