I have always ascribed to the theory if you can get your point across with a bit of humor it has much more impact than a hardnosed serious message — unless of course you are selling funeral services, but even then I’m not so sure. So I have to give credit to this Australian company […] Read more
Great commercial precedes Alberta feedlot conference
Heading into 2012
Well my jeans are too tight today, so I think that speaks volumes about how 2011 went, as well as what’s ahead for 2012. It was generally a pretty good year, but there’s always room for improvement and a place for “change” in the coming months. I didn’t make any New Year’s Resolutions because they […] Read more
Sad news about Jay Fox
I was going to write something cute and clever this morning, after the big Christmas break, until I read the news report that Manitoba beef producer Major Jay Fox was being laid to rest today (Wednesday) after dying from injuries suffered in a farm accident last Friday. He was 32. It is one of those […] Read more
Cell phone apps, CWB ruling, and Christmas
Grainews App works A few months ago I was lamenting in this column that the Grainews app you can download to have Grainews news, weather and sports on your cell phone didn’t work on my Blackberry. That complaint didn’t go over so well. But, regardless I am happy to report that the Grainews app does […] Read more
Man, it is one cold-hearted government in Alberta
The story of a Pincher Creek, AB rancher getting fined $354 for helping a neighbor haul cattle to the auction, is another example of wondering whether the world has any common sense left. Assuming Barb Glen in her Western Producer report just didn’t make the whole thing up, (but as often is said, truth is […] Read more
Politics and political correctness – no laughing matter
Politics and political correctness drive me nuts sometimes. I am glad the provincial election is over in Saskatchewan so now everyone can get back to work. Premier Brad Wall and his Conservative government were re-elected Monday. I didn’t have any vested interest in the Saskatchewan election, other than I called a provincial government specialist a […] Read more
Fall Plans Deal With Moisture Overload
Whether you farm in the Alberta Peace River region, southeast Saskatchewan or Manitoba s Red River Valley the challenge heading into 2012 is to manage the soil and crop rotations in the wake of extreme wet and/or dry conditions in 2011. Most farmers contacted for the November Farmer Panel are making some changes in their […] Read more
19 New Corn Varieties For The West
For western Canadian farmers looking to diversify crop rotations corn is coming. Canadian seed companies are introducing 19 new varieties suited for Western Canada in 2012. Of those 19 varieties, seven are considered most suited to feed or silage, another eight varieties are described as dual purpose suitable for both grain and silage, and four […] Read more
Keepers &Culls
After being talked about a few times in these pages over the past couple of years, the Canadian Cattlemen s Association Beef Information Exchange System (BIXS) is launched and you can go to the web at http://bixs.cattle.ca for details. BIXS, which has been in development for about three years, is what might be described as […] Read more
Managing “superbugs” isn’t like swatting flies
Perhaps the most newsworthy item out of a Toronto conference, which has brought together a couple hundred animal health industry people to talk about the issue of bacteria resistant to penicillin and a wide range of other modern drugs is that “they are working on it.” They are not going to wrap this event up […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
