Brian Weedon, who has been ranching near Swift Current, Sask. for nearly 40 years, credits the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) with helping him learn the ropes. “By rubbing shoulders with some of the best ranching families and individuals in the province, to me it was like going to university and not having to pay […] Read more
SSGA has helped ranchers, and industry
Olde Tyme Harvest demo
A fundraiser, a harvest for people in need, and a chance to share their agricultural heritage with young people in the community
Organizers of Olde Tyme Harvest for Hunger hope to raise money for a good cause, put the spotlight on agriculture, and set a world record for antique farm equipment, all at the same time. Last fall Terry Aberhart seeded 120 winter wheat acres, which will be donated to the Canadian Food Grains Bank. On August […] Read moreGuenther: For problem fields, diagnosis in the details
Providing agronomists with detailed information on a problem field can help field visits go well — but farmers also need to know agronomists might not have a solution right away. “Your job is to collect the information to help with the diagnostics. A lot of times you’ll want to guess at what it is, but […] Read more
Sask. warns on grass fire risk
Saskatchewan has jumped straight from flooding into fire season this spring. The fire department at Meadow Lake, in the province’s northwest, stamped out a small grass fire on Monday that started in the ditch of a side road between two fields. “It was kind of causing some smoke conditions on the highway. That was the […] Read more
Guenther: Decisions to be made on spring weed control
As Prairie farmers gear up for seeding, yield-robbing weeds will be on their minds. Here are six tips for effective weed control. Residuals “It’s really important to think about what crops are safe to plant this spring,” said Kristen Phillips, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, during a webinar Monday. Some residuals can […] Read more
Guenther: Evaluate cattle, protect pasture this spring
Winter was reluctant to relinquish its death grip on Saskatchewan this year, leaving ranchers with dwindling feed supplies and delayed pasture growth. “We heard a lot from producers right before the snow was melting there. People were getting a little concerned because they were running short on feed, quality was low. They were looking for […] Read more
Guenther: Cutworms turn up in S. Alta. winter wheat
Farmers in southern Alberta are reporting cutworms in winter wheat and fields that had green growth late into last fall, according to the Alberta agriculture department’s entomologist. Scott Meers says the pests look like army cutworms, but he’s working on confirming that. Producers are finding cutworms in the Vauxhall, Taber and Lethbridge areas, while Coaldale […] Read more
Guenther: Prairies get ready for runoff
As cool weather delays spring runoff and flood risk rises in parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, now is the time to prepare for flooding. Manitoba officials on Thursday released an updated flood forecast that predicts the Red River could be up to a foot higher than in 2009 if the snow melts quickly. Snow in […] Read more
Rotary hoes
Farmers looking to reduce herbicide costs, control weeds in organic systems, or control herbicide-resistant broadleaves may find a new solution in an old technology
Rotary hoes aren’t seen much in Western Canada these days. The implement was once commonly used by soybean and corn farmers in the midwestern United States to control weeds and break up crusted soil. For the last seven or eight years, researchers with the University of Saskatchewan and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have been using […] Read moreSoil moisture and yield
For dryland farmers, water is the most important nutrient. Find out how to measure yours more accurately
On average, it takes about 50,000 pounds of water to grow one bushel of wheat, says Elston Solberg, president of Agri-Trend Agrology. One bushel of canola will suck up about 70,000 to 75,000 pounds of water. “So when it comes to dryland agriculture, and trying to balance fertility recommendations, (water) is actually, in dryland agriculture, […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
