What manure does over and above its nutrient content is to provide organic carbon matter, which does wonders for soils.

Manuring cropland can be misunderstood and overdone

Sources of manure and compost

There are some 60,000 cow-calf farms and 20,000 dairy operations in Canada. Cattle numbers are around 12.5 million with more than 40 per cent of this total in Alberta. Alberta also had 90 per cent of the beef feedlots with lesser numbers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There are 14 million hogs at any time in […] Read more


The Leguee Farms family members from left: Jake and Stephanie Leguee with their three children Asher, 8, Grayson, 5, and Tristan, 2; Russ and Sharon Leguee with Russ holding Bo, 2, (Amber and Erik’s son); Sarah Leguee ; and Erik and Amber Nikolejsin and their other two children Dax, 7, and Hazel, 4.

A glimpse into bright, young farming operations

From potatoes to cranberries, eggs to pork, beef to veal and millions of seeds — this is what these farmers do

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers will experience the hospitality of Quebec in late November as regional nominees and alumni gather in Laval for the national awards competition. Along with the seven OYF regional nominee farm families, about 200 alumni and guests from the program will attend the 43rd national awards event that runs Nov. 23-26. Nominees […] Read more

Here is a soil core laid out for sampling. Soil samples collected for soil nutrient analyses should be placed in breathable bags. In this picture, soil moisture samples were being collected and placed in stainless steel containers to precisely determine soil moisture content.

The importance of soil testing after a season of drought

Develop sound, economical fertilizer plans for each crop and field

In my last article, I discussed concerns of herbicide residue carry-over after a season of drought. In this article, I will discuss the importance of soil testing for plant-available nutrients after a drier-than-normal growing season. Many farmers in the southern Prairies had below normal growing season rainfall, while some had almost no rain. The result […] Read more


Gregory snaps a photo of some of the spring calves on pasture.

Eppich: Harvest begins with hot, dry weather

More ditch hay hauled home, pastures could use some rain

The beginning of August found us still making bales in the ditches and a few sloughs. Gregory and John were also working summerfallow and trying to get ready for harvest. During the week of Aug. 14 to 18, Saint James Parish in Wilkie held its yearling Vacation Bible School. Joseph and James were able to […] Read more

Herbicide carry-over concerns on the Prairies

Herbicide carry-over concerns on the Prairies

The 2023 growing season was drier and warmer than normal resulting in lower-than-normal crop yields over much of the Prairies. The worst affected areas are in the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones. Figure 1 shows an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada map of soil moisture conditions across the Prairies at the end of July 2023. […] Read more


 There are 37 acres of annual pasture seeded to two different blends including a cover crop blend that includes, oats, peas, sunn hemp, sunflower, crimson clover, lablab (a forage legume that grows similar to sweet pea), and radish.

All efforts geared toward sustainable beef and crop production

Quebec producer adopts regenerative agriculture practices in a bid ‘to do something different’

Stéphane Guay produces beef and cash crops on his farm in southwest Quebec, but there is so much more happening on this 400-acre regenerative agriculture operation he’s been developing over the past few years. Yes, there are cattle and crops, but they’re just part of a diversified farming operation that includes a wide range of […] Read more

File photo of the produce section at a Canadian grocery store. (FatCamera/E+/Getty Images)

Canada retools inflation baskets with more focus on food, gas

Snowblowers and barbecues in, DVD players out

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s national statistics agency on Tuesday revealed new weights for the basket of goods and services in its Consumer Price Index, giving more prominence to changes in the prices of food and gasoline. The reweighting, which Statistics Canada carries out every year, has historically had only a marginal impact on the […] Read more


RJ Sigurdson, MLA for Highwood, is sworn in on June 9, 2023 as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation. (Government of Alberta video screengrab via YouTube)

Calgary-area MLA named Alberta’s new ag minister

RJ Sigurdson to handle ag file, Horner moves to finance

The Alberta government’s caucus lead on emergency medical services (EMS) reform has been promoted to handle the agriculture file in a post-election cabinet shuffle. RJ Sigurdson, MLA for the constituency of Highwood, just south of Calgary, was sworn in Friday by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani as Alberta’s new minister of agriculture and irrigation, replacing Nate Horner. […] Read more

Hailstones in Winnipeg on May 10, 2023. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie Forecast Update: Forecast on track

Forecast issued May 14, 2023, covering the half-week stretch from May 14 to 17, 2023

The weather models have been remarkably accurate for this time of the year. The big weather picture remains the same. There is a large, persistent ridge of high pressure over far Western Canada with an equally persistent trough of low pressure over Eastern Canada. This means western regions will continue to see sunny, dry and […] Read more