A tomato harvest from planter boxes in Winnipeg.

Tomatoes and onions in gardens everywhere

Part 7 of a series: On all farms, tomatoes should go into ground not previously used for tomatoes

Tomatoes Tomatoes originated in South America from wild plants with grape-sized fruit. They were developed by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. They were first brought to Europe in the 1540s, to Italy in particular by the 1550s. North Americans were slow to pick up on tomatoes, regarding them as poisonous until almost the year […] Read more

With Enriched Ag’s RealTime + Vision + Insights package, users get a customized tablet that allows them to access data and make management decisions on the go.

AI assistance for ranchers

A high-tech tool aims to help users make better management decisions around grazing practices

Nowadays, it takes more than just horsepower to drive some of the best ag tools. Artificial intelligence is becoming a leading force in driving innovation that not only helps boost efficiency and productivity for producers but also can make their farms more sustainable. A high-tech startup called Enriched Ag maintains there are fewer AI-powered tools […] Read more


A study shows that in terms of response to moisture-related stress, the crop type is more important than the specific variety.

Curb risk from moisture stress for less

A Manitoba agronomist offers up some tips for farmers on a budget

With swings between wet and dry extremes in recent years, Prairie farmers have seen more water stress problems in their fields. Not only do they make crops less productive, but they can also crank up the stress levels for farmers. “Historically, our two main risks in crop production long term have been excess moisture and […] Read more

Kit Pharo says ranchers can increase their production per acre and their profitability.

A key to cattle business survival

Produce more pounds of beef per acre versus more pounds per cow, this U.S. rancher says

North America producers are receiving higher prices for cattle than ever before — “yet very few are really profitable,” Kit Pharo says. Most cow-calf producers “are too dependent on outside inputs, which are also at record-high costs,” says Pharo, who operates Pharo Cattle Company in Colorado and was the keynote speaker at the recent Holistic […] Read more


Boyd Anderson gives a grandchild a ride on a favourite horse. He said each horse had its own personality and he could figure it out so the animals would be great transportation for ranch country. He did encounter one that refused to behave; it got sold to be used as a bucking horse in rodeos.

Boyd Anderson’s life was a history of Prairie farming

Grainews columnists I have known, part 2 of a series

Let me first repeat the introduction to these columns. Grainews was first published by United Grain Growers, which was owned by farmers. The first editor, John Clark, recruited several farmers/ranchers to write regular columns that told it as it was “down on the farm.” Farmers writing for farmers was the idea. Boyd Anderson was a […] Read more

This field trial at Clayton Harder Farms near Winnipeg, Man., illustrates the impact of starter P on a canola crop. The right side had phosphorus and sulfur fertilizer applied in the seed row at planting and the left side did not.

How to make P management more sustainable

Phosphorus deficits are a problem on many Prairie farms. A Manitoba crop nutrition expert explains why — and has suggestions for what can help

Phosphorus has always been an essential nutrient in crop production. Maintaining the right P balance — ensuring there’s enough of it to sufficiently feed crops, but not too much of it so it runs off fields or seeps away to contaminate water bodies — is an ongoing challenge for Prairie farmers. Manitoba crop nutrition expert […] Read more


A view of the grassland at Calgary’s Nose Hill Park. Preliminary results of recent research suggest Alberta’s grasslands have fared better than other such regions in weathering the effect of drought.

Research looks into drought’s lingering effects on grasslands

A global project will provide valuable insights as droughts increase, an Alberta scientist says

Glacier FarmMedia — A global study is examining the surprising ways short-term droughts can affect grasslands. “It’s not surprising that less water is going to lead to less plant growth. We’re all very familiar with that,” said Cameron Carlyle, associate professor of rangeland ecology in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences at the […] Read more

Crucifer flea beetles, shown here on cabbage, are considered by growers to be among the greatest economic risks to canola crops.

Canola’s least wanted

Experts discuss pests and pathogens canola growers will want to watch for in 2024

Flea beetles pose one of the greatest risks to yields for canola growers in Western Canada. A 2022 survey conducted on behalf of the Canola Council of Canada bore that out. Some 91 per cent of growers who participated in the survey identified flea beetles as the greatest economic risk to their crops. That’s likely […] Read more


A peat slough by Highway 26 north of Pine Cove.

For peat’s sake: a picture story

Crops can be grown on shallow peat -- but there are very wrong ways to develop that land

Let us start with a mystery. Inga was raised on a farm near Loon Lake, Sask., west of Meadow Lake in the province’s northwest, so we have visited there many times in summer months. While driving Highway 26 north of Pine Cove nearby, I noticed what looked like peat sloughs. The trusty soil probe proved […] Read more

An artist's rendition of a Landsat satellite in Earth orbit.

Checking crops from orbit may be underused option

The available satellite imagery of our crops may be an underused tool for field analysis

Glacier FarmMedia — Last fall on her farm near Holland, Man., Anastasia Kubinec was struggling with a decision about a canola field. In one part of the of the field, it seemed like the crop was ready to combine. But other areas were possibly too wet and too green. One option was going in with […] Read more