This is Part 4 of a series about combines that occurs on no particular schedule. It seemed this was an appropriate time for something light and breezy. Part 2 (Grainews, September 26, 2017 issue) had a fair bit about Massey combines but this one is all about the red paint. I will take you back […] Read more
Les Henry: Combines I have known, Part 4: Masseys
This column is all about the red paint
Les Henry: Government farm programs
My experience as a two-bit farmer
Farm programs are much in the news these days. “I am from the government and am here to help you.” Have you ever heard that one before? Full disclosure — I am not an ag economist so this is largely opinion backed up with facts based on my experience as a two-bit farmer. A bit […] Read more
Les Henry: Farmland prices and net farm income
Beware the other side of the average
We have had recent inquiries about an update on farmland values. Our previous columns on this topic have included only Saskatchewan data. As I began to search for updated data, I stumbled upon Statistics Canada data for all three Prairie provinces. As well, net income from 1926 to 2019 was available. The raw data is […] Read more
Les Henry: Climate, weather and more actual data: precipitation
It’s nothing but good news
Anyone who does not believe in climate change should find another planet to live on. Our favourite planet, Earth, is four billion years old and the climate has gone through huge changes over that time. Curiosity about the actual climate change in our area and its possible effects on how we grow crops led me […] Read more
Les Henry: The EM38 Field Scout
The EM38 always gives the right answer — what that answer means in terms of soil interpretation is up to the user and experience
This piece is intended primarily for PAgs and CCAs and the farmers they serve. Field scouting of crops and soils has become an important part of the services provided. Grainews carries a regular column highlighting examples of crop-problem scouting by agronomists with Richardson Pioneer. I read the column each issue and often learn something new […] Read more
PHOTOS: Les Henry: Down on the farm
A big part of my Dundurn farm are my neighbours and the things we do for one another. In my case, I’m most often on the receiving end. Last fall, my good neighbour Iver Johnson, who is very handy with a wrench, helped me out with some tasks around the farm. His son Landon, who […] Read more
Les Henry: On salty ground
We’ve come full circle in the soil salinity cycle
This topic was not on the to-do list for this winter. Soil salinity is a very hot topic right now and many farmers are concerned they will have no land to farm if it carries on like this. The last time I remember such concern about soil salinity was during the late 1970s and early […] Read more
Les Henry: Soil productivity, quality and health
Nature and nurture
Soil health is a prominent topic in current scientific and farm management literature. It is good to see attention being paid to the soil resource our industry depends on. In this piece, we will try to unravel some of the principles and the practical application of those principles. From the get-go, we must realize farming […] Read more
Les Henry: Nitrate down the well
Quit porking on so much N
This song has been sung before in this column. With the death of babies as a possible consequence, it bears repeating. Nitrate in the environment In a native grass environment like my grandfather and yours broke up to farm, nitrate was a rare molecule. Native grass evolved by staying brown and doing nothing when it […] Read more
Les Henry: Harvest, not crops with a combine but information online
Hopefully this “old stuff” will prevent folks from rediscovering the moon
This is a bit of a different theme. It is all about harvesting information that could be useful in planning and executing farm operations on the Canadian Prairies. The title, “Harvest,” comes from our very own University of Saskatchewan Library research archive, and the wealth of information that can be obtained with a few mouse […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
