For the beef handlers at Walter Farms in central Alberta it was actually a good sign — a neighbour called one day to alert them to the fact the cows were in a field of canola or corn or some type of good-looking cash crop. While the neighbour’s concern was appreciated, the cowmen weren’t worried. […] Read more
Forage blend really produced the feed
A pasture seed mix with 10 to 12 different forages shone in a somewhat mediocre growing season
Is there still a farm wife out there?
Lee Hart treads into dangerous territory, daring to take on the issue of the term “farm wife”
Since religion and politics are always safe subjects, I thought I would really kick over the can of worms and talk about gender equality on the farm. I am not even sure where this topic is going, I just know the term “farm wife” raised a few hackles at a recent Canadian Farm Writers Federation […] Read more
The Canola 100 challenge is achievable
If Manitoba canola grower Ed Rempel was 10 years younger and had more than one field, he’d be all over the Canola 100 challenge. Even as it stands, he may still throw his air seeder into the ring and join what is expected to be a few hundred Canadian farmers involved in a three-year competition […] Read more
Holy canola! A 74-bushel average yield
The Canadian canola yield average is still somewhere around 35 bushels per acre, but a lot of farmers are consistently seeing yields of 50, 60, and even into the mid-70s
With one southern Alberta farmer this year hitting a 74-bushel yield average on 320 acres of InVigor canola, the seemingly lofty challenge of hitting a 100-bushel yield in Western Canada sometime over the next three years may indeed be possible. The farmer we’ll refer to as Norman Napus — he asked not to be identified […] Read more
Bayer seed plant was born ready
After a delayed official opening, InVigor seed plant preparing seed for 2016 season
Marcus Weidler hopes there aren’t any more late spring panic situations forcing a scramble to produce treated canola seed to replant two million frosted acres, but he says Bayer CropScience’s newly expanded canola seed processing plant will be better prepared if there is. The southern Alberta plant near Lethbridge with a recently completed $15.6 million expansion was put to […] Read more
Building a 137 bushel CPS crop
It’s the whole agronomic program that will allow farmers to push yields to new limits
Achieving a 137 bushel per acre yield on CPS wheat in a relatively dry year is certainly noteworthy, but Fred Wood, an Alberta consulting agronomist says the real story is about the benefits of having a complete agronomy program. Varieties are important to some extent, says Wood who owns Meridian Ag Consulting, but the real […] Read more
Ontario regional OYF finalists: Mike and Amy Cronin
Cronin Farms has grown a diversified hog operation with facilities in two countries
Ontario farmers Amy and Mike Cronin have relied on their management skills, sound core-business values and a team of trusted employees to help them build a successful international hog operation that has not only survived, but grown over the past 20 years amid often volatile market conditions. Although they established Cronin Farms in 1998, during […] Read more
Quebec regional OYF finalists: Christian Bilodeau and Annie Sirois
This Quebec family runs a dairy herd, 360 acres, and an occasional maple syrup business
New facilities for their top performing Ayrshire dairy herd are on the agenda as Christian Bilodeau and Annie Sirois look at the future improvements to their southern Quebec farm. Working with older facilities now, with the milking herd, calves and dry cows housed in separate barns, the Quebec couple, who farm at St-Odilon-de-Cranbourne, south of […] Read more
Atlantic OYF finalists David and Sara Simmons
This Newfoundland couple enlist technology to improve dairy farm efficiency
While there are some logistical issues involved being one of the further-most eastern dairy farms in Canada, David and Sara Simmons hasn’t let that stop them from developing a progressive and productive farming operation, and becoming a producer of high quality breeding stock. As the owners of Pure Holsteins dairy farm at Little Rapid, Newfoundland Labrador […] Read more
Edmonton hosting bright and talented young farmers
Six farm couples from across Canada are competing for national honours on Nov. 17 – 22
The Marriott Hotel on Edmonton’s west side will serve as headquarters for the 35th annual gathering of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF). Six farm couples from across Canada who won the regional honours in their respective provinces, will meet in Edmonton November 17 to 22 to compete for the East and West national OYF titles. […] Read more
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