The strange weather this year, has made for some interesting crop tours and events. In “dry old southern Alberta” I went to a seeding demonstration in June and the big question was, which tool works best in mud? In July I went to a “crop walk” day at Lethbridge and it was so wet the […] Read more
Strange weather, strange field days
Cosy Up To Your Ag Lender
If you think your local banker is a fair-weather friend you’re probably right, says a senior lender with Alberta Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). Banks and other lenders are interested in lending money when times are good, and not interested when times are poor, says Denis Cote, senior lending manager with AFSC, an Alberta Crown corporation […] Read more
Marketing Approaches For 2010-11
Prairie farmers contacted for the November Farmer Panel appear to be following a couple different marketing strategies for the 2010- 11 crop year. One approach is to sell early and then participate in the market in other ways, while others are choosing to delay decisions about the 2010 crop to see if prices improve. Crop […] Read more
New Life For My Horse-Racing Dreams
With hopes of my career as a jockey fading, I think I may have found a new opportunity to satisfy my lifelong passion to race horses. Not only have I crossed the age threshold (and am in fact now setting a good stride across the chronological yard), but physical size has been a lifelong issue, […] Read more
Is There A Better Ear Tag?
The search for the perfect, all season, all weather, ever-staying, easy to apply, easy to read, easy to retire electronic ear tag is an ongoing process, says a long-time technical specialist in the livestock ear tag industry. It is not easy to include all those features in a small plastic button and also have it […] Read more
Getting A Leg Up On Good Herd Management
A good part of William Klok’s day is spent grinding off dead hoof material and applying treatments to a range of foot sores all in a bid to help dairy cows walk with more comfort. It may not appear like a big deal since most cows he works on are still milking, but that 15 […] Read more
The Economics Of Lameness
At least 25 per cent of cattle per year in a modern dairy herd will be affected by some type of lameness over its lifetime, says a U.S. specialist in hoof care. That lameness can cost producers thousands of dollars per year in lost production, says Karl Burgi, founder and program director of the Dairyland […] Read more
Life lessons of the Bryce Repair Job
Man, it sure is quiet and lonely here now without Bryce and Joan. Wonder what I will do today. Oh, wait, it isn’t quite 8 a.m. and I don’t even think they have left town yet. Anyway, this may be the final chapter in the Bryce Repair Job blog. The Bostocks are heading home to […] Read more
The case of the ice cream miracle
I have always known that eating works wonders for me, but this may be a case where ice cream is indeed a miracle food. Just this week I witnessed a young man, who has been in hospital for nearly two months recovering from a serious head injury, eat a $9 ice cream cone (who knew […] Read more
Earliest Soybean Harvest In 60 Years
We had a call in late September from Ed Molzan who farms at Alvinston in southwest Ontario. Alvinston is west of London and south of Sarnia. As a longtime reader ofGrainews (for 25 years) and as a soybean grower (for 60 years), Ed called to let us know he had the earliest soybean crop ever […] Read more