This full-season cover crop, which ended up being mostly oats and volunteer mustard, provided excellent summer pasture for cow-calf pairs under a strip grazing system.

No such thing as failure, it’s all a learning experience

Plans are good in theory, but moisture is needed to really see what works

When Josh Beck describes some of the practices he’s tried in a bid to incorporate regenerative agriculture practices on his southern Alberta farm, you’ll probably hear him say a few times, “Everything was looking really good early in the growing season … and then it turned dry.” Lack of growing season moisture is not only […] Read more

Anderson cattle graze in early winter an area of the stockpiled annual forage blend that wasn’t cut for swath grazing.

Improving pastures through regenerative agriculture

A low-input strategy is paying off for this central Alberta producer

Brendon Anderson took over the family farm near Rimbey in central Alberta a few years back and is now focused on regenerative agriculture to improve soils and forage production. Ultimately he would like to get to a system of year-round grazing, but that may not be possible in some winters that deliver nearly four feet […] Read more


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

As much as possible, prevent the spread of disease by reducing movement of soil between fields.

How to prevent, detect and manage aphanomyces

Q & A with an expert

Q: I’m hearing more about aphanomyces. How can I prevent the disease from becoming a problem on my farm? A: Aphanomyces is a serious soil-borne disease of peas and lentils that is becoming increasingly widespread in Western Canada. Aphanomyces euteiches is a root rot pathogen that thrives under wet conditions. Symptoms are often first detected […] Read more


New pulse crop options for growers in 2021

New pulse crop options for growers in 2021

Thirteen new pulses are available for Prairie producers, some with improved disease resistance and strong yields

Prairie producers looking to plant pulses in 2021 have a few new and notable options. SeedNet, SeCan, FP Genetics, Prairie Fava, Riddell Seed Company and Saskatchewan seed growers are bringing a combined total of 13 new pulses to the market in 2021. The coming year’s options include strong yielders and improved disease resistance. And one […] Read more

Pulse markets beating strong

Pulse markets beating strong

Pandemic turns spotlight on plant protein sources

UPDATED: Jan. 21, 2021: Markets for pulse crops in Canada and the United States should generally remain favourable over most of 2021 and even for several years beyond, says the head of the largest U.S. pulse crop processor. Jeff Van Pevenage, president and CEO of Columbia Grain International headquartered in Portland, Oregon, acknowledges while the […] Read more


(4loops/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Green, yellow pea prices reach parity

Lower-priced green peas meet upwardly-mobile yellows

MarketsFarm — Yellow and green pea prices in Western Canada have taken divergent paths to start 2021, with yellow peas on the rise and greens declining as values reach parity in many locations. Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm Pro explained that while Canada’s pea exports suffered under yellow pea import restrictions implemented by India, China later […] Read more