For anyone a bit reluctant to deal with large (about to get larger) multinational corporations for crop protection products, I am today launching Lee’s Hand Rouging Services — backed by years of experience, I will keep your fields weed free, without chemicals and you just have to deal with me. Of course at the rate […] Read more
Rocket man seeks rouging work
In the world of ag business, the dollar figures keep getting bigger and bigger
Canadian Wheat Board is missed
Changes to Canadian grading and specification systems causing concerns
Oh, boy… the Canadian Wheat Board may be coming back! Not likely, I am just being an alarmist, but it was interesting to read in our sister pub — the Western Seducer — where some bread manufacturers are mourning the loss of some features the CWB offered. I haven’t heard too many complaints about the […] Read more
CPP needs your grain
It's good news: Viterra returns to the Canadian fold
Well I am really hoping Canadian farmers get serious about being efficient and profitable and market all those No. 1 crops through the greatest grain handling company in Canada — Viterra. Hey farmers, no more dinking around with lacklustre yields and all that needless shopping around to the “other” grain buyers. Now that my Canada […] Read more
Earl’s figures the U.S. has better beef
Geez, Earl…this is Canada! There are about 12 million head of cattle in Canada including about nine million head just in Western Canada — they may not be all slaughter ready, but there are plenty — and you’re telling me your buyers have to go to Nebraska to find cattle? And what is this line that your […] Read more
Farmers just waiting on weather
The farmers surveyed for this Farmer Panel are ready to hit the field for spring seeding
Farmers in Manitoba were waiting for the snow to stop, a producer in central Saskatchewan was probably a month away from getting to fieldwork and in southern Alberta a producer was planning to start seeding durum in a few days (and some of his colleagues already had seed in the ground). That’s just how variable […] Read more
Bull sales reflect beef industry confidence
I don’t know if they are runaway prices, but a couple of people I have talked to were certainly pleased with breeding bull prices this year. The beef industry always has its ups and downs, but it would appear cow-calf producers are feeling pretty good about the outlook over the next couple of years at […] Read more
Ketchup is not just a condiment
Lee Hart’s saucy commentary on Canada’s recent ketchup brand wars
I do want to tell you about the immeasurable grief and misery our tiny band of adventurers endured last month in setting up the upper camp before our final assault on Everest, but to more important things first — what are your thoughts on the recent ketchup war in Canada? Are you in the French’s or […] Read more
New class coming for 29 wheats
More than two dozen older Hard Red Spring wheat varieties are being reclassified
Western Canadian farmers won’t have to make any major new decisions on wheat varieties this year, but come the spring of 2018 they will have to pay attention to whether some of their tried and true varieties have been moved to a different class. Creating a new classification for some long standing wheat varieties that […] Read more
Varieties designated for 2018 wheat class
It might take a bit of thought to keep all the old and new classes straight, but here are the wheat varieties scheduled to be moved into a new Canada Northern Hard Red (CNHR) class effective August 1, 2018. There are 29 long-standing Canadian wheat varieties on the list and of those, 25 were originally registered […] Read more
Wheat class changes for 2016
While it is the hard red spring (CWRS) varieties that capture most of the attention as the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) introduces some new wheat classifications effective in 2018, there are some changes taking place for the 2016 growing season. Starting this year, effective August 1, 2016, the CGC is changing the name (and moving […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
