Columns & Production Tips

Toban Dyck: Sanity in an oil change

By Toban Dyck November 21, 2020

The tangible elements of farming are therapeutic

The webcam on my MacBook hasn’t been working consistently, giving me a great excuse to participate in virtual meetings without having my mug on the screen. I slink back in my chair and engage in the conversation, but my eyes can wander without anyone noticing. I stare out my office window, which overlooks our farmyard […] Read more

Design No. 105 on page 98 of The Radford Ideal Homes: 100 Houses Illustrated, 1910.

Columns, News

Les Henry: Catalogue houses of the past. Who were the actors?

Many houses thought to be Eaton’s have turned out to be from some other company

By Les Henry November 13, 2020

Yesterday’s version of online shopping was the catalogue. In Canada, the T. Eaton Company Ltd. catalogues were most common. Many Santa Claus lists were fulfilled via Canada Post from the T. Eaton catalogue. For Western Canada, the Eaton’s catalogue came from Winnipeg. The range of goods available was extensive — all the way from clothing, […] Read more

Columns, Hart Attacks

Why not go with positive thinking?

At times my brain seems to have a black belt in catastrophizing

By Lee Hart November 12, 2020

Do you ever overthink things? This could apply to a lot of thinking, but I’m talking about having that argument with someone in your head hours or perhaps even days before you actually talk to that person. “Well I bet they will say this, well I’m going to say that,” and so it goes. I’m […] Read more

It’s important that best management practices like budgeting and cash flow projection keep pace as your farm expands.

Columns

Superforecasting: When politics meet farm financials

Farm Management: Use financial forecasts for long-term business planning

By Craig Macfie November 6, 2020

Forecasting is all around us. From the weather to next year’s kindergarten enrolment to the U.S. presidential election. No matter how accurate past forecasts are, many seek out new information to make decisions. Anticipating what the future might hold helps with preparedness and planning. Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner researched and co-authored the book Superforecasting: […] Read more

It might surprise you that over the last 96 years, markets have performed better with Democrats in charge. The 24 Presidential Cycles were evenly split with 12 Republican and 12 Democratic administrations.

Columns, News

The Presidential Cycle and other regularly promoted phenomena

Can they help time your investments?

By Herman VanGenderen November 5, 2020

The publication date of this article is election day in the United States. By the time you read this we may know the outcome of another bizarre election. Much will be written about how the outcome will impact our investments, yet in reality it will have surprisingly little impact, and not in any predictable way. […] Read more

Many farmers are interested in data collection but are not sure about the return on investment.

Editor's column, Wheat & Chaff

Editor’s Column: Why bother with data collection? Money, says one Saskatchewan farmer

By Kari Belanger November 3, 2020

If you’ve been taking a closer look at precision ag and data collection, you’re not alone. Farmers are focused on what types of data can be collected, how to collect it and what it can be used for on their farms. Trevor Scherman, a Battleford, Sask.-area grain farmer, started collecting data years ago for a […] Read more

One of the young colts feeling pretty energetic this fall.

Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Harvest slowed by rain

Eppich News: Always projects to be completed before getting back in the field

By Heather Eppich October 29, 2020

On September 1 we harvested one field and then started on a second before the wheat got too tough. The next day it rained in the morning. In the afternoon, we had Sabra of Sabra’s Farrier Service from Saskatoon come out and trim the feet of a few horses. She is very patient with the […] Read more

Columns, Livestock

Fowl play in the free-range poultry industry

The dire perils of free-range environments, chickens may be happier indoors, warm and among friends

By Ieuan Evans October 26, 2020

It seems that the general public has a very distorted view of farming practices, which is helped by the inability or reluctance of the North American farming community to deliver the real facts. Many in the urban general public seem to have fond visions of laying hens or broiler chickens tiptoeing through the green, grassy […] Read more

Figure 2. A field of Weyburn loam soil association.

Columns, Crops

Les Henry: The importance of naming soils

Let’s peel away the fancy stuff and boil it down to something useful at the farmgate

By Les Henry October 26, 2020

[UPDATED: Oct. 30, 2020] Naming (classifying) soils is not the same as naming plants or animals. Plant classification can be a purely scientific endeavour and they name a plant by genus (Triticum = wheat) and species (Triticum aestivum = bread wheat). Classifying soils is a complex affair not always understood. In this short piece, we […] Read more

Columns, Markets

Growth stocks have outperformed value by a wide margin … but will it last?

Slow and steady wins the race

By Herman VanGenderen October 23, 2020

Market action this year has confounded and perplexed. Meaning, it has been pretty much business as usual, although with more exaggerated swings. The action should demonstrate more than ever that short-term market gyrations are completely unpredictable. Anyone who in late March publicly said the market would hit new records by summertime would have been promptly […] Read more

GFM Network News

How we’re tracking avian flu’s toll on wildlife across North America

Case IH reveals new Optum tractor at Agritechnica 2025

B.C. ostriches culled, CFIA confirms