Columns & Production Tips

Gifts with a warm hand, not a cold one

Seeds of Encouragement: Quietly hoping things somehow all work out when you die is asking for trauma later

By Elaine Froese March 15, 2025

Many readers fear greed and entitlement arising in any succession and inheritance discussions now, so they quietly hope things will just work out somehow when they die. “Let the kids work it out on their own” is the thought — which is like lighting a match to gas.

Columns, Crops, Practical Tips

Liming and soil acidity

A limed acre will maintain a pH increase lasting 10-15 years, maybe more

By Ieuan Evans March 14, 2025

A limed acre of Prairie soil will maintain a pH increase lasting 10-15 years — maybe more.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Cattle market volatility increases as tariff uncertainty continues

Resumption of U.S./Mexico cattle trade will temper market upside

By Jerry Klassen March 14, 2025

At the time of writing this article, the implementations of U.S. tariffs and Canadian retaliatory measures were delayed for 30 days. However, the threat remains. This is the wild card moving forward.

Columns, Editor's column

Editor’s Rant: Get lost, grandkid

If we don’t talk openly about scams we’re condemned to have them repeated on us

By Dave Bedard March 11, 2025

It’s not like I marked the exact date or time on the calendar, but otherwise I still clearly recall the day I officially got old. It wasn’t while having to catch my breath after taking the stairs. It wasn’t from the first time my feet got sore standing in line, being asked if I wanted […] Read more

My small red mortar and pestle set is made of enameled cast iron with an unglazed interior. My larger English clay set is unglazed for good grit when pounding ingredients. Both are heavy and sturdy.

Columns, Farm Life

Tools and techniques, part 3: Between a rock and a hard place

First We Eat: Pounding ingredients with a pestle encourages a calm approach to cooking

By dee Hobsbawn-Smith March 9, 2025

My mom tells me my counters are too cluttered. “Why don’t you put some of that stuff away?” she asks me repeatedly. Much of the counter space in my old farmhouse kitchen is occupied by electric tools designed to grind foods or to alter their shape: a food processor, blender and coffee mill stand shoulder […] Read more

If you feel amped-up, even the simplest of movements can be a helpful way to express it.

Columns, Farm Life

Make moves against anxiety

Fit to Farm: The nervous energy our bodies generate needs to go somewhere

By Kathlyn Hossack March 9, 2025

Anxiety is something all of us experience, to varying degrees, at some point or another. It can come with many different symptoms. Some of us tend to experience anxiety in our minds; some experience it more in their chests and cardiovascular systems; others experience it in the digestive system. Some lucky individuals experience all of […] Read more

Bands impregnated with the painkiller lidocaine can provide pain relief for young calves.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Cow-Calf

Castration via banding makes gains in popularity, safety

Animal Health: Pain relief in the bands can make the experience less irritating for young calves

By Roy Lewis March 9, 2025

The first castration banders were likely developed to replace knife or scalpel castration. They were easy to use and eliminated the complications of infections and blood loss. Castration with a knife or scalpel is harder to master and animal welfare issues must be considered. Banders have been around for a while; I recently saw an […] Read more

It’s a good idea to keep walking your heifer pens and assessing their body conditions at all stages of development.

Cattleman’s Corner, Dairy Cattle, The Dairy Corner

Watch dairy heifers grow on well-balanced diets

The Dairy Corner: There are numerous ways to get a quality mix to a farm’s heifers

By Peter Vitti March 9, 2025

I have balanced many dairy heifer replacement diets in the last few months. It’s a pretty easy exercise once I put it down on a PDF spreadsheet and email it to the dairy producer. I am confident all heifer nutrient requirements are met, given how heifers consume it. Plus, I want to make these diets […] Read more

Any disruption to a supply chain can affect the delivery of a newly manufactured product.

Columns, Equipment, Machinery

Remember risks as well as rewards in new equipment

Investing in a new model means you’re among the first to discover its hiccups

By Connor Bohachewski March 9, 2025

Bringing new equipment onto a farm can be an exciting and productive change to the way the farm operates. Having the latest in horsepower, capacity and technology can make the farm more efficient and easier to run. If one has the luxury to pay for it, it can be an obvious choice to order the […] Read more

A soil scientist collects a sample from a test plot. The zero- to six-inch depth should be sampled separately from deeper samples to accurately determine P fertilizer requirements.

Columns, Crops

Understanding soil phosphorus, Part 2: Soil testing for plant-available P

Agronomy Management: The proper test for your soil and region can help answer questions your plants’ roots will ask this season

By Ross H. McKenzie March 9, 2025

In my previous Grainews article, I discussed soil phosphorus (P) cycling in soil, effects of crop rotations and fertilizing on soil P, and how crops take up soil P. In this article I’ll discuss soil tests used to estimate plant-available P. Next issue, we’ll discuss how to develop wise phosphate fertilizer recommendations for your farm. […] Read more

GFM Network News

Retraction of glyphosate review raises new questions about landmark study

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans higher in technical bounce; wheat firms

Bring focused approach to target systems, not producers says animal activist

Columns