A day’s harvest from Sue Kraft’s garden in 2021. It’s a labour of love when it’s veggie-picking time for carrots, corn, cukes, lettuce, peas and tomatoes.

Pick of the crop

Singing Gardener: When it comes to carrots, Scarlet Nantes is hard to beat

Hello young people, hello senior citizens and welcome to everyone in-between who is trying hard to make ends meet and keep afloat on the river of economic problems — in particular, the high cost of food. We’re glad to be gardeners and keepers of the soil. Cost-wise, it’s hard to eat healthy if you’re eating […] Read more


Bringing cows home last fall marks the end of a season, and the opportunity to challenge my mindset and embrace new goals for next season.

Life as a regenerative ag producer is a mindset

And farmers and athletes have more in common than you’d think

Hello, Grainews readers. My name is Stuart Chutter and I am a new addition to the columnists at Grainews. I am a Saskatchewan farmer and an agriculture junkie with a passion for risk management, soil health and fitness.   Earlier this winter, I spent time with two of my favourite communities — the regenerative agriculture […] Read more

Even without increasing the cow herd size, enhanced grazing management can pay dividends by extending the grazing season.

The importance of giving grass a vacation

A properly managed rest period should lead to increased forage production

Often the largest category of costs in a cattle operation is what economists consider fixed costs. These are usually big things such as tractors or land. In most cases, land is the largest cost item in a farm operation. On the other side of this equation are what we refer to as variable costs. These […] Read more


If your cropland is presently clubroot-free, keep it that way. Do not allow any mud-carrying equipment of any kind on your cropland other than your own farm equipment. Plant resistant varieties and keep the land clubroot-free to enhance your financial future.

Present and future plant disease and weed issues in the Prairies, Part 1

Disease prevention works if you follow standard crop biosecurity procedures

Here are 10 of the more important disease and weed issues in Western Canada, but I could easily add 10 more. 1. Clubroot of canola2. Cereal cyst nematode3. Soybean cyst nematode4. Aphanomyces root rot of peas and lentils5. Verticillium wilt of canola6. Sudden death syndrome of soybean7. Potato cyst nematode8. Potato powdery scab9. Sclerotinia white […] Read more

Chad, Britny, Lila, Kate and Ruby with their John Deere S670 combine.

Efficiency is the No. 1 priority on the Andrews Farm

Prairie Farms: Strategic partnerships support productivity

The Prairie Farms feature will be an ongoing series that highlights western Canadian producers and their farm operations. These producer and farm profiles will share the strategies, tips and experiences that have helped Prairie farmers be successful. Along with crop production strategies, this Q-and-A series will look at the personalities and lifestyles of farmers across […] Read more


The tree row catches the snow, and the big slough goes from dry to high water table. In years gone by, I spent many hours with three, two-inch pumps to move water from the slough to adjacent upland — not always a huge success.

Les Henry: Twenty-seven years of crops at my Dundurn farm

And a few lessons learned

In the early 1990s, agriculture in Saskatchewan was still suffering from the devastation of the 1980s. Drought and poor crops with low prices were bad news. But, interest rates as high as 20 per cent were the kicker that resulted in much land going back to FCC or the Royal Bank. (Yes, Virginia, interest rates […] Read more

The benefits of irrigation in Alberta

The benefits of irrigation in Alberta

Irrigation plays a significant role in increasing crop and livestock production

Irrigation is often referred to as the “lifeblood” of southern Alberta. Irrigation water was first diverted from the St. Mary River in 1900 and arrived by canal system to Magrath, Raymond and Lethbridge. Now, 122 years later, just over 1.8 million acres are irrigated in Alberta. Irrigated agriculture contributes about $6.5 billion to Alberta’s GDP […] Read more


What is soil fertility?

What is soil fertility?

There are no miracles in crop production, just sound scientific facts

Soil fertility for field crops is a very simple affair but extremely difficult to easily explain. Think logically. There are no miracle fertilizers, only plain and simple chemical nutrients whether from an organic source or from a concentrate of nutrients we call chemical or synthetic fertilizer. There is no such thing as a synthetic fertilizer. […] Read more

Marla Riekman says building a soil’s resilience will help it meet challenges during the growing season and improve overall crop growth.

Strategies to increase your field’s potential

A panel discusses the importance of soil structure, tile drainage benefits and using precision ag and conservation to increase farm profitability

Farming has existed in one shape or form for more than 10,000 years. While farming methods have evolved considerably over that time, one thing that has remained the same is a desire among producers to get the most possible out of their land. Improving every acre was the focus of a panel discussion at Canola […] Read more