Reading Time: 3 minutes You’ve heard of precision agriculture for growing your crop — but what about for selling it? “We like to think of our little company as precision ag from the marketing side,” said Nicole Rogers, CEO of Agriprocity. “We’re marketing more precisely and allowing those buyers to be more integrated.” Agriprocity was founded 18 months ago […] Read more
Precision agriculture for your marketing plan
As part of their marketing program for Canadian grain, Agriprocity targets food processors in emerging markets where they can’t grow their own grain
Stick to deep banding — not shallow banding — when applying nitrogen
In order to reduce nitrogen losses, producers need to deep band their fertilizer, use enhanced-efficiency products, and follow the 4R nutrient stewardship principles
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to getting maximum yields, nitrogen is still king. “Nitrogen is the most important nutrient when it comes to providing yield responses,” said agronomist Rigas Karamanos. In a study conducted in 2000 that looked at how barley yields responded to various nutrients, nitrogen increased yields by almost 60 bushels per acre — over […] Read more
Use your head — not your hard drive — when making farming decisions
Technology is critical on any farm — but don’t rely too heavily on it
Reading Time: 4 minutes Agriculture is changing faster than it ever has before — and producers are scrambling to keep up. “When I talk to farmers, they have so many balls in the air, and they tell me that it feels like they’re dropping some of these balls,” said Raj Khosla, a Colorado State University professor who specializes in […] Read more
Bill 6 controversy flares again
The province plans to hand-pick who it will consult with
Reading Time: 2 minutes A coalition of Alberta farm groups wants the provincial government to put the brakes on its proposed Bill 6 consultation model. In mid-February, the province held a two-week nomination process to gather names for six separate working groups to consult on Bill 6, the controversial Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act. The problem […] Read more
Expert says too many farmers working without a net
FarmTech: Fewer than one in 10 producers use options to set a floor price for their grain
Reading Time: 3 minutes Forget that old farm dog — options are a farmer’s best friend. “If you don’t have options in place, your tool box is not quite complete,” said David Derwin, an investment adviser with PI Financial. “If we can add a few more newer, sharper, better tools like options into the tool box, we’ve got a […] Read more
Good workplaces attract good workers
FarmTech: Farms can’t afford oilfield wages — but they can offer lots of ‘intangible’ benefits that really matter to people
Reading Time: 3 minutes Kevin Serfas had to change his way of thinking when he decided to expand his farm near Lethbridge. “One thing we’ve learned along the way is that we can’t run the farm by ourselves anymore,” said Serfas, who runs a 56,000-acre grain operation and 6,000-head feedlot with his father and brother. “We had to realize […] Read more
Make your farm an international destination
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ever heard of the International Experience Canada program? It’s been a winner for Serfas Farms. The program grants visas — typically for one year — for students aged 18 to 29 who want to work, study, and travel in Canada. Kevin Serfas doesn’t use the Temporary Foreign Worker program but has had about 40 international […] Read more
These aren’t your grandmother’s GMOs
FarmTech: Scientists used to use a scattergun approach to genetically modify plants, but modern methods are extremely precise, says professor
Reading Time: 3 minutes Of all the tools that plant breeders have at their disposal, a compelling story is perhaps the most important — and the most challenging to find. “That’s one of the things in the modern breeders’ tool kit that needs improvement — our message out to the public and how it’s going to come across,” said […] Read more
The dilemma of transferring land
FarmTech: The successor needs land to farm, but the parents need money for retirement and a way to keep everyone happy
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s a perfectly good reason why so many farmers are reluctant to hand the reins to the younger generation. “With land, you need it for the farm and you need it to run the business, but it’s also your largest contributor to the family wealth,” said Greg Gartner, a partner at Moodys Gartner Tax Law […] Read more
Jobs minister ‘uninformed’ about ag labour crisis
MaryAnn Mihychuk says packers should step up recruiting, but there are 1,000 jobs that Canadians don’t want
Reading Time: 4 minutes The new federal jobs minister simply doesn’t understand the labour crisis faced by the country’s meat-packing industry, says the co-chair of an industry labour task force. Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says meat packers don’t need temporary foreign workers because there are tens of thousands of laid-off workers who could be recruited. “In the present circumstance, where […] Read more
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