Managing the carbon crop

Managing the carbon crop

The objective is to return more carbon to the soil than is released

One of the best parts of writing for Grainews is the people who contact me to question/disagree or express some interest in an aspect of a story I have written. I confess I have sometimes written pieces just to engage healthy discussion. I have always had an interest in the “global warming” debate and have […] Read more


The new mid-frame VT-70 compact track loader from ASV LLC uses a vertical lift loader linkage for applications requiring continuously level loads. 


New compact track loader from ASV

Minnesota-based brand strengthens its offering after return to the marketplace

Minnesota-based ASV has introduced its first mid-frame, vertical lift compact track loader, the Posi-Track VT-70. It features a vertical lift loader linkage capable of extended reach while maintaining level bucket loads, which is useful for loading pallets. ASV says it has incorporated the company’s patented Posi-Track rubber track suspension into the VT-70’s design. That’s a […] Read more

This horse cut himself somehow in the pasture during a blizzard. That mess on his leg is snow and frozen blood. I thought I might have to bandage and wrap it. However, the wound was barely visible — it’s under the dot of ice in the second picture. He wasn’t lame, I couldn’t find any foreign material in the wound, and the leg didn’t swell, so I left it alone. This is just one example of the things that only seem to happen when I’m farm-sitting.

Leaving your livestock to a farm-sitter

Reporter's Notebook: Before you get on the plane, you're going to have to find someone to feed and watch those cows

How do cattle producers manage to leave for winter holidays if they aren’t working with extended family? It’s a conundrum producers have likely faced since they first domesticated cattle-beasts. Several years ago, while I was still living in Edmonton, I remember hearing about a guy, Frank Campbell, who was setting up a farm-sitting service. Basically […] Read more


Who will be at your table this Easter?

Hospitality is a good way to draw people together and build understanding

Watching the snow fly and hearing the wind howl is great motivation to have visions of Easter breads, tulips, lilies and folks gathered to celebrate. I attended a gathering last weekend where we were reminded again about the importance of hospitality to draw folks together and build understanding. A farm transition consultant has the habit […] Read more

This F350 lariat diesel with a 160-inch wheelbase was equipped with a range of high-end options that made it a very comfortable truck to drive.

PHOTOS: Farm testing the new F-350 Powerstroke

We spent a week putting Ford’s newest one-ton diesel pickup to work in an on-farm test

In March Ford invited Grainews to put one of its newest F-350s equipped with a 6.7 litre Powerstroke diesel to an on-farm test. We gladly accepted the challenge and spent a full week evaluating the truck. In the process we added over 500 kilometres to the odometer reading. But we didn’t cover all that ground […] Read more


Dealing with abusive behaviour on your farm

You have to be proactive rather than reactive to bad behaviour

I soaked up the seminar “Dealing with Abusive Behaviour at work,” led by Dave McNaughton an HR specialist from Winnipeg. Dave referred to Dr. Stephen Hart’s video from the Proactive Resolutions company, www.proactive-resolutions.com. (You have to love the idea of being proactive rather than reactive to bad behaviour in the workplace.) Give everyone a safe […] Read more

Ron Krahn shows students a damaged recovery strap that is no longer safe to use.

Safely extricate a stuck machine

Replace those chains with tow straps and think safety

If you have a pile of old chains in your workshop ready to use when your tractor or combine gets stuck, just leave them there was the message instructors gave students during a lesson on how to extricate stuck heavy trucks and machines. The January classroom session was part of the University of Manitoba’s first […] Read more


Guarding Wealth: Long-term investing is a sure thing

There are short-term risks, but inflation and survivor bias make long-term bets winners

Let’s have a heart to heart talk about the fundamentals of investing on the farm and off the farm and, for that matter, investing in education for a career or a used car. Every investment has character, whether it’s a tech stock and you have to bet on a new trend or product on the […] Read more

Bubble in the finance world

Guarding Wealth: When will the stock market bubble pop?

Stock markets are soaring in spite of increasing risks. If this is a bubble, will it last?

When is a bubble a bubble? The Oxford English Dictionary defines a bubble as “a significant, usually rapid, increase in asset prices that is soon followed by a collapse in prices… typically arises from speculation or enthusiasm rather than intrinsic increases in value.” The question is vital right now, for one of the best guides […] Read more