(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Corn the choice crop in feedlots

'Bigger feedlots are looking for volume'

MarketsFarm — Copious amounts of corn are still being delivered to feedlots in southern Alberta despite slowly declining prices for other feed grains. “Corn is coming down over the last little bit,” Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Ltd. in Lethbridge said. “You think that there would be a little bit more barley hitting the market. […] Read more

The HarvestLab grain sensor can be retrofitted to 2018 and newer John Deere S700 series combines to provide real-time grain quality data when harvesting.

Measure grain protein on the go

John Deere’s HarvestLab offers new features for grain growers

Most grain producers have spent time at an elevator waiting to find out the protein level of a truckload of wheat after delivering it. That, of course, makes a difference to the size of cheque the elevator manager is willing to write. Today, John Deere is taking the suspense out of that wait by making […] Read more


A senior manager for the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, says the PMRA ruling that lambda-cyhalothrin can’t be used on crops for livestock feed is unworkable.

How to manage without lambda-cyhalothrin in 2023

Alternatives to control most insect pests exist but attention to label recommendations, product rates and timing is important

As of mid-February, if western Canadian farmers want to control common crop insect pests such as grasshoppers and flea beetles in 2023, they should plan to do it without the use of popular lambda-cyhalothrin products such as Matador and Silencer. Those products and others based on the lambda-cy active ingredient aren’t banned, but Health Canada’s […] Read more

Chad, Britny, Lila, Kate and Ruby with their John Deere S670 combine.

Efficiency is the No. 1 priority on the Andrews Farm

Prairie Farms: Strategic partnerships support productivity

The Prairie Farms feature will be an ongoing series that highlights western Canadian producers and their farm operations. These producer and farm profiles will share the strategies, tips and experiences that have helped Prairie farmers be successful. Along with crop production strategies, this Q-and-A series will look at the personalities and lifestyles of farmers across […] Read more


Photo: File

Feed weekly outlook: Barley exports slowing down, local prices steady

Feedlots relatively well covered

MarketsFarm — Canadian barley exports slowed down in January, but out-of-country movement is still running ahead of the year-ago pace, according to updated export data from the Canadian Grain Commission. Canada exported 131,100 tonnes of barley from licensed facilities in January, with China the top customer taking 100,500 tonnes. Total barley exports were well off […] Read more

Understanding feedlot margins

Understanding feedlot margins

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Much depends on having a risk management plan in place

Feeding cattle is a unique business. Feedlot margins are often in negative territory. When there is a profitable period, it is relatively short lived.  I often receive calls from cow-calf producers and other readers asking about margins for the feedlot operator. How can feedlots continue to operate after a prolonged period of negative margins?  In […] Read more


The tree row catches the snow, and the big slough goes from dry to high water table. In years gone by, I spent many hours with three, two-inch pumps to move water from the slough to adjacent upland — not always a huge success.

Les Henry: Twenty-seven years of crops at my Dundurn farm

And a few lessons learned

In the early 1990s, agriculture in Saskatchewan was still suffering from the devastation of the 1980s. Drought and poor crops with low prices were bad news. But, interest rates as high as 20 per cent were the kicker that resulted in much land going back to FCC or the Royal Bank. (Yes, Virginia, interest rates […] Read more

The benefits of irrigation in Alberta

The benefits of irrigation in Alberta

Irrigation plays a significant role in increasing crop and livestock production

Irrigation is often referred to as the “lifeblood” of southern Alberta. Irrigation water was first diverted from the St. Mary River in 1900 and arrived by canal system to Magrath, Raymond and Lethbridge. Now, 122 years later, just over 1.8 million acres are irrigated in Alberta. Irrigated agriculture contributes about $6.5 billion to Alberta’s GDP […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Calves jump on corn outlook

Softer barley values underpin yearling market

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $5 to as much as $12 above week-ago levels. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $332-$335 delivered, up $5-$8 from last week. Stronger fed cattle prices and softer barley values underpinned the yearling market. Buyers were finicky […] Read more

What is soil fertility?

What is soil fertility?

There are no miracles in crop production, just sound scientific facts

Soil fertility for field crops is a very simple affair but extremely difficult to easily explain. Think logically. There are no miracle fertilizers, only plain and simple chemical nutrients whether from an organic source or from a concentrate of nutrients we call chemical or synthetic fertilizer. There is no such thing as a synthetic fertilizer. […] Read more