A little knowledge goes a long way

Now that he’s moved from Toronto to his family farm in Manitoba, 
Toban Dyck is ready to check out his first major farm show

Farmers say winter is the time to reflect on the season past, plan for the season ahead and, for some, relax (though “relax” is not a word I hear too often in the farming community). The snow has now arrived and with it the desire to be cozy and hibernate. My wife, who loves winter, […] Read more

Succession — just do it

This is the first article of a four part series on succession. In this series, we’ll experience the process of succession planning through Farms Forever Inc. and its shareholders. Will and Hope Etworx started Farms Forever Inc. in 2001 and are still the primary shareholders of the company, however they are looking forward to their […] Read more


Most farm press is all abuzz about the huge gains in farmland prices — especially in Saskatchewan. Now, everyone seems to know that Saskatchewan land prices are much below most provinces, so outside money is scrambling to get in on the ground floor and make a killing. I was raised in a rural municipality where much of the […] Read more

Decisions, decisions

Choosing futures/basis contracts for your grain sales can be a challenge. The right answers depend on the timing and your situation

If you want to manage your own pricing risk for wheat in your own way, grain handing companies, including the CWB, offer futures/basis contracts that enable you to fix a price and delivery period for your wheat when you want. A word of caution: very few grain companies are willing to handle wheat that has […] Read more


Les Henry’s earthworm survey

As you can read in his column on page 22, this issue marks 36 years of Les Henry’s contributions to Grainews. In the last issue, Les Henry put out a call for information about your experiences with earthworms in the field. We’ve had a great response so far, both from readers who think earthworms are […] Read more

Clearing out the bush

This issue marks 36 years since my first Grainews scribbles in November, 1976. Many thanks to the readers that advise me to keep writing. My Dundurn farm is in the Allan Hills south of Saskatoon — rolling land with stones and sloughs and many poplar bluffs. We normally dispense with bluffs by “pushing” the bush, […] Read more


Land: to buy or not to buy

We recently had calls from two very distinct farm clients, opposite in nature, but both asking the same question. “Should I buy that land that’s in the paper for tender or let it go?” Their situation is not unique. Good crops and good prices in last five years combined with extremely low interest rates have […] Read more

A double life and the business of fall

Full confession: I lead a double life, helping run the family farm and doing something completely different for the remainder of my time. Writing is my livestock, says my father, who, when he was taking over the farm, had cows and hogs to keep him busy and drawing an income over the winter months. The […] Read more


Selling best solution for subsistence Prairie farm

A couple we’ll call Michael, 50, and Teresa 45, are heirs to a third generation family farm in Manitoba left to them by Michael’s recently deceased parents. Michael and his wife are both middle level managers, each in separate companies in Alberta, their home province. They are raising two children, ages three and six, and earning a combined […] Read more

Editor’s Column

“Yes, we’d love to come to your barbecue! But only if it’s raining.” “What? We were supposed to RSVP? Well, we’re here now! And there’s always room for one more at a wedding, right?” If you’ve found yourself saying one of those lines or something like them, maybe you’re a farmer. (Or at least married […] Read more