Great take-home messages from forage specialists

Ideas for getting the most out of pasture and hay land this season

It might very well be the crop covering the most acres on your farm — so treat it with respect. No we’re not talking wheat, barley or canola, but good old, often over looked and under valued forages. That was one of the key messages, this week, during an hour-long AGvisorPRO webinar featuring four specialists connected […] Read more

Average sea surface temperature anomalies over the equatorial Pacific Ocean for the week centred on May 5, 2021 compared to 1981-2010 base period. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina done, U.S. CPC says

Neutral weather likely through summer

Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday La Nina has ended and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions are likely to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer. “ENSO neutral” refers to periods in which neither El Nino nor La Nina is present, often coinciding with the transition between the two weather patterns, […] Read more


In a range of crops last year, dingy and redback cutworms were a widespread problem in Manitoba and may continue to be an issue this year. In Saskatchewan, farmers should be on the lookout for redback and pale western cutworms.

Insect pests to watch for in 2021

Provincial experts discuss top pest threats for your region and offer tips for scouting

It’s easy for farmers to get “scouted out.” Between crop diseases, destructive crop insects and simply checking for yield and growth stage, scouting can be a full-time job in and of itself. Knowing what to focus on can help. Experts across the Prairies are weighing in on the most likely insect threats for the 2021 […] Read more

File photo of cattle grazing on Prince Edward Island. (ArodPEI/iStock/Getty Images)

Eastern drought zones set for livestock tax deferrals

Regions designated in P.E.I., N.S., N.B., Quebec

In a decision that may have come late for some, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and parts of southeastern Quebec and northwestern Nova Scotia have been declared drought zones for eligible livestock producers’ 2020 tax purposes. The federal government on Monday released its list and map of prescribed drought regions where tax deferral on sales […] Read more


Walmart Canada bills itself as the first retailer in the country with an on-pack certified-sustainable claim for a line of beef products. (CNW Group/Walmart Canada)

Walmart locks in CRSB claim for in-store beef brand

Chain to be first retailer in Canada with certified-sustainable label on pack

The Canadian arm of Walmart has locked in enough of a supply of certified-sustainable beef to label its entire Your Fresh Market burger patty line accordingly. The retail giant announced Monday it’s now sourcing beef from “certified sustainable” farms and ranches according to standards set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). The company […] Read more

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Monitor map for the Prairie provinces as of April 30, 2021. (AAFC)

‘Extreme drought’ expands in Prairies

Southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan parched

MarketsFarm — The newly released map from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM) shows the Prairies’ ongoing drought getting worse. According to AAFC’s nationwide map released on Friday, southwestern Manitoba, parts of southern Saskatchewan and the southeast corner of Alberta are under CDM’s classification of Extreme (D3) drought as of April 30. Communities […] Read more



dairy cows eating TMR

Dairy Corner: Forage fibre the big driver in milk fat production

Put your TMR to the test to determine if it's the proper particle size


Maintaining good milk production with adequate milk fat is always the main source of good revenue on most dairy farms. Regardless of the actual feed ingredient formulation, it must work in tandem with the natural body functions of healthy cows. This is something we should keep in mind when reformulating current rations if restrictions are […] Read more


File photo of Ontario cropland from the air. (IMNATURE/iStock/Getty Images)

Federal NDP introduces soil health bill

Proposal calls for a National Soil Health Advocate

The federal New Democrats propose to set up a plan they say could help build up Canadian agriculture from the ground down. The NDP’s agriculture critic, British Columbia MP Alistair MacGregor, on Monday introduced a private member’s bill in the Commons to create a national soil health strategy for Canada. The strategy as proposed in […] Read more

(Kevin_LS/iStock/Getty Images)

Rural, remote crime targeted in Tory MP’s bill

Bill would consider crimes' settings during sentencing

An Alberta Conservative MP is trying to tackle rural crime by introducing a law that would punish more severely those accused of targeting remote, and vulnerable, people or property. Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins introduced his private member’s bill for first reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday. “Rural Canadians too often don’t feel […] Read more