A labour-saving innovation developed by a Manitoba hog operation has been recognized with an award presented by a national pork industry conference, and endorsed by an international animal welfare expert. The HyLife weaning ramp developed at the HyLife sow farms in La Broquerie, Man. was honoured earlier this year at the Banff Pork Seminar, and […] Read more
A better way to handle piglets
This weaning ramp is easy on farm workers as well as on animals as they are processed
Tips to achieve a uniform canola crop
Slow down and pay attention to details to get the most out of crop inputs
There are all kinds of factors that will affect the success of any seeded crop. Some factors can be controlled, others can’t. Getting proper stand establishment certainly tops the list of key production practices for all crops, especially for optimizing canola yields, says an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). Having the proper […] Read more
In search of a uniform crop stand
Seeding research and technology are working to help farmers increase yields with potential to reduce input costs
If uniformity of stand establishment is a key element to optimizing crop yield, is one seeding system better than another? Should you run out and buy something new? According to Jason Casselman, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, farmers can make gains in the uniformity of their canola stands just by paying […] Read more
Build your own bioreactor
Regenerative Ag: A farmer puts his homegrown biological fertilizer to work in his fields to improve soil health and crop quality and save on input costs
Former Saskatchewan farmer Franck Groeneweg will be heading out to his Montana grain fields this spring to apply a biological fertilizer made on his farm. Over the past three growing seasons, it appears this liquid compost extract helps to maintain crop yields while making it possible for him to significantly reduce chemical fertilizer rates. It […] Read more
Outstanding Young Farmers Awards go to Saskatchewan and Quebec
Organic farming receives national recognition
Cody Straza and Allison Squires say developing an organic mixed farming operation in southern Saskatchewan over the past dozen years was a reflection of their values in terms of creating a sustainable farm operation guided by proper environmental stewardship and social justice principles. Winning a national award recognizing excellence in farm management gave them reassurance […] Read more
Get a head start on the season with ultra-early seeding
Seeding cereals in late winter contradicts the belief you can’t seed until the soil warms up, but research shows the crops don’t seem to mind
Getting some of the crop seeded toward the tail end of a western Canadian winter may seem like a whimsical idea, but field research has shown on those slightly warmer days when the snow is gone, ultra-early seeding of a cereal crop becomes a viable option. The concept of ultra-early seeding does come with a […] Read more
ESN fertilizer: it’s all about the blend
Recommendations will vary with soil conditions but a 50 per cent blend with urea is described as the “sweet spot”
Saskatchewan agronomist Shannon Winny says many of her customers find a combination of ESN and urea provides a valuable return on investment in most years and under variable growing conditions. ESN or Environmentally Smart Nitrogen is a controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer product first introduced by Agrium (now Nutrien) about 20 years ago. ESN is 44 per […] Read more
Camelina poised for a comeback
Demand from the renewable fuel industry is one of many reasons to grow camelina this year and in the future
As western Canadian farmers consider cropping plans for 2023, they may want to give some thought to growing camelina. It is a crop name from the past that is making a comeback and by all accounts there is strong market demand. Camelina was somewhat of a flash in the pan 15 or more years ago, […] Read more
Pork producers heading to Banff
2023 seminar will be in-person with a twist
Pork producers from across the country will be heading to Banff in early January for the live, in-person 51st edition of the Banff Pork Seminar (BPS). There is still time to register for the event, which runs Jan. 10-12, 2023 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Following modified versions of the conference in recent years […] Read more
How does your farm stack up?
Canfax research project provides the industry with benchmark figures
Larger beef operations running smaller-framed mature cows tend to be the most profitable combination, according to cost of production (COP) information collected by Canfax Research Services. That’s not an absolute statement. COP information from producers across the country over the past couple of years shows that some smaller operators with various-sized animals can be profitable […] Read more
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