An unexpected death, divorce, separation or long-term disability can cause huge issues for the farm business when that person is a key member of the operational or management team. Panel members at the Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference (MFWC) in Brandon in November gave advice for farm women who could find themselves in this position. Probably the first […] Read more
Be prepared: consider the future now
Are you prepared to carry on with the farm in the event of a spouse’s death or disability?
How to prepare for the worst
Financial Planning: After the death of a loved on, farm life will go on whether you want it to or not
No one is ever truly prepared for the unexpected, but until it happens we often don’t realise how unprepared we really are. That was certainly true for Angela Fox and her four children, who tragically lost their husband, father and farming partner, Jay in a farm accident on December 23, 2011. Speaking at the 2017 […] Read more
How to tile a bin yard for drainage
Tiling a bin yard is not the same as adding drainage tiles to a field. Find out why
When a Saskatchewan farmer turned to Twitter for advice on draining his bin yard, Grainews wanted to know what that would take. As I soon found out, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but the results can be well worth the effort. As with most things, consulting a professional is probably the best first […] Read more
Getting rid of that treated seed
Treated seed can harm livestock, or contaminate an export load. Dispose with care
The issue of disposal of treated seed hit the headlines recently when a Saskatchewan farmer discovered two cows and a bull dead in his fields after consuming treated canola seed which had been dumped illegally on his land. Seed treated with fungicides or insecticides should never be allowed to enter the feed or food chain. […] Read more
Plan ahead to grow silage corn
Planting, chopping and weed control require planning, but can help you turn a profit
Growing silage corn needs some advanced planning and can involve a change of mindset for producers who are used to doing everything themselves. “Corn is different from most silage products that can be made in Western Canada,” says Ray Bittner, livestock specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “Corn needs to be chopped or combined, but haybines knock […] Read more
Canada’s OYF: Nominees from Manitoba
Brent and Kirsty Oswald are always looking for dairy efficiencies
Dairy farmers, Brent and Kirsty Oswald have been chosen as Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2017. Brent, 35 and Kirsty, 31 operate Cottonwood Holsteins Ltd., a third-generation mixed grain and dairy farm near Steinbach. The Oswalds milk 140 cows and seed just under 2,500 acres of grain land. Their focus has always been on getting better […] Read more
Cargill expands its ProPricing program
This pricing program is now available to western Canadian canola and soybean growers
Cargill is expanding its ProPricing grain marketing program to canola and soybeans growers in Western Canada for the 2017-18 season. Cargill has been offering ProPricing in Western Canada only for hard spring red wheat over the past four years, but felt it was a logical time to expand into other western Canadian grown commodities. “Basically, […] Read more
Group seeking soybean processor
This group is getting Manitoba ready to attract a soybean processing plant to the province
It’s been an active year for a leadership group in Manitoba that is trying to attract a soybean processing facility. Westman Opportunities Leadership Group (WOLG) is a strategic leadership and advisory group comprised of Manitoba farm, business and civic leaders. The group is not working to build a soybean processing facility, but is trying to […] Read more
Putting “smart” beans to work in the bin
New technology has game-changing potential for grain storage monitoring
A new technology coming out of Cambridge, England could provide an easy, flexible and cost-effective way for farmers to monitor stored grain, livestock barns, greenhouses or chemical storage sheds. The BeanIoT system deploys thumb-sized “smart” sensors to monitor whatever the user requires. In a grain storage shed or bin that might be temperature, humidity, or […] Read more
Farm it like you’re ‘just’ renting it?
Do farmers look after rented farmland differently than land they own? Should they?
We’ve all heard the term “drive it like a rental” but could that also apply to farmland? Is a farmer more likely to use conservation practices like no-till or variable rate technology, or apply more fertilizer and/or manure to improve the fertility on land he or she owns than on rented land? In April 2013, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
