CNS Canada — As winter approaches, producers in Alberta are still in the fields trying to wrap up the last bit of the 2018 harvest. According to the final crop report issued by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, about six per cent of all crops were still in the field at the end of October. The […] Read more
Alberta farmers try to wrap up ‘very unusual year’
In a year of extremes, soil moisture rebound a bright spot
The rain, snow, and cold in early fall had one upside — it recharged soil moisture reserves in much of the province
Reading Time: 4 minutes This year’s harvest was tough, but there is one good thing about it: Soil moisture and subsoil moisture are at almost normal levels in most of the province. “The soil moisture is looking better than it was at the end of August,” said Harry Brook, a crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “It’s closer […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Grains flood Alberta market
CNS Canada — Feed grain prices in Alberta have come down as producers have rushed to sell downgraded crops. “Last week the phones were blowing up… right now I think we’re seeing some better weather, so everyone’s outside and the phones are probably going to light up again next week,” said Nelson Neumann, grain trader […] Read more
Cold weather, snowfall, slow harvest progress further
Alberta crop conditions as of October 2, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes The month of September has been exceptionally cold across the province and, for many areas, unusually wet. Although cool damp weather conditions have halted harvest operations in many areas, this has led to normal precipitation accumulations for most areas of the province. Adding to this was the large snowfall event in the southern and western […] Read more
It was more Standstill than September for many
Many weren’t able to ‘turn a wheel’ during what should be the golden days of autumn
Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a September that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. “Harvest is at a standstill and it’s been that way for about three weeks now,” Alberta Wheat chair Kevin Bender said as the month came to a close. “For the most part, guys haven’t been able to turn a wheel yet.” Bender, […] Read more
Opinion: A cheerful wave or sympathetic ear this harvest season really does help
A little empathy will be much appreciated during this year’s long and difficult harvest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Please don’t read this as a complaint; this isn’t meant to be a complaint. With the recent snows in Alberta over the past two weeks, there are a lot of farmers on edge. So many farmers haven’t even turned a wheel in their fields, or if they have, they are either drying their grain or […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Lentil yields look good, worries grow over peas
CNS Canada — It’s a mixed bag in many ways for Saskatchewan’s pulse crops this year, as a dry summer and late rains have meant different things for various crops. According to one industry expert, though, the overall picture doesn’t look bad. “I think overall, if you assess the entire province, it will come in […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Downgrades likely for Alberta crops
CNS Canada — Snow and wet weather through a large swath of northern and central Alberta are causing havoc for farmers and will likely put more feed grains into the market. But normal harvest price discounts are still not as great as expected, said Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. Feed grain prices […] Read more
Prairie harvest window possible next week
CNS Canada — Cold and wet conditions on the Prairies are expected to clear up over the next week, allowing a window of opportunity for harvest, though the size of that window remains to be seen. “Western and northern parts of Alberta have some serious issues,” said Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. in Kansas […] Read more
Springtime can be the ‘right time’ for really big snowstorms
When a buildup of warm, moist air from the south collides with cold arctic air, your snowblower can get a real workout
Reading Time: 3 minutes With spring officially here, the last thing most people want to hear about is snow. But the way this winter and spring have been going, who knows? Springtime across the Prairies tends to bring some of the biggest snowfalls of the year. Several years ago I dug into this topic, but I figured it was time […] Read more
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