Yellow peas. (Victoria Popova/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: AAFC report makes minor changes

Revisions mainly in dry peas, chickpeas

MarketsFarm — Following the latest supply and demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville said their numbers “all seem reasonable enough.” There were only a handful of small tweaks to pulses in the AAFC report released Friday. For the most part, the revisions came with dry beans and chickpeas. […] Read more

Good soils or loamy soils are ones that contain equal parts of sand, silt and clay. Unfortunately, this ideal mix is not that common on the Prairies.

What is soil?

Let’s explore the properties of your cropland’s soil

In everyday conversation involving agriculture, we hear about poor soils, clay soils, good soils, ruined soils, eroded soils, degraded soils, sandy soils, silty soils and so on. These names or descriptions are, for the most part, meaningless and very subjective. Soil is, in reality, a storehouse of water, mineral compounds of multiple complexities and plant-essential […] Read more


“It just makes tracking your inventory and your contracts a lot easier... I don’t have to spend days on the computer entering contracts and doing spreadsheets.” – Sean Edwards.

New tool for grain marketing at your fingertips

Combyne marketing app built for grain producers

A new software system developed by a Canadian tech firm promises to make grain marketing easier and more efficient for farmers across the country. Combyne was developed by Alain Goubau and his Ontario-based company, Combyne Ag. It was released to the public in November 2021 and is available for mobile devices and computer desktop use. […] Read more

Rebate roundup 2023

Rebate roundup 2023

Make your crop input dollars go further this year with cash-back rebates and reward programs

With the high price of fertilizer and other crop inputs these days, it’s more important than ever to be mindful of cash-back rebates and other grower reward programs as you prepare for the 2023 growing season. With this in mind, here’s our annual roundup (in alphabetical order) of rebates available to farmers in Western Canada […] Read more


Swiss-French author Sylvie Bigar writes about her obsession with the south of France and cassoulet in Cassoulet Confessions.

Vive la Cassoulet

First We Eat: Many different ways to serve this classic French bean dish

I just read Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family, and the Stew That Saved My Soul by Sylvie Bigar. Bigar, a Swiss-French writer, is obsessed with the south of France and cassoulet, the classic southern French bean dish. Her Jewish Ashkenazi family (diaspora Jews who settled in the Alsace region of France, and before that, Poland) […] Read more

Alumni of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program Ian (left) and Karilynn (middle) Marshall of Bowden, Alta., receive the W.R. Motherwell Award from COYF president, Danny Penner (right), at the COYF national award ceremony in November.

Outstanding Young Farmers Awards go to Saskatchewan and Quebec

Organic farming receives national recognition

Cody Straza and Allison Squires say developing an organic mixed farming operation in southern Saskatchewan over the past dozen years was a reflection of their values in terms of creating a sustainable farm operation guided by proper environmental stewardship and social justice principles. Winning a national award recognizing excellence in farm management gave them reassurance […] Read more


Smooth Volcano carrots are known for strong, upright tops and easy pulling, and they are tolerant of late harvests.

Lots of good reasons to grow carrots

Plus, Happy New Year greetings

Well, howdy folks howdy! It’s a brand new year. 2023 has arrived. I once entered a song I wrote more than 25 years ago into an international song writing competition. It became one of 10 songs chosen that received “honourable mention” from among thousands of entries received. I still sing all verses of that song […] Read more



Some of the key symptoms of a crop infected with sclerotinia include premature ripening and pale-grey or white lesions on stems, branches and pods.

Sclerotinia control in canola

Growing hybrid varieties with improved disease resistance and other agronomic benefits can help protect your yields

Reducing and/or preventing yield losses caused by sclerotinia in canola takes a multi-pronged approach, says a research scientist with Corteva Agriscience. Scott McClinchey, a canola breeder based in Guelph, Ont., says farmers can’t change the weather but they do have other measures within their control to help minimize the effect of the disease on their […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC raises canola stocks projection, despite smaller crop

Department also trims wheat ending stocks

MarketsFarm — Canadian canola ending stocks for 2022-23 were revised higher by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in its latest supply/demand estimates, released Friday. The larger carryout projection came despite a downward revision to production, as both exports and domestic usage were also down from the November report. The government agency now sees canola carryout of […] Read more