For a committed user of the Climate FieldView digital integration system, Mike Ferguson had an unusual observation about himself. “I’m not a big technology guy,” said Ferguson, who with his wife Regan farms 3,000 acres at Melfort, Sask. But for him, using the various data-based management tools available in farming today isn’t just helpful, but […] Read more

At Ag in Motion: Farmers gung-ho about digital integration system
'Having a single data point... was number one for us'

At Ag in Motion: Significant Prairie yield drop expected
'A lot of damage done' by drought, Bruce Burnett says
MarketsFarm has released its first yield estimates for Western Canada’s crops and the outlook is grim. Analyst Bruce Burnett just recently completed a crop tour covering most of Saskatchewan. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of good news on the crop front,” he told growers attending the Ag in Motion show in Langham, Sask. “There […] Read more

At Ag in Motion: 3D printer takes aim at food ingredients
Making foods both plant-based and printable the goal
With the development of 3D printing, the age of Star Trek replicators has arrived. For master’s student Rhea Thomas Thommana and PhD student Kashika Sethi, food replication is on the horizon as well. Thomas Thommana and Sethi were at Ag in Motion this week with a 3D printer designed to incorporate plant-based ingredients into food, […] Read more

At Ag in Motion: Exhibitors ready after rainy first day
Wednesday typically AiM's most popular day
The sun is shining, exhibitors are ready and the grounds are prepared for a traditionally-busy second day of the Ag in Motion show near Langham, Sask. Opening day saw the clouds roll in and the skies open up, but few were complaining about the much-needed moisture that rolled through much of Western Canada on Tuesday. […] Read more

B.C. port strike under cease-and-desist order, for now
Union serves, then withdraws, fresh 72 hours' notice to resume picketing
Updated, July 19 — Canada’s Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has ordered British Columbia’s longshoremen back to work until their union serves three days’ notice before restarting strike action. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) — which represents about 7,400 workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port terminals and facilities — said Tuesday […] Read more

B.C. longshore workers resume strike
Union caucus rejects federal mediator's proposed deal
The union representing longshore workers at Canada’s West Coast ports said its members would return to the picket line Tuesday afternoon after union leaders decided to reject a proposed agreement. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada), which represents about 7,400 longshore workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port facilities, said Tuesday afternoon […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Exports solid through 10 months
West Coast ports move to clear strike backlog
MarketsFarm — Canadian pulse exports continued at a solid pace through most of the 2022-23 marketing year, although recent disruptions on the West Coast may cut into the final total. Roughly a quarter of all Canadian pea exports, a third of the lentils, and all the chickpeas typically move by container, with a strike by […] Read more

Weather outlook not great for Prairie crops
U.S. northern Plains in a similar boat
MarketsFarm — Just when crops across the Canadian Prairies need rain, the outlook to the end of July according to Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. pointed to conditions getting hotter and drier. “It does not look really good at the moment. We are going to see below normal rainfall and warmer than normal temperatures […] Read more

Preview: Railways, grain shippers at loggerheads over interswitching
Pilot to test expanded radius deemed unnecessary by both sides
Recent legislation has raised the stakes in a decade-long battle between the railways and Canadian grain shippers over the interswitching radius. Interswitching refers to a regulation to ensure shippers located where only a single railway operates can access points that are not served by that railway. The issue is especially concerning for Canadian grain shippers […] Read more

Pea growers urged to keep score on ascochyta
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta farmers have a new tool to manage ascochyta blight in field peas. The Alberta Pulse Growers have added a disease ‘scorecard’ to its app to help pea growers make the decision on whether or not to spray. Ascochyta blight is the most destructive foliar disease of peas in Western Canada and around the world. […] Read more