Due to a shortfall in income every year, Herb and Margie will need to withdraw money from their RRIFs.

A simple retirement plan

A couple’s farmland is set up for generational transfer

In north-central Manitoba, a couple we’ll call Herb, 66, and Margie, 64, are planning retirement in just a few months. They have 320 acres they own personally. They have owned the land for almost 30 years. It will qualify for the farmland capital gains exemption. When sold, therefore, the property will not bear capital gains […] Read more

Veterinarian Dr. Cope who was just at the Thomas ranch this fall doing ultrasound preg checking has died after serving  his clients for some 44 years. Although in failing health he remained active until the end.

Community mourns the loss of a longtime veterinarian

Rancher’s Diary: Dr. Cope served his clients for 44 years, working right up until he died

December 26 Last week I added a short pole to the little bulls’ feeder to divide the space where one of the upright bars is missing, so they can’t climb into it. I went to the dentist late that afternoon to have a broken tooth prepped for a crown and the dentist put a temporary […] Read more


Good soils or loamy soils are ones that contain equal parts of sand, silt and clay. Unfortunately, this ideal mix is not that common on the Prairies.

What is soil?

Let’s explore the properties of your cropland’s soil

In everyday conversation involving agriculture, we hear about poor soils, clay soils, good soils, ruined soils, eroded soils, degraded soils, sandy soils, silty soils and so on. These names or descriptions are, for the most part, meaningless and very subjective. Soil is, in reality, a storehouse of water, mineral compounds of multiple complexities and plant-essential […] Read more

The green-on-green spray technology displayed here allows weeds to be detected and sprayed in a growing crop. Sprayer expert Tom Wolfe put spot spraying right up there in his list of top three transformative technologies during a recent presentation at the Manitoba Agronomists Conference.

Editor’s Column: Where the action is

There is no question spot sprayers are a hot topic in agriculture right now. As Scott Garvey reports in his article in our February 7, 2023 issue of Grainews, a new robotic spot sprayer called Solix from Solinftec, which is headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, and in West Lafayette, Ind., could be available to Canadian […] Read more


Bill Meneley (wearing sunglasses) checks out a flowing well on the farm of Gerry Wiens of Beechy, Sask.

Les Henry: Why do wells flow?

How to plug them and how not to plug them

I will dedicate this piece to the memory of Bill Meneley (1933-2000), a hydrogeologist of much renown and our special consultant for the soil salinity work of the 1980s and ’90s. Those of you long enough in the tooth might remember the famous Red Adair, who was called in whenever a problem oil gusher was […] Read more

Recessions usually don’t occur until a few years after the interest rate tightening cycle begins.

Stock market and economic outlook

Why aren’t we listening to Warren Buffett?

Warren Buffett is one of the best investors the world has ever seen. One of his most famous quotes is, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful,” which aligns with the direction of my thoughts for the coming year. By the time you read this, some of the predictions may […] Read more


Plan a year or two ahead of planting a perennial forage blend.

Picking a perennial forage blend

Q & A with an expert

Q: How do I choose the right perennial forage blend for my farm? A: Growers should consider several factors when doing this. The first step is to start planning a year or two ahead of planting a perennial forage blend. Part of that planning is making sure weed control is taken care of for both […] Read more

BeGrainSafe provides valuable training for firefighters

BeGrainSafe is an important part of the safety programs offered by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA). Through the BeGrainSafe initiative, firefighters are trained on how to respond to grain entrapment incidents, which can be a danger on grain farms. At the heart of the program is the BeGrainSafe Trailer, a mobile training and demonstration […] Read more


It can be an interesting journey to graciously let go of control and mentor the next manager of your farm business.

Froese: Reduce friction on the farm

Seeds of Encouragement: Transitioning to the next generation may be difficult at times. Here are some tips to help farm founders and their successors with the process

Recently, I participated in an AgvisorPro webinar looking at the risk factors in farm transition. Dean Klippenstine, a partner and agriculture business advisor with the accounting firm MNP in Regina, Sask., was another one of the speakers, and something he said really hit me: “I’d rather have really good management than lots of old money […] Read more

The percentage of canola growers using variable-rate fertilizer on all of their fields in 2021 was down slightly from the previous year.

Why are farmers slow to adopt variable-rate fertilizer technology?

Reasons for the slow adoption rate plus tips to get you started

Variable-rate fertilizer (VRF) application has caught the interest of a lot of farmers over the past 15 years. However, the level of adoption of VRF has been slower than expected. A Fertilizer Canada survey of canola farmers in Western Canada in the fall of 2021 found only 10.2 per cent of growers used VRF application […] Read more