In the not-too-distant past, it used to be that farmers gave their straw away for free. That is no longer the case. John Heard, of Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), has been doing soil fertility extension work in Manitoba for about 16 years. These days, Heard said, “There’s an appreciation that there are soil nutrients in straw — about a third of […] Read more
Baling and fertility
Growing hay for heat
Using crops like switchgrass, or over-mature hay for energy can add profit to agriculture’s bottom line
Jonathan McClelland manages West Nova Agro Commodities (WNAC), a community-owned grain elevator. For the past four years, WNAC has been working on the concept of using over-mature hay for fuel. “We’re using a model of going directly from producers to the end-consumers,” explained McClelland, adding, “The production, processing and use of hay-based fuel is intended to be mainly within […] Read moreUsing older machinery to turn a profit
Linda Nielsen believes keeping an older line of equipment running is helping to keep her farm in the black
Three miles east of Star-buck, Man., you’ll find Linda Nielsen (47) farming just under 1,000 acres of grains and oilseeds. Before venturing into farming, Nielsen was a stay-at-home mom, a part-time educational assistant at Starbuck School, picking up other part-time work and volunteering on the side. Growing up, Nielsen recalls always having helped out on the family farm. When she and her husband (also from a […] Read moreTaking a proper grain sample
When sending grain off as a sample or having a seed lot tested, it’s critical to take a representative sample, according to Barry Little of 20/20 Seed Labs Inc. Having accurate information about the grain in the bin will help farmers (and buyers) make better decisions. Segregation One reason accurate sampling is so important is […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
