Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s no denying that native pollinators are important — and there are things you can do to encourage these keystone species to come live on your land. Native pollinators are critical for forages and crops, agroforestry specialist Luke Wonneck said during a recent Foothills Forage and Grazing Association webinar. “Pollination is plant sex. Because plants […] Read more
Native pollinators want to be your buddies
Some simple things can make your land more attractive to pollinators
Mustard growers face decision time
AAFC projects more acres in 2021-22
MarketsFarm — For Canadian mustard seed growers, next month will be crucial in learning whether seeding predictions from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada come to fruition. Current mustard seed prices, though, seem to support a rise in the number of acres this coming crop year. Canadian farmers in 2020 grew 99,000 tonnes of mustard seed, the […] Read more
Intercropping can be a win win for mixed operations
The practice comes with a learning curve, but can increase grazing options while boosting soil health
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is a lot of buzz in beef and forage production systems around the concepts of sustainability and soil health, and the numerous different production practices that can support those ideas. Intercropping is one strategy that can improve efficiency and soil health. Manitoba producer Alan MacKenzie considers intercropping to be two crops that are grown […] Read more
Superstar or stinker? Merits of new seed varieties can all depend on your farm
There are lots of new varieties with ‘really, really good genetics’ but they might not be a fit for you
Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s that time of year again. With a pen in hand, you flip through the pages, circling what looks good, hoping you’ll get what you want and praying that what you get will be as good as it looks on paper. Poring over the new Alberta Seed Guide may feel a little like flipping through […] Read more
Low acreage buoys mustard seed prices
MarketsFarm — Spot prices for mustard seed on the Prairies have trended higher, due to consecutive years of low seeded acreage. In 2020, about 256,500 acres of mustard seed were planted, down about 36 per cent from the previous year. Walter Dyck, seed division manager for Olds Products, mentioned it’s the second time in 20 […] Read more
Strong crops in southern Alberta, weaker ratings in north
MarketsFarm – Crop conditions in Alberta are a story of opposites in looking at the data in the latest provincial crop report. In the northern half of the province excessive moisture has created poor crop conditions, while more ideal conditions in the south have resulted in ratings far above the five-year averages. Due to the […] Read more
NFU sees red flags in CUSMA bill for grain growers
Bibeau urged to 'correct mistakes' in NAFTA 2.0-enabling legislation
The National Farmers Union is warning of sweeping changes to Canadian grain regulation it sees tucked into federal legislation meant to put through the successor deal to NAFTA. Bill C-4, the implementing legislation for the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), passed second reading Feb. 6 and came back without amendment Feb. 27 from the Commons standing committee […] Read more
Yellow mustard bids solid
MarketsFarm — Yellow mustard bids remain solid in Western Canada, which should encourage acres this spring. “Yellow mustard started firming up after harvest,” said Walter Dyck of Olds Products. Poor conditions and quality concerns in the fall provided some of the support at that time, with top end bids still holding around 40 cents/lb. Brown […] Read more
Variable yields supportive for mustard prices
MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada’s principal field crop production report last week estimated a significant drop in Canada’s 2019 mustard production. In September, the agency estimated Canadian mustard would total about 141,000 tonnes. However, due to challenging growing conditions and a slight reduction in acreage, the StatsCan estimates released Friday were revised downward to 134,600 tonnes. […] Read more
Saskatchewan harvest progresses under adverse conditions: report
MarketsFarm – Saskatchewan farmers continued to plug away at the harvest over the past week, with 90 per cent of the crop in the bin as of Oct. 28, according to the latest provincial report. That was up seven points from the previous week, but still behind the five-year average of 96 per cent complete. […] Read more
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