As farm implement dealerships grow and consolidate, farmers are beginning to wonder what’s in it for them. At Canada’s Farm Progress Show here last week, Grainews sat down with Jim Wood, vice-president for agriculture for the largest dealership network of them all: Rocky Mountain Equipment. Publicly-traded RME operates 39 Case IH, Case Construction and New […] Read more
Minogue: Prairies’ biggest iron dealer network still growing
Driving it off the lot
When their new combine was at the end of the assembly line, Leeann Minogue and her husband took a tour of CNH’s Nebraska plant
My husband had known for years that when you buy a new combine, if you show up at the combine plant on the right day, you can drive it off the assembly line yourself. Brad had always wanted to do this, but when he found out our new Case IH combine was scheduled to roll off the line in […] Read moreEditor’s Column: June 3, 2013
My husband whisked me away for a spring getaway last week. A leisurely, romantic drive, then a hotel. I know. Hard to believe. A grain farmer? Away from the farm, overnight? In the middle of spring seeding? Especially this year, with such cold weather and a late start. And Brad only had 230 acres in […] Read more
Editor’s Column – May 6, 2013
So far this spring, with each issue of Grainews I’ve used this space to say something like, “I’m sure the weather will be back in shape before you read this.” But the weather continues to ignore the calendar. This morning I sent my little boy to kindergarten in a snowsuit — at the end of […] Read more
Seven cool items for your scouting kit
At CanoLAB 3D, Jack Braun demonstrated some items that farmers will find handy in the field this summer
The Canola Council of Canada held one of its annual CanoLAB 3D workshops in Brandon, Man. on February 28. These workshops give farmers a chance to take a hands-on look at bugs, new seeding equipment, and canola diseases and deficiencies. There were several speakers on hand. One was Jack Braun, an instructor at the Assiniboine […] Read moreEditor’s Column
Here are four things I dread about April. 1. Becoming a single mom All farms are different. But generally, on grain farms, April marks the time of year when farmers boot things into high gear. Many farmers that had flexible schedules and reasonable work days all winter are suddenly putting in long hours and organizing their […] Read more
Do better with your banker
Just because interest rates are low doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t negotiate for the lowest rates. Try these tips
Keep in mind, banks are not in the business of charity,” Stephen Foerster told a room filled with about 35 farmers. Foerster is a professor of finance at Richard Ivey School of Business, and this is Grower University. The people in the room were leading farmers from across Canada. They travelled to London, Ontario to take part […] Read moreEditor’s column
The #$@% thing took a #$%& run at me!” My husband was okay, just a little shaken up. All that barking Our dog had been barking at night — all night — for about two weeks. Loudly. On and on. Just outside our bedroom window. We’d get up, go to the window, look outside. Nothing […] Read more
The lump buster
This new farm invention from Rainy Day Fabricating could take some of the frustration out of seeding
This winter was Keith Putnam’s first year on the farm show circuit, and he seemed to be having a good time at the Brandon Ag Show, talking about his new “Lump Buster.” The Lump Buster is a machine that fits into a special-made hopper under your bin — just the right spot to break up […] Read moreEditor’s column
When they remember that our little boy is old enough to head off to kindergarten, our city friends’ first questions are usually: “Will he have to go on the bus?” “How long will have to be on the bus?” and, “Are you okay with him going on the bus?” When I tell them that that […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
