Daily Network News

More News →

Columns

Columns

Working with all types of people in ag

Reporter's Notebook: Most people in the ag industry are great to work with. But harassment still happens

By
Talk to a few people in the agriculture industry, and you’ll likely hear something like this: Agriculture is a great field to work in, largely because there are so many good people in the industry. I think about this a lot. Is it true? In what way is it true? Is agriculture different than other […] Read more
On the left is a root of a sugar beet grown in fine sandy loam soil, showing root stratification in the second and fourth foot of soil where layers of clay were encountered. From Weaver, 1926, Root Development of Field Crops. The wheat and wild mustard graphic on the right shows root competition between Marquis wheat (on the left, with roots marked 1, 2, 3 and 4), and wild mustard, 22 days after emergence. (This graphic is from Pavlychenko and Harrington, 1937: Ecology Vol. 18 No.1 Pages 62-79.)
Columns, Crops

Getting to the root of the matter

For a look at the big picture, the ‘old’ research on roots is still relevant today

By
Plant roots are receiving more attention of late and well they should. Roots are the foragers that deliver water and nutrients to the plant, but too often our attitude is “out of sight, out of mind.” With the current interest in many plant species, cover crops and soil health, much of it comes down to […] Read more
May 2017 canola futures chart.
Canola, Columns, Markets

A price chart is worth a thousand words

What can we learn from a look back at this May 2017 canola futures chart?

By
I was looking at this May 2017 canola futures charts the other day to remind myself just how much we can learn from them. It is a lot easier to figure out the trends and patterns on a chart after they’ve happened than it is to decipher what will happen while it is happening. Cyclical […] Read more
This horse cut himself somehow in the pasture during a blizzard. That mess on his leg is snow and frozen blood. I thought I might have to bandage and wrap it. However, the wound was barely visible — it’s under the dot of ice in the second picture. He wasn’t lame, I couldn’t find any foreign material in the wound, and the leg didn’t swell, so I left it alone. This is just one example of the things that only seem to happen when I’m farm-sitting.
Columns, Livestock

Leaving your livestock to a farm-sitter

Reporter's Notebook: Before you get on the plane, you're going to have to find someone to feed and watch those cows

By
How do cattle producers manage to leave for winter holidays if they aren’t working with extended family? It’s a conundrum producers have likely faced since they first domesticated cattle-beasts. Several years ago, while I was still living in Edmonton, I remember hearing about a guy, Frank Campbell, who was setting up a farm-sitting service. Basically […] Read more
Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell at the University of Alberta.
Columns, Hart Attacks

The wacky world of decision-making

Hart Attacks: When there is too much information, there must be an app for that

By
Here’s one “flypaper” email list you want to avoid — the Conservative Party of Canada. I made the mistake back in Stephen Harper’s days as prime minister — it might have even been during his first term — but I sent a donation to the Conservative Party. The pitch was if I sent even a […] Read more
Maintain augers and create work zones to prevent entanglements
Wheat & Chaff

Maintain augers and create work zones to prevent entanglements

By
An auger in good condition is critical when it comes time to move grains and feed around the farm. Augers can also be some of the most hazardous machines on the farm, especially if they haven’t been properly maintained. Although Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting statistics have identified runovers as the top cause of agriculture-related fatalities, […] Read more
If someone comes knocking on your door to propose a variable rate perscription, be sure you’re ready to ask some hard questions before you sign up.
Columns, Crops

Precision ag may not work on your farm

In the field, precision ag does not yet live up to the hype that has surrounded it

By
If we go into a farm meeting and ask how many are using auto steer almost all hands go up. If you ask how many are using variable rate only a few respond. The uptake has been slow and many techies think that farmers are slow adopters. Guess what folks: if it works farmers are […] Read more
Columns, Crops

The need for better record keeping

Reporter's Notebook: It’s not one of agronomy’s most exciting issues, but it’s a need that’s not going away

By
At CanolaLAB in Vermilion in February, record-keeping kept popping up during the agronomy sessions. Murray Hartman of Alberta Agriculture and the Canola Council’s Dan Orchard facilitated an interesting session on plant stand establishment. Target plant stand recommendations have dropped a little, but before farmers cut seeding rates, they need to know how many plants are […] Read more
Columns, Guarding Wealth

Guarding Wealth: Long-term investing is a sure thing

There are short-term risks, but inflation and survivor bias make long-term bets winners

By
Let’s have a heart to heart talk about the fundamentals of investing on the farm and off the farm and, for that matter, investing in education for a career or a used car. Every investment has character, whether it’s a tech stock and you have to bet on a new trend or product on the […] Read more
Simplifying phosphorus
Columns, Crops

Simplifying phosphorus

Experts’ opinion on P fertilizer have changed over time, and are still changing now

By
In the early days of fertilizer use on the Canadian Prairies phosphorus was the only game in town- mostly 11-48-0. “If in doubt use 11-48,” was the chant. Much work was done to find the amounts to use for various crops and soils and the best way to put it on. We thought we knew […] Read more

AgCanadaTV

AgCanadaTV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for April 10, 2026

Sponsored by:
More Videos →

Latest Market News

More Market News →