As a new growing season begins, I am always impressed with the progress farmers have made in pushing the limits on crop production — striving to be more efficient, using improved agronomic practices and technology to increase yields and hopefully outsmart Mother Nature. I worked on a story earlier this year that described some global […] Read more
What a difference 100 years can make
Hart Attacks: The crop yields achieved by today’s famers would be a shock for our forefathers
Despite the headlines, ag does a good job
Hart Attacks: It’s a challenge to produce crops and livestock and manage consumer perception as well
The good name of agriculture has taken a few hits this spring. They don’t necessarily link to Canadian farms, but I’m sure even a global event making headlines has some impact with consumers wondering about what goes on with their food and the environment. First, JBS meat packers in Brazil — the worlds largest meat […] Read more
Farmers facing mixed bag of conditions
Farmer Panel: Most farmers are on track for seeding, but many are dealing with last year’s crop
On schedule with one-third of the crop seeded, still about a week away, and scrambling to get some of last year’s crop harvested while working to get the 2017 crop in the ground — these are the range of reports from western Canadian farmers as of early May as they look at the cropping season […] Read more
On the upside, no plucking necessary
Hart Attacks: Get ready for designer chicken, and cultured steaks. Meat technology has arrived
I knew when Case IH rolled out that robotic tractor that didn’t need a driver, it was only a matter of time before technology produced meat without an animal. And here we have it — Memphis Meats, a food science company with headquarters in Transylvania has just launched “the world’s first Clean Poultry”… that’s chicken […] Read more
Prince Philip “gone fishing”
Wouldn’t you know it. The guys stumbles into this cushy job and immediately after 67 years decides to coast. The UK and a good part of the world was rocked this morning by news that Prince Philip, at age 96, is talking retirement. At least he had the courtesy to give everyone five month’s notice. […] Read more
Spring is the new fall: harvest time crunch
Many areas are still dealing with unharvested crops; wet weather is delaying seeding as well
As of April 6 Jason Craig had combined about half the wheat that had been left out under snow all winter on his central Alberta farm. He only had about 120 acres in total of both wheat and canola left out, but it is still a considerable investment. Combining the swathed wheat that was on […] Read more
How’s your moly doing out there?
Molybdenum was once known as ‘poor man’s lime’ for a good reason
Under the category “if it ain’t one thing it’s another” when it comes to crop nutrient requirements, the question is now being asked, “have you thought about the molybdenum levels in your canola and pulse crops?” Cereals need it too, but canola, peas, beans, lentils, faba beans, soybeans and others all have higher molybdenum requirements. Molybdenum, also often […] Read more
Canada was a great country until the Great Cheese War of 2017
Never mind threats from Russia or North Korea, Canadians should be prepared for bombings from the U.S. any day now as tensions heat up over this cheese business. I don’t know how Canadian dairy producers can sleep at night knowing they are ripping off their poor U.S. dairy producer cousins to the south…well not all […] Read more
The wacky world of decision-making
Hart Attacks: When there is too much information, there must be an app for that
Here’s one “flypaper” email list you want to avoid — the Conservative Party of Canada. I made the mistake back in Stephen Harper’s days as prime minister — it might have even been during his first term — but I sent a donation to the Conservative Party. The pitch was if I sent even a […] Read more
So much more than just a rain gauge
Farmers Edge weather info service connects the dots of precision farming data
If you thought GPS and auto steer was a step forward in farming, check out the precision farming package Farmers Edge is launching this spring in Western Canada based around its on-farm, “field-centric,” precision weather data system. The weather station is just part of an overall integrated data collection package called Smart Solution. Weather information […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
