Create safe play areas for kids

This year, for Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is working towards “Keeping Kids Safe” as a part of the three-year theme of “Be An Ag Safe Family.” Part of keeping kids safe on the farm is creating, using, and maintaining a safe play area. Play teaches children co-operation. Play helps children […] Read more



Summer Landscape with a field of yellow flowers. Sunset

2015 weather affects 2016 agronomy

Agronomy tips... from the field

Now that 2015 is pretty much under our belts, I think we can say, in general, that weather conditions got off to a fairly good start and then turned unusually dry for the balance of the season. And when the rains eventually did come, they came at the wrong time — creating challenging conditions at […] Read more

Even the fortune cookies are different 
in Ottawa. My friend got this message 
in his cookie at a Thai restaurant in 
Ottawa’s Byward Market.

Editor’s Column: Notes from a foreign country

Ottawa, that is...

No matter how you feel about our newly elected federal government, I think all Grainews readers can agree on one thing: federal government employees in Ottawa can never really understand Prairie farms. Before I married a farmer and moved to southeast Saskatchewan, I had a provincial government job in Regina. I can tell you — […] Read more


holding canola seeds

Think of disease when choosing canola seed

Agronomy tips... from the field

We all know that top-end yield is ultimately what drives canola seed selections, because that’s what pays your bills. That’s why I’d encourage you to look at last year’s Canola Performance Trials, provincial seed guides and any public trials to get the fullest picture of how a hybrid has performed. Look at several years of […] Read more




Farmer holding soybean

Selecting soybeans for your area

Agronomy Tips... From the Field

To find out which soybean varieties will grow well on your farm, you first need to get an understanding of the available heat units for your zone. Look at Environment Canada data or climate data from your local weather provider to get the average accumulation of heat units for your area. Next, eliminate varieties that […] Read more



The low-down on new canola hybrids

The low-down on new canola hybrids

When making your seed buying decision for 2016, do your homework and check out the latest canola performance data and look at a variety’s entire agronomic package on top of the yield numbers. For my money, your best source is going to be the CPT (Canola Performance Trials), available online and through provincial seed guides, and […] Read more