Les Henry’s prairie stubble soil moisture map

Les Henry’s prairie stubble soil moisture map

In the map of November 2016 soil moisture, there are no “very dry” areas

As usual, this map gives only a very general indication of the soil moisture situation on the Canadian Prairies as we went into freeze up November 2016. It can be summed up in a word WET. To make a soil moisture map it is essential that a good database of rain records from many stations […] Read more

MSPG has grown, and now has more publications and information available to showgoers.

The other side of the trade show booth

Bradon’s Ag Days looks a little different when you wear two hats to the show

I’ve been to Ag Days in Brandon, Man., many times, but never have I attended the show from start to finish, and never have I done so as an exhibitor. I will arrive in Brandon the day before the event begins to setup the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) booth. When I tell seasoned […] Read more


I remember the Gillette Lye tin with the lion on the label being in the barn.

In praise of old tractors and horses

Hart Attacks: It’s been a long journey from horses to tractors to aerial drone technology

I was just catching up on my reading, going through the January 1938 issue of Country Guide magazine and I’m sorry I missed out on a contest to win a brand new Massey Harris tractor in a contest sponsored by Gillett’s Lye. All you had to do is to get every family member, friend, neighbour […] Read more

Shopping for on-farm safety

Take time during the winter to make sure your equipment meets safety standards

The weather outside may be frightful, and you may feel more like hibernating for the winter than shopping for farm equipment. But consider setting your slippers aside and pulling on your Sorels. Because it could be time to replace some equipment and you need to know what to look for from a safety perspective. To begin, […] Read more



Guarding Wealth: The alternative minimum tax

Guarding Wealth: The alternative minimum tax

Passing on the farm can trigger an unpleasant surprise: 
an unexpected tax alternative minimum tax


The Alternative Minimum Tax is yet another wrinkle in preparing and paying income taxes. It’s particularly relevant to farmers going through succession planning where capital gains of six figures or more may be realized. The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) may apply to you even if you have not reached the limit of your Lifetime Capital […] Read more


Adding a pulse crop to your rotation will put N back into your soil, some even require less water to produce.

Get your farm ready for global warming

Agronomy management: How can you adapt your Prairie farm to changing climate conditions in the years to come?


Many Prairie farmers have gradually come to accept that global warming is real. Over the past 60 years, our Prairie climate has been gradually changing. In most regions of the Prairies the length of the growing season has increased, the amount of heat (growing degree days and crop heat units) has increased and the number […] Read more

Cargo ship loading grain

Imports and exports by the numbers

Russia is rising and South American beans are finding easier pathways to the ports

Changes to grain handling and transportation infrastructure in two key regions of the world will impact Canada’s competitiveness. These areas are the Black Sea region and South America. Russia’s overall grain production (wheat, barley and corn) has grown 70 per cent in the last 10 years to 94.5 million tonnes. Exports have had their ups […] Read more


The kindness of others is often a factor in transactions like land rental.

Renting land: Sometimes it all works out for the best

Sometimes renting, farmland or houses, works just the way we’d like it to

My wife and I rented the upstairs of a brownstone house on Palmerston Avenue in Toronto. It was small. It was expensive. But it was an experience we won’t forget. Our landlords were Portuguese. They were elderly. They drove a mid-’80s Mercedes diesel car, tan colour. And they were generous. So generous. When they made […] Read more

The federal carbon tax is already working!

The federal carbon tax is already working!

Hart Attacks: It's a miracle. I haven't been feeling any global warming on the Prairies this January


I don’t know what the country is whining about. Alberta’s Climate Change Leadership program (I love that label), also known as a carbon tax, IS WORKING! As I pointed out to my inner circle in an earlier Facebook post, January 2017 is already much colder than it was in late December 2016, so just having […] Read more