Reading Time: 2 minutes Another seeding season is within view, but do you know how you fared last year? “Unfortunately, farmers really don’t know if their farm was profitable in 2014,” said Rick Dehod, farm financial specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “The majority of farms still reports their incomes and expenses on a cash basis via their […] Read more
Know the real bottom line before heading out to seed
Finance expert says knowing your actual cost of production allows for better decisions on marketing and risk management
Year-end values have a big impact on inventory
Breeding stock can have an especially big effect on the value of inventory
Reading Time: < 1 minute When it comes to doing an accrual, an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development specialist says it’s important to remember that a change in value for an inventory item can have a dramatic effect in calculating the accrual adjustments. As an example, if you had 500 cows with a value of $2,000 each on Dec. 31, […] Read more
Think safety before taking farm equipment on the road
Thirteen per cent of farm-related fatalities across Canada are traffic related, and most involve tractors
Reading Time: < 1 minute Spring often means taking equipment on public roads, and that can be a hazardous business. According to the Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting program, 13 per cent of farm-related fatalities across Canada are traffic related, and most involve tractors. “Maintenance is a contributing factor to the safety of transporting farm equipment,” said Kenda Lubeck, farm safety […] Read more
Take ‘a little extra look’ at residual feed intake number
Beef research scientist says feed efficiency is a trait that can be measured and can lead to significant herd improvement
Reading Time: 2 minutes Improving the feed efficiency of a beef cattle herd can mean big savings for producers. One way to achieve this goal is to select breeding bulls that are naturally feed efficient, since 80 to 90 per cent of the genetic improvement in a herd comes through the sires. “With this being bull-buying season, I think […] Read more
Expert says it’s a good time to reseed forage stands
There are several reasons for rejuvenating forage stands this year, but limited seed supplies are a reason to move quickly
Reading Time: 2 minutes This year may be a good time to look at reseeding forage stands. “Because of tough financial times, we’ve been allowing some of our forage stands to just go from year to year,” said Grant Lastiwka, a forage and livestock business specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “In addition, many forage stands that were […] Read more
Do the math on bins versus baggers
Bin prices have jumped sharply in the past decade, but producers need to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of grain bags
Reading Time: 2 minutes Recent record yields and transportation backlogs have increased interest in on-farm storage options. “There are many different storage options available, either temporary or permanent,” said Todd Bergen-Henengouwen, project assistant with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “The two most popular options are steel grain bins (either corrugated or smooth walled with or without hoppers) and grain […] Read more
Farmer-driven research in Alberta
Reading Time: < 1 minute When it comes to activities, the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) runs the gamut. “We do everything from annual crop research, to variety, fertility and silage trials,” said Janette McDonald, executive director of ARECA. “We then go into perennial crops and special crops. At least 50 to 60 per cent of our […] Read more
Formal lease agreements on the rise for pastures
Reading Time: 2 minutes The calls are starting to come in to the Alberta Ag-Info Centre asking about pasture rents,” says Ted Nibourg, farm business management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “What is different this year is the increase in requests for formal lease agreements. This is likely reflective of the positive financial state of the cow-calf […] Read more
Faba bean acreage is soaring — and so is knowledge about growing them
Herbicide sensitivity and heat susceptibility were two issues, and lygus bugs seem to find them tasty
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta is coming off of a pretty good year for faba beans and that brought with it some valuable lessons learned, says an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development researcher. “This year we saw acreage go from 30,000 to close to 80,000,” said Robyne Bowness, pulse research scientist in Lacombe. “We had more farmers growing faba […] Read more
Don’t be alarmed by hike in Calf Price Insurance premiums
While the cost is up, so is risk and coverage levels actually offer better value this year, says risk management specialist
Reading Time: 2 minutes Calf Price Insurance is now being offered for 2015 and producers shouldn’t be alarmed by the premium cost. “Cattle Price Insurance for the 2015 calf crop may initially appear to be more expensive than last year, but it is actually a better value,” said Bruce Viney, risk management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. […] Read more
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