New water management and soil moisture monitoring tools show what’s happening below the soil in the root zone, allowing farmers to compare performance between tiled and non-tiled fields.

Satellites and drainage a good partnership

Farmers Edge and NextGen Drainage Solutions team up to advance tile drainage tech

One of the most common questions farmers ask about tile drainage is, “Will it work in our area?” As probably one of the most expensive investments a farmer will make, next to purchasing land, it’s understandable that farmers want to make sure tile drainage will work and give them some tangible benefits before they take […] Read more


(AWSeebaran/iStock/Getty Images)

Senior P.E.I. ag official to fill deputy minister post

The post of top bureaucrat in Prince Edward Island’s agriculture department now has its third occupant in as many months. Premier Dennis King on June 7 named Brian Matheson, previously director of policy and agriculture resources at the agriculture and land department, as its acting deputy minister, replacing Laurie Loane. Loane, who’d been named deputy […] Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy in Council Bluffs, Iowa on June 11, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Trump simplifies reviews of genetically modified farm products

Council Bluffs | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing federal agencies to streamline the review process for agricultural biotechnology including genetically modified livestock and seeds. Trump signed the order during a visit to an ethanol plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The executive order, he said, would “speed up […] Read more


Cerisa is a yellow-fleshed specialty variety with slightly firmer cooking texture and excellent flavour. Plants produce high numbers of smaller elongated baby potatoes, a favourite in salads.

Singing Gardener: Nutritional benefits of the potato and a little-known way of baking it

Plus, Ted shares more reader feedback

Something tells me this intro might appear a little longer than usual. It’s all for good informative reading. Got your sprouted seed potatoes in the ground yet? It’s not too late to plant more! There’ll be a thing or two said about spuds further along. Plus — one method for baking potatoes and some reader […] Read more



Vegetation growth index for the Prairie provinces compared to average as of May 26. (CCAP)

Canadian crop development behind average

MarketsFarm — Crop development is running behind average across much of Canada, with excessive moisture delaying seeding in Ontario and dryness slowing crop development across the Prairies. That’s according to the latest satellite data from the federal Crop Condition Assessment Program (CCAP), created in partnership between Statistics Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Crop development […] Read more

Ag Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speaks to media at Cigi in Winnipeg on March 13, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Cash advance boost to take effect next week

Regulations permanently expanding loan limits under the federal Advance Payments Program — and temporarily boosting interest-free advances for canola growers — are in place for applications to begin next Monday at the earliest. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Monday amendments to the Agricultural Marketing Programs Regulations are now in place to boost the APP loan […] Read more



Precipitation percentiles on the Prairies for the period of April 1 to May 23, 2019. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Drought Watch)

Prairie dryness concerns to persist

MarketsFarm — Large areas of Western Canada remain on the dry side, with little moisture in the immediate forecasts. And while it’s still early in the growing season, the interplay of conflicting patterns from the south and north will determine whether the dry areas receive timely precipitation during the growing season. “We are looking at […] Read more