Setting up a short-line railway takes a good deal of patience and determination, but Saskatchewan farmers are finding it’s a worthwhile endeavour. “I think at the end of the day this is definitely going to be well worth it to our farmers,” said Wayne Bacon, farmer and president of Northern Lights Rail. Northern Lights Rail […] Read more
Torch River facility up and running
Starting short-line railways and local grain handling facilities is hard work, with a good pay-off
Acquiring a short-line
When a federal railway company decides to abandon a line, it needs to follow procedures outlined in the Canada Transportation Act. The railway needs to notify the federal government, along with any affected parties, of its plan. It needs to give 12 months’ notice of its plan. It then has to advertise the line, giving […] Read more
French durum player on fact-finding tour of Canada
Saskatchewan durum growers may have an unexpected visitor this summer. Since early May, Quentin Renault has been visiting farmers in Saskatchewan’s durum basket as part of a two-year study into Canadian durum. Renault is a development officer with Durum SAS, a French company that markets French durum. Durum SAS also buys Canadian durum as needed […] Read more
Guenther: Manage risks around weather-stressed pastures, forages
Mother Nature has dealt a weak hand to many northwestern Saskatchewan livestock producers this year as frost, a cool spring and dry weather have hit pastures and hay stands. But there are still a few strategies for producers to make the best — and avoid the worst — of what the weather has left them. […] Read more
NW Sask. sees patchy canola, better cereals
Spring has been tough on many canola crops in northwestern Saskatchewan. “Canola — it’s kind of hit and miss. They’re just all over the place,” said Stephanie McMillan, an agronomist with AgriTeam Services at Glaslyn, Sask., about 90 km south of Meadow Lake. One field might have some plants at the two- to four-leaf stage, […] Read more
Dry spring puts Sask. grass, hay in short supply
A dry, cool spring has checked pasture growth in Saskatchewan and a hay shortage is looming. The province’s latest crop report notes topsoil moisture in hay fields and pasture is rated 42 per cent short and 24 per cent very short. Crop district 7A, in west-central Saskatchewan, has the dubious distinction of being the driest […] Read more
Guenther: Rain drops in on NW Sask.
Farmers and ranchers in northwestern Saskatchewan received much-needed rain late last week and over the weekend. Tom Brown raises cattle and is a crop reporter for Saskatchewan Agriculture and the reeve for the Rural Municipality of Mervin. His farm at Turtleford, about 80 km east of Lloydminster, received 11 mm of rain on Thursday night, […] Read more
Soil bacteria may offer weapon against late blight in potatoes
Potato producers may soon have a new ally in their battle against late blight, and it’s right under their feet. Researchers have discovered bacterial strains in the soil that show promise as disease controls. Some bacteria suppress or inhibit late blight by over 90 per cent, according to an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) release. […] Read more
Herbicide-resistant weeds changing farm practices
Resistant weeds are driving U.S. farmers to actions like manual weeding
Arkansas has been ground zero for herbicide-resistant weeds. For instance, the state is second only to Australia in the amount of herbicide-resistant ryegrass in wheat. “We’re actually running out of herbicides, making it difficult for us to even grow wheat in Arkansas, because of the levels of resistance that we have,” said Dr. Bob Scott. […] Read more
Guenther: Buffalo bean more than floral for cancer researchers
Buffalo beans adorn the pastures, field edges and even kitchen tables of many Prairie farms and ranches — but the pretty plant is now also being picked for its potential properties as a cancer fighter. Experiments show compounds extracted from buffalo bean leaves have potential to fight a class of cancers that includes multiple myeloma, […] Read more
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