New grain elevator builds over the past five years, why? Part I

New grain elevator builds over the past five years, why? Part I

Number crunches tell an interesting story of new facilities on the Prairies

For curiosity, I went onto the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) website and looked up the number of primary elevators by province on the Prairies back to 2012. I found the results interesting. The overall capacity continued to grow even during the initial number decline, which tells me that new, larger facilities were being built while […] Read more


Three things to know about precision ag

Three things to know about precision ag

Q & A with an expert

Q: What are three common misconceptions about precision ag? A: A large amount of information can be generated in precision ag applications. This can lead to confusion, misunderstanding and frustration among farmers. Here’s a few common misconceptions about precision ag. 1. Will it break the bank to get involved with a precision ag program? The […] Read more

Precious metals play a role as they generally move in opposite direction to the stock market.

The place for precious metals in a portfolio

Even though it’s the worst-performing asset class, gold has a purpose

Over a 210-year period, the after-inflation value of a U.S. dollar was a nickel. A dollar invested in gold became $4.52, in T-bills $281, in bonds $1,778 and in stocks $704,000, making stocks the runaway leader. (Jeremy Siegel: Stocks for the Long Run) Despite this long-term track record, gold has a place in our portfolios […] Read more


This will be my first pandemic

What’s my greatest risk factor — a virus or french fries?

I am not sure what is going to take me out first — A. the COVID-19 virus (also known as the coronavirus); or B. an overdose of media coverage of the COVID-19 virus. I don’t mean to sound flippant about the COVID-19 virus. As one of those in the high-risk category (a senior citizen) it […] Read more



Les Henry: Soil salinity and tile drainage

Les Henry: Soil salinity and tile drainage

Can investing in tile drainage make your Prairie soil less saline and more profitable?

The idea for this subject came from a recent phone call from a farmer in west-central Saskatchewan. He was considering the purchase of a piece of land that was priced below recent sales but did have salinity problems. He was wondering about the feasibility of tile drainage to fix the problem and make the land […] Read more

Commodity booms and busts: Part 2

Commodity booms and busts: Part 2

Rinse and repeat: commodity stock prices follow an ever-repeating cycle

Where are we in the current economic cycle? Canada experienced a minor commodity-driven recession in 2015. It was a major recession in oil-producing regions but unfelt in other parts of the country. The United States has not experienced negative growth since 2009. My focus with this article is the United States because well, it’s the […] Read more


When outside influences drive world markets, there are a number of ways to price your grain for next year.

Risk management in a chaotic world

How should you manage your price and production risk in a year when prices are unpredictable?

Impeachment trial, Israeli/Palestinian conflict, trade disputes, passenger planes being mistakenly shot down, countrywide rail blockades and a health epidemic that’s sending shock waves through world markets. How can you keep your farm from becoming a casualty of these unpredictable events? In previous articles, I’ve discussed how improving management practices can ensure your farm is running […] Read more

Toban Dyck: Voting yes or no to amalgamation

Toban Dyck: Voting yes or no to amalgamation

Farmers vote to create the Manitoba Crop Alliance from five commodity groups

I had no idea which way the vote would go. I knew there were people in favour and I also knew there were some opposed and I was pretty sure they would be vocal. This year’s CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg had a layer of complexity and drama to it. At five of the commodity group […] Read more