tilled rows in a field

Tillage: not always a dirty word

Moisture cycles change over time. It’s not a crime for soil management practices to change too

When soil-incorporated herbicides were all the rage, tillage was the main operation on many farms. For some granular soil-applied herbicides, the recommendation was to cultivate several inches deep at high speed and to go over it twice at right angles. In the best black soils it was not uncommon to hear farmers say they had […] Read more


maize growing in Kenya, Africa

Funding: Public, private or PayPal

There are many ways to raise funds, from public-private partnerships to community donations and global campaigns

Public-private partnerships grab headlines and stir up controversy when governments team up with the private sector on everything from highways to hospitals. Many rural communities are familiar with a different funding structure: public-public partnerships. These agreements ask local residents to kick in a good chunk, if not all, of the funding for public infrastructure. In […] Read more

installing tile drainage in a field

Understanding farm water issues

Water: it’s necessary for life. But add the word “drainage” and it can also start fights

Corn prices. Why am I getting emails with those words in the subject line? Why does Gmail’s spam filter let that slip by? I’ve been telling people for a couple years now that I farm. To border guards and others who’d trust or like me more if I worked with my hands, I am a […] Read more


farm auction

Sold the farm. Now what?

After an auction sale, farmers will have a lot of cash on hand. Les Henry offers some investment tips

I took a run at this topic a couple of years ago but think it is worth another run. This past year I have seen ads for many auction sales of former students, colleagues and friends. They have all recognized a once in a lifetime opportunity. Anyone long enough in the tooth has seen the […] Read more

paperwork on a desk

Protect your off-farm investments

The bull market we’ve been living with could be nearing its end. 
Keep your capital intact through the downturn

It is a principle of finance that people will pay almost anything for what they don’t know. Stocks with dubious futures can soar in price when investors, fearful of being left out, jump on the bandwagon. Voices of caution are few and far between. Yet now they are being heard. In New York, where you […] Read more


field of sunflowers

Interesting times ahead for farmers

Farmers are on the environmental front line. If they can keep the public onside, they could turn a curse into an opportunity

The proverb “may you live in interesting times” is often attributed to a Chinese philosopher. The phrase is supposed to imply that it’s better to live a boring, tranquil life, than an interesting, but perhaps stressful, one. But sleuth around a little on the Internet and you’ll find the so-called Chinese curse isn’t Chinese at […] Read more

tractor in a field

Jumping in with both feet

After spending time on the farm working with his father, Toban Dyck is renting land of his own

This is it. The thing that for years, decades, a quarter of a lifetime, I believed I couldn’t and wouldn’t do is about to become as real as the chair I’m sitting on, or a punch in the face. I trust this won’t hurt as much, but I’m sure I’ll feel it. I will be […] Read more


soybeans

Selecting your soybeans

Agronomy tips... from the field

With a step-by-step approach to soybean variety selection, you can make a decision that improves yields and also manages risk and makes for an easier harvest. The first step is to list the varieties suited to your maturity zone. Rather than relying only on varieties for your zone, consider planting an additional variety with a […] Read more

black horse

You’re only as tough as you think you are

Sure, it’s your head, your decision. But Grainews field editor Lisa Guenther 
knows first hand that wearing a riding helmet could save your life

The worst accidents seem to happen when you least expect them. I was riding with my dad, just tootling around the pasture, on the September long weekend. He was riding a palomino mare that I’d started for him. My gelding, Bear, is still a little green, but was quite well-behaved that day. Overall I’d been […] Read more