Leo Hofer, who along with his wife Lorraine ranch near Meadow Lake, Sask., says while there is lots of talk about supporting smaller family farms and keeping people on the land, there is little political and economic will in the country to keep smaller farms operating. Hofer, who has born and raised at Goodsoil, Sask., […] Read more
Few Are Serious About Supporting The Small Family Farm
Savvy Farmer simplifies all pesticide selection
A lot of companies and associations have “great websites and great web tools” to keep people informed and make life easier. And sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. But, one recent website/software I was pointed towards, which I think is just a great idea is called Savvy Farmer. It costs $199 per year to […] Read more
A New Approach To NPK
The fertilizer is in the ground, but Ken Dechant still has a wait-and-see attitude on whether a relatively new concept in banding anhydrous ammonia and other nutrients will produce all the benefits manufacturers of the system claim. Dechant switched his whole farm near Manning in Alberta’s Peace River region to the Exactrix and TAPPS fertilizer […] Read more
Scientists Weigh In On TAPPS Concept
There is nothing wrong with the three fertilizer components used to make TAPPS, but three western Canadian soil scientists say they would like to see some independent research to support claims that TAPPS is better than conventional applications of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur. Cynthia Grant with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Brandon, Man., Don Flaten […] Read more
Two Seeding Season Strategies
Two relatively large Saskatchewan farmers reflect different approaches to getting the 2011 crop seeded under potentially wet field conditions this spring. Brad Hanmer who runs an extensive cropping operation with family members at Govan, and Gerrid Gust, who is part of a family farming operation at Davidson — both farms are about an hour north […] Read more
The World Is Watching
Editors Note: The first part of this story begins with a column/ blog called “The world is watching” which I wrote in mid-March (it follows below). It made the point that different people and agencies are watching the livestock industry. That column prompted a response from Manitoba farmer Bernie Brandt who talks about his own […] Read more
A final word on wetland management — Gumboots
With snow persisting across much of southern prairies this week, probably the last thing farmers want to read about is wetland management. If ducks can’t find a prairie pothole to nest beside this year, they shouldn’t be out there reproducing anyway. I suspect for many, the challenge will be to find a dry spot to […] Read more
A Look At RTK-Guided Inter-Row Seeding
Like other farmers and researchers, Brett Stimson of Coaldale, Alta., hasn’t made up his mind yet about whether inter-row crop seeding makes a difference. Stimson, who farms north and east of Lethbridge, has been experimenting with inter-row seeding for the past three years. Being involved with the Rocky Mountain Case IH dealerships across Western Canada, […] Read more
2010 Weather Affecting 2011 Decisions
Last year’s weather is still one of the big factors as prairie farmers make decisions about 2011 cropping plans. With many areas of Western Canada heading into winter with plenty of — and in some cases too much — moisture, farmers contacted for this Farmer Panel are switching acres to crops that appear to have […] Read more
Low Copper Tied To Ergot
The 2010 cool, wet growing season was a contributing factor to a dramatic increase in ergot in wheat and barley last year, but the real cause is likely due to a nutrient deficiency, says an Alberta-based plant pathologist. If plants are low in copper, pollen can be sterile, says Ieuan Evans, plant pathologist and senior […] Read more