A look at last year's map shows the red has mostly given way to yellow.

Les Henry: Soil moisture map for 2023

This year’s map won’t be a surprise for most farmers

Before we talk about the 2023 map, perhaps we should take readers back to the very first Stubble Soil Moisture Map, which was for the province of Saskatchewan only. It appears on page 109 of Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water if anyone wants to check it out. As far as I know, it was […] Read more



Figure 1. Nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizer in 2018 from the agricultural areas of Canada.

Nitrogen fertilizer management to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, Part 1

4R nutrient stewardship practices could be the only answer needed to reduce emissions

In December 2020, the government of Canada announced a national target to reduce absolute levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fertilizer application by 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030. What does this mean for western Canadian farmers? It does not mean a 30 per cent reduction in nitrogen fertilizer use! But it […] Read more


Commodities are notoriously volatile, which makes them tricky investments.

Why invest in energy?

Will “reversion to the mean” occur this time?

My last article had me questioning my sanity for investing in energy companies. The last decade has been brutal, and the political environment is brutal. Before delving into the questions, I would like to comment on a common narrative — that the invasion of Ukraine caused a European energy crisis. The narrative is highlighted by […] Read more

chimney

Winter brings higher carbon monoxide risk

Along with winter comes the increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The danger not only exists in homes with natural gas furnaces but also in barns, sheds, garages or workshops that have fuel-powered heating systems or where work is being performed with internal combustion engines. Many people using equipment like compressors, generators, welders and even […] Read more


Kristjan Hebert says rather than focusing on how much they’re willing to spend on ag insurance premiums, farmers would be better off considering how much money they’re prepared to lose.

Halsall: Aim for the home run ball

Every year, farmers play a high-stakes game against Mother Nature and all of the other in-season perils, betting their fields will yield a bounty of profitable crops come harvest. It’s risky, of course, which is why crop insurance is such a vital aspect of risk management for many western Canadian producers. But is crop insurance […] Read more

Harvesting feed at higher moisture or adding water to the TMR can
increase feed intake prevent a lot of “sorting” by lactating dairy cows at
the feed bunk.

Optimize moisture content of lactation dairy diets

Make sure it is properly measured to avoid being too dry or too wet

The concept of feeding TMR diets formulated with ensiled forage was introduced to dairies across Canada in the early 1990s. Until then, most dairy producers fed their cows dry hay, followed by a scoop or pull (parlour) of grain ration. I remember a visit to Eastern Canada at that time, and I saw newly made […] Read more


Jamie and I in Kamloops, B.C., moments after handing Bryon a certified cheque for the Tacoma.

On trucks, ag policy and pilgrimages

Are some of the gaps in Canadian ag and policy so large and left alone so long they are being forgotten?

Do you scroll through Kijiji like I do? It’s hard to say, I bet. You don’t know how often I open the app, nor the duration of each episode. Rest assured, I do this often and for varying amounts of time. But I can also rest assured knowing that you likely do this, too. Since […] Read more

Some of the key symptoms of a crop infected with sclerotinia include premature ripening and pale-grey or white lesions on stems, branches and pods.

Sclerotinia control in canola

Growing hybrid varieties with improved disease resistance and other agronomic benefits can help protect your yields

Reducing and/or preventing yield losses caused by sclerotinia in canola takes a multi-pronged approach, says a research scientist with Corteva Agriscience. Scott McClinchey, a canola breeder based in Guelph, Ont., says farmers can’t change the weather but they do have other measures within their control to help minimize the effect of the disease on their […] Read more