Lees insight

So I have had a couple suggestions on this mystery photo I took of a canola field in the Westlock area last week. The crop looked nice and uniform except for these flowered strips and I did see a couple other fields with similar patterns. I thought it might be something to do with compaction, […] Read more

A friend of mine who works on the oil rigs says he doesn’t like being out on the prairie because there is nothing to see. But I beg to differ. I just got back from an amazing road trip from Calgary to Neerlandia (north of Edmonton) and the drive there and back was like a […] Read more

Now here is something you really don’t want in your field. No, I’m not talking about Kelly Bennett, portfolio marketing leader, cereal herbicides with Dow Agrosciences (pictured left). I’m talking about the very robust wild buckwheat plant he is holding. Bennett, a Saskatchewan farm boy who has been with DAS for 25 years, made the […] Read more

Two western Canadian research and commodity organizations have announced the appointments of key management positions. At the Western Grains Research Foundation based in Saskatoon, Garth Patterson has been named executive director, taking over a position previously held by Lanette Kuchenski, who resigned earlier this year. Prior to joining WGRF, Patterson has been well known in […] Read more

If forecasts for feeding the world are even half correct, farmers in Western Canada will be growing wheat and canola not only on every acre, but in their bathtubs just to try and meet global demand. You hear these figures on where world population is headed over the next 40 years and for me it […] Read more

Even though Dow AgroSciences (DAS) gave me a pen, and a ham sandwich for lunch and there is a promise of a new ball cap at some point, I haven’t let any of that largess influence my message to readers. The word simply is — grow plenty of Nexera canola and make money. That was […] Read more

  Okay, so what is wrong with this picture?  Eighteen people and three dogs show up for a gruelling hike into the BC wilderness and then 40 people show up for the evening summer yard party that followed. I am sensing a lack of commitment here.  Actually, there was really total commitment by all relatives and […] Read more

I don’t know if this is happening to anyone else, but as I seem to be traveling more now with a 60ish-age crowd, even on holidays, the conversation inevitability steers around to either grandchildren or pension plans. And since I have neither on the go in my life at the moment it is sometimes a […] Read more

I am not sure what the point of the recently announced Canadian Wheat Board’s own, non-binding plebiscite on the question of an open market will prove, other than it might allow some people to go to bed at night saying “see, I told you so.” There is a good chance, as this vote is tallied, […] Read more

And here are more thoughts from producers and one consultant about plans and comments made regarding changes to the Canadian Wheat Board. Gerald in Alberta writes:  “In your June 21 Blog regarding CWB and “the tribe has spoken” you stated: “There should be a whole team of people working for the board with expertise in […] Read more