Reading Time: 4 minutes In the history of Prairie grain farming, a headline saying farmers are happy with the railways is not seen often, but it’s apt for this crop year. CN recently announced a record-setting February in which it moved more than 2.4 million tonnes of grain from Western Canada that month. CP had similar reasons to boast, […] Read more
Grain producers give railways credit where due
A mild winter has helped keep grain moving with few disruptions, but there are some concerns about containers
Crop insurance premiums likely up — but not 60 per cent
Reading Time: 4 minutes Crop insurance premiums are not rising by more than half for Alberta farmers, but they’ll likely have to dig deeper in their pockets. The year-over-year average increase is 22 per cent, not the 60 per cent suggested in a recent Global news report, says the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. That figure exists in the province’s […] Read more
Global events pressure already dicey fertilizer market
There are lots of reasons for optimism but the situation could change in a heartbeat, analysts say
Reading Time: 3 minutes Fertilizer prices dropped over winter but remain a powder keg, and even a slight spark could blow the fallout in either direction. “There’s so much geopolitical activity in the world these days, it’s hard to know what’s happening on a given day,” said Neil Blue, crops market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. “Lately there’s […] Read more
Unique program tells the rest of the story on wheat
Alberta farmers say the Combine to Customer program made them realize how big the value chain is
Reading Time: 3 minutes The farming life can be a lonely one, and it’s all too easy to forget you’re part of a large network bringing food to the tables of families around the world. But that realization strikes producers who have taken the Combine to Customer course put on by Cereals Canada. “I now have a whole new […] Read more
Feed cows at night, birth calves by day? It might work, but is it worth it?
Feeding pregnant cows in the evening may increase the odds of daytime calving, but there’s a but
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feeding pregnant cows at night may increase the chances that they will conveniently calve in daytime. “I think there could be some merit,” said Dr. Cody Creelman. “I’ve had several clients over the years try it. Several have thought it’s perhaps a good feeding method and they think that it does have the desired effect.” […] Read more
The autumn weather was lovely — especially for grasshoppers
Those areas that had the pests last year will likely see more this year, but there are ways to reduce their numbers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Compare Alberta grasshopper survey maps from the past two years and one thing becomes clear: If you had grasshoppers last year, there’s a good chance you will this year, too — and likely in higher numbers. “When you look at the map from 2021 and compare it to the survey that was done last year, […] Read more
Online tool offers deep – but quick – dive into malt barley varieties
Interactive map offers a host of info, including data from malt trials conducted across Alberta
Reading Time: 3 minutes Want to stop growing malt barley like it’s 1999? Alberta Barley is here to help. The new ‘Better Malt, Better Barley’ online interactive map allows users to see how a number of both old and new malt barley varieties fare in different parts of the province. “A long-standing issue in the Canadian malt industry has […] Read more
The kids are alright — but give them a chance to prove it
Reading Time: 4 minutes Treating your kids like livestock may seem like strange advice from a farm succession expert — but that depends on how you treat your cattle, says Reg Shandro. “I love the saying of one of my clients, ‘I want to handle my kids like I handle my cows. I want to open the gate and […] Read more
Are feed-efficient cattle the best bet for climate change?
Researcher aims to find out if those cows are better able to deal with sweltering heat and bitter cold
Reading Time: 3 minutes Your most feed-efficient cattle also may be the best when Mother Nature turns the thermostat way up or way down. And that’s increasingly important, says a leading beef researcher. “Significant extremes have become more noticeable,” said Gleise Silva, an expert in cattle nutrition and an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. “What I would […] Read more
Boldly going: Potato growers head into unexplored territory
It’s nerve-wracking to be a trailblazer, but Groot family committed to trying something very different on their farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes These days farmers are encouraged to be experimental, and to conduct trials on their own land to see what works best for them. What agronomists may not say is just how nerve-wracking it can be. And that goes double when doing something that has rarely, if ever, been done before. In the case of Gibbons-area […] Read more
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