Forages & Production Tips

Prairie forage crops perk up with precipitation

By GFM Network News June 4, 2016

CNS Canada — It’s been a slow start for forage crops growing across the Prairies, but the much-needed precipitation is better late than never. “The rain has been a huge help,” said Karin Lindquist, forage specialist with Alberta’s Ag-Info Centre in Stettler. “There are still some areas that could use a bit more, but so […] Read more

This is a water well map for part of Tp 29 R13 W3, west of Milden, Sask. Legend: The “A”s next to well locations indicate that these wells date from before the survey, pre-1935. For the 2 wells that show a number instead of an A, the 74 and 70 indicate the year the well was dug. Next to the A or year, the top number shows the depth to water in the well (in feet); the bottom number shows the depth of the well (in feet). Where the circle is black, the well is assumed to be located next to buildings. Clear circles indicate that the well location is unknown within the quarter section.

Columns, Forages

The “other” moisture

Surface moisture is easy to measure: Moisture from the water table is another story

By Les Henry May 13, 2016

In making soil moisture maps as of freeze up the past few wet years, I have come to realize that we should have maps of areas where the surface moisture that we grow crops with has little or no connection to the water table. This piece adds a bit to that idea. In the 1980s […] Read more

Crops, Pasture

Six tips to successful land rental

By Marianne Stamm May 2, 2016

This title to the old Russian folk tale by Leo Tolstoy hasn’t lost any of its significance.* It’s a question farmers ponder today, as land and land rent prices continue to rise to levels never seen before. Despite lower commodity prices, the cost of land is still rising dramatically in the Westlock, Alta. area (about […] Read more

Crops, Forages, Markets

Roundup Ready alfalfa primed for launch in East

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News March 30, 2016

The company with Roundup Ready alfalfa on its launchpad plans a limited rollout of commercial seed into Canada’s six eastern provinces this spring. In a move likely to face opposition from several farm groups across the country, Forage Genetics International (FGI) on Tuesday announced plans for a limited release of commercial HarvXtra alfalfa “in time for […] Read more

These Hereford steers on another nearby pasture have plenty of forage, however, the quality over the hot, dry summer is declining.

Cattleman’s Corner, Forages

Grazing challenges in a dry environment

Dung scores and gut fill are important indicators of how cattle are doing

By Kim Nielsen March 29, 2016

When I arrived back in Australia in late October last year, Helen had organized the purchase of some steers and they were happily grazing on our farm and had adjusted well to the electric fence, skim grazing over the new seeding I had seeded earlier in May. October is springtime and the growth was pretty […] Read more

MacDon displayed one of its new R1 Series machines at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon in January.

Hay, Machinery

New mower conditioners from MacDon

MacDon's two-model R1 Series pull-types offer a wide range of features for farmers

By Scott Garvey March 28, 2016

In August MacDon announced it was introducing a two-model line of pull-type mower conditioners called the R1 Series. The model on display at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon this past January provided farmers with one of their first opportunities to get a close look at one. The R1s are available in 13– and 16-foot working […] Read more

Missing equipment found on a rural property southwest of Saskatoon in 2016 was valued at over $1.2 million. (Photo courtesy Saskatoon RCMP)

Hay, Livestock, Machinery

Sask. rancher charged as missing equipment found

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News February 13, 2016

A western Saskatchewan cattle rancher faces charges of theft and possession of stolen goods after the discovery of missing tractors, balers, trucks and other equipment Thursday. Iain Stables, 38, is due in Provincial Court in Saskatoon on April 14 to answer to 29 criminal charges, Saskatoon RCMP said in a release Friday. Saskatoon and Warman […] Read more

The MC4500 brings the maximum cutting width in Vermeer’s line of of mower-conditioners to 15 feet.

Forages, Machinery

A larger mower conditioner from Vermeer

The MC4500 pushes the brand’s widest cutting width to 15 feet

By Scott Garvey February 10, 2016

Vermeer announced in September that it was stretching the maximum cutting width on its line of mower conditioner models to 15 feet. To do that it introduced the new MC4500, which becomes the fourth and widest model in the brand’s mo-co line. “The MC4500 mower conditioner brings more size, speed, versatility and reliability to the […] Read more

Crops, Forages

Ducks Unlimited shifts forage incentive for Manitoba

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News January 29, 2016

A program encouraging Prairie farmers to improve waterfowl habitat by flipping cropland into hayland or pasture will continue the same this spring, except in Manitoba. The DUC/CPS forage program, offered by Ducks Unlimited Canada and Crop Production Services (CPS) Canada, will still see growers in Saskatchewan and Alberta get a rebate of $100 for each […] Read more

The SW 4014 bale wrapper from Kuhn uses an autoload feature which allows the tractor to continue moving while the bale is loaded, wrapped and set back down.

Hay, Machinery

Kuhn debuts high-speed bale wrapper

The SW 4014 offers non-stop field travel and can wrap square or round bales

By Scott Garvey January 19, 2016

Engineers at Kuhn must be busy clearing wall space in their offices to hang all the awards the company’s new SW 4014 bale wrapper has picked up lately. When the company displayed it at Germany’s Agritechnica in November it raked in a Silver Innovation award. Earlier in the year it won an AE50 award here […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit contract highs on shock herd decline

Alberta Crop Report: Harvest more than three-quarters finished

NFU says proposed plant breeders’ rights come at farmers’ expense

GFM Network News