CNS Canada –– Crops were hit hard by rain in many parts of the province during the period of July 5-11, according to a report from the Saskatchewan government. Lloydminster, Estevan and Carrot River were just a few of the communities hit hardest by the precipitation. In some cases, areas in eastern and southern regions […] Read more
Soggy conditions stress Saskatchewan’s crops
Storms trim potential for big Prairie crops
Reuters — Heavy rain and strong winds are likely to curb the potential for Western Canada’s crops, government officials said, but the harvest may still be bigger than average. Pockets across Saskatchewan, Canada’s biggest wheat- and canola-growing province, received as much as five inches of rain, strong winds and hail since Sunday. The storms flattened […] Read more
Rain causes extreme haying delays
CNS Canada –– Excessive rain and high humidity over the past few weeks are causing major problems for haying operations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “We should be well underway in our progress and I think we are far behind right now,” said Leanna Rousell, executive director of the Saskatchewan Forage Council. The majority of Saskatchewan […] Read more
Get to know your pasture, says forage and beef expert
Identify all the species, consider what works or can be utilized, encourage biodiversity, and keep litter at optimal levels
Reading Time: 3 minutes When you manage your plants properly, you’ll have healthier soil and animals. This was the main message from provincial forage and beef specialist Karin Lindquist for attendees at the recent Grazing School for Women. “To manage your plants, you need to know what plants you have,” said Lindquist. So get a good camera and some […] Read more
This tenacious invader is hard to defeat
Reading Time: < 1 minute White cockle has strikingly lovely white flowers and the fuzzy, almost furry opposite leaves give it a distinctive appearance. It is a member of the Pink family — it looks like pinking shears gave the five petals their deep notches. The Pink family includes chickweed and night flowering catchfly — catchfly is often mistaken for […] Read more
Canola, field peas flowering, soil moisture mostly good to excellent
Alberta crop conditions as of July 5
Reading Time: 2 minutes Crop condition ratings improved in all regions of the province with the greatest improvement occurring in the South and Central regions. Precipitation in the form of frequent showers prevailed throughout the province and was much welcomed in the dry western areas though the precipitation was an unwanted impediment to those spraying fungicides or baling hay. […] Read more
Taiwan again accepting Canadian UTM beef
One of the top international importers of Canadian beef is back in the market after closing its ports to the product last year. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland on Friday announced Taiwan will again accept beef from Canadian cattle under 30 months of age (UTMs), effective immediately. Taiwan had pulled the […] Read more
Canada thistle: Meet your worst nightmare
Every rancher hates this hard-to-control weed, but stem mining weevils just eat them up (from the inside)
Reading Time: 3 minutes Every year, Canada thistle takes a big bite out of the productivity of Alberta forage and grasslands. But an increasing number of producers is biting back — in a wholly natural way. In late August, the West-Central Forage Association will once again import hundreds of cartons of little black bugs from an insectary in Montana. […] Read more
Creep feeding an option if your pastures are hurting
A good creep ration could increase the value of a calf by $50 to $200 if prices stay around $2 a pound
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s another tough year for pastures, and producers wanting to stretch limited forage supplies should consider creep feeding calves throughout the summer, says a provincial beef and forage specialist. “It’s possible that pastures will run out much earlier than normal,” said Barry Yaremcio. “In general, 70 per cent of total forage growth occurs before the […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market experiences thin trade
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Many auction barns are in holiday mode and the shortened holiday week further shrunk market activity. In any case, feedlot operations on both sides of the border are focused on selling fed cattle and assessing current financial damage rather than bringing in replacements. The […] Read more