Robin Cristo says it was a challenge to pick up the lowest pods with combines equipped with flex headers without also picking up rocks in the field.

Soybeans have potential, but need a bit of work

Southwest Saskatchewan producers say crop not suited to dry mid-summer conditions

Soybeans are close to having a good fit in southern Saskatchewan crop rotations, but two farmers who grew the crop for several years, say it would be good if plant breeding could improve drought tolerance and really good if there was a way to get lower pods on the plant stem at least a little […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Feds predict three per cent increase in canola acres

Stocks nevertheless expected to tighten

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers will seed more canola in the upcoming 2021-22 crop year, but solid demand will still cause ending stocks to tighten, according to the first new-crop supply/demand projections from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Monday. The department forecast seeded canola area in the spring of 2021 at 21.37 million acres, up […] Read more


Southern Alberta farmer Brady Valgardson has been experimenting with cover crops for the past five years. 
One of his objectives is to reduce the risk of soil being lost to wind erosion during the vulnerable post-harvest to pre-seeding period.

The cover crop learning curve

There is plenty of good information in theory, but a Taber grower is learning what works best for his farm

Challenges, commitment, trial and error, faith and steep learning curve. Those are some of the terms that southern Alberta farmer Brady Valgardson uses when he describes his experience with regenerative agriculture over the past five years. Valgardson, who is the fourth generation on the family farm southwest of Taber (about 50 kilometres east of Lethbridge), […] Read more



Many of the injured plants had leaves turning dark-green to black in colour, while the leaves of others were a translucent yellowish-orange.

Crop advisor casebook: The case of the ailing canola

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the January 19, 2020 issue of Grainews

Harry is a grain farmer from Elstow, Sask., who called me last year in mid-June to discuss one of his crops. He’d been out inspecting his canola when he saw there was a serious problem — fields that looked fine only a few days before were now littered with some very sickly-looking canola plants. Harry […] Read more

Alberta producer Matt Vossepoel uses a drone — like the one that produced this image for counting animals out on rangeland — to check his 800-head of cattle and to find sick animals or issues at calving time.

Farmers weigh in on drone benefits

How producers from Alberta and Saskatchewan use their drones on the farm

Matt Vossepoel bought his first drone, a DJI Mavic 2 with a thermal camera, two years ago so he could check on his 800-head of cattle and find sick animals or animals he couldn’t always see easily due to the terrain of his farm. Before long, he was using it during calving to check for […] Read more


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Funds’ net long position edges lower in canola

Net long increased in MGEX and K.C. wheats

MarketsFarm — Funds’ large net long position in canola narrowed slightly during the week ended Tuesday, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Managed-money fund traders as of Tuesday were holding a net long position in ICE Futures canola of 51,614 contracts, down by about […] Read more

File photo of snacks, produce and assorted street food loaded on a motorbike in Bali, Indonesia. (Lina Moiseienko/iStock/Getty Images)

Canada consulting at home toward Indonesia trade deal

Possibility of broader Southeast Asian pact also looms

Continuing to seek out free trade deals in the Asia-Pacific region, Canada has launched public consultations on the merits of a potential bilateral pact with Indonesia. “Deepening trade ties with Indonesia would benefit Canadian businesses of all sizes and lead to economic growth and prosperity for years to come,” International Trade Minister Mary Ng said […] Read more


ICE March 2021 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: WASDE spillover boosts canola

Canola may soon become price-sensitive, analyst says

MarketsFarm — Sharp increases in soybean, corn and wheat futures on Tuesday, following the release of the latest supply and demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in turn spilled over into canola. The most significant factors in USDA’s world agricultural supply and demand estimates (WASDE) were further reductions to ending stocks for […] Read more

In addition to yield potential and pod integrity, consider herbicide- resistance traits when choosing canola varieties for your farm.

Consider herbicide-resistance traits when choosing canola varieties

Q & A with an expert

[UPDATED: Jan. 14, 2021] Q: Should weed populations in my field affect my canola decision? A: When selecting canola varieties for your operation in 2021, yield potential and pod integrity are front of mind. However, different varieties utilize different herbicide-resistance traits, and this, too, should be considered. Canola varieties utilizing glufosinate (LibertyLink or LL), glyphosate […] Read more