Management Minute: The true power of planning

How much time do you take to plan in the winter? There are varying degrees of planning and preparation in a business, and the effectiveness of that planning is directly correlated with long term success. Let’s consider two scenarios. Peter Planzalot is a moderate to large grain farmer who doesn’t enjoy surprises. He starts planning […] Read more

Magnesium matters

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nutrient for all living things. In plants, it holds the central position in the all-important chlorophyll molecule, which transforms sunlight’s energy into plant-usable energy or ATP (adenosine triphosphate). In animals and humans, a large part of magnesium’s essentiality comes from its combination with ATP. This Mg-ATP complex is required for […] Read more



Three uses for forage radish

When Columbus left the safety and comfort of his home to find the New World, people thought he was crazy; everyone knew the world was flat. Instead of finding India, Columbus found North America. Not what he was looking for, but a remarkable discovery. What does Columbus have to do with agriculture? Products that were […] Read more


Cargill may run wheat pool in 2012

Cargill may run a pool for western Canadian farmers’ spring wheat in 2012 and will also be ready to offer farmers forward price contracts for their grains in an open market. Grain handlers will be able to immediately offer farmers contracts to buy next year’s harvest once the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) no longer has […] Read more

CWB stripped of monopoly powers

In mid December, Canada’s Governor General signed into law Bill C-18 which orders sweeping changes to the marketing of Western Canada’s wheat and barley. Bill C-18, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, passed third and final reading in the Senate December 15 by a vote of 51-33, after the Conservatives invoked […] Read more


New fungicide option for canola

DuPont Canada’s crop protection arm has announced a new Group 7 chemical for use on canola, pulses and sunflowers. The crop fungicide Vertisan includes penthiopyrad, a new active ingredient. Dave Kloppenburg, DuPont Canada’s fungicide launch manager, describes Vertisan’s active ingredient as “a brand new molecule that locks onto the fungus to stop disease in its […] Read more

New canola performance data available

Comparative data on canola seed varieties is now available to farmers from the new Canola Performance Trials (CPT) 2011 that replaced the PCV trails axed in 2010. The CPT 2011 represents the next generation in variety evaluation for western Canadian canola growers. The three Prairie canola grower groups – the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, the […] Read more


Think about getting hitched — safely!

Misplaced the operator manual to your tried-and-true old tractor? Wondering how to safely tow an older implement with your new high-speed tractor? You’ll find the answers to these and other farm equipment hitching questions in a new guidebook, Safe Implement Hitching. Jim Wassermann, an engineer with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Saskatchewan, is […] Read more

ADM plans for new biodiesel plant, adds Act of God clause

Four Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) oilseed crushing plants in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and North Dakota have added “Act of God” coverage on farmer contracts for high-oleic Nexera canola in 2012. To qualify for the premiums and coverage, farmers must first sign the contract and then buy the Nexera canola seed from a “specified local seed retailer,” […] Read more