Reading Time: 4 minutes Water quality can change after a drought — and that can affect the efficacy of your herbicides. “It’s well known that there are certain things in water — chemicals, salts, metal cations — that can antagonize the spray,” said well-known spray expert Tom Wolf. “With much lower water levels, it’s conceivable that those antagonists will […] Read more
Water quality can make a difference on herbicide efficacy
Glyphosate in particular is prone to being tied up by hard water, which may be more common this year
Volunteers rally to the cause during pandemic pause
Reading Time: 3 minutes Refocus. Rebuild. Strengthen partnerships. That was the mantra of the Vermilion Agricultural Society as it navigated the pandemic. The first year, the society hosted a fireworks display, there were a few equine clinics and a whole bunch of quiet times. Faced with the same prospect in 2021, the society decided it was a good time […] Read more
You don’t want to hear this — but delay grazing, say experts
Even good moisture this spring won’t easily overcome the effects of drought
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you’re a cattle producer, you may be counting down the days until you can turn your cows out on grass. But three experts are telling you the best thing you can do is wait. “Watch what the plants tell you,” said Grant Lastiwka, a forage specialist with Union Forages. “A perennial pasture has a […] Read more
An open road ahead? Feds offer cash for fertilizer stewardship
Farmers could get up to $75,000 to move to rotational grazing, cover cropping or 4R stewardship
Reading Time: 5 minutes Upping your management game just got a lot more attractive. Producers willing to adopt rotational grazing, 4R fertilizer stewardship or cover crops will be able to get as much as $75,000 per farm from Ottawa’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund. [Read more] Feds seek ideas and feedback on reducing fertilizer emissions “The objective of the program […] Read more
The threat from above: Alberta’s chief vet issues bird flu warning
A virulent strain of avian influenza is spreading west and backyard flocks are vulnerable
Reading Time: 4 minutes The spring return of migratory birds could bring an unwanted and dangerous guest to poultry flocks here — highly pathogenic avian influenza, says Alberta’s chief provincial veterinarian. “The big thing is to be aware that there is some risk this year,” said Keith Lehman, who issued a warning to backyard poultry owners earlier this month. […] Read more
BSE lawsuit dismissed — but long-running legal battle not over
Judge agrees Ottawa failed to take steps to keep BSE out of Canada, but says that’s not negligence
Reading Time: 3 minutes An Ontario Supreme Court judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit that alleged the federal government was negligent nearly two decades ago when it didn’t take measures that could have prevented the BSE crisis. But the case, launched in 2005, isn’t over yet. Lawyers for the plaintiff, an Alberta ranch, have already launched an appeal. The […] Read more
Alberta ag societies aiming to ‘get the summer off the ground’
Reading Time: 4 minutes The past two years have been challenging for everyone, including Alberta’s agricultural societies. But many are now gearing up for an active summer. “They’re very hopeful that summer will be open and without restrictions,” said Tim Carson, CEO of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies. “The mood is quite positive. For the most part, everybody […] Read more
It’s looking like a bumper crop of cash advances this spring
Cash flow a major issue as drought has left producers with less money while inputs have shot up
Reading Time: 4 minutes Groups administering cash advances are expecting a flood of applications from cash-strapped producers grappling with the sky-high costs of putting a crop in the ground. “We certainly think there is going to be demand because of how nasty last year was,” said Dave Gallant of the Canadian Canola Growers Association. “There’s going to be so […] Read more
Forecasting the future: What crop will be king in the coming year?
Oats is being touted as the profitability champion, but canola’s reign also looks set to continue
Reading Time: 4 minutes Scott Keller is pretty impressed with the latest crop profitability outlook from Manitoba’s Ag Department — but he’s not buying its prediction that oats will be this year’s No. 1 money-maker. Canola is still king and its reign isn’t going to end any time soon, said the grain farmer from New Norway. “Nothing will even […] Read more
Rail service is poor, but better days are on the horizon, says expert
Delivery of hopper cars is a concern, but recovery is expected and long-term outlook is good
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rail service is poor right now, but things will get better — in both the short and longer term, says a leading expert on grain transportation. CN Rail has been particularly poor when it comes to delivering hopper cars requested by grain companies, hitting a low of only 24 per cent during one week in […] Read more
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