Forages & Production Tips

Six limiting factors in your soil that will make or break your operation

Without these six key ingredients, your soil — and your farm — could be in trouble

By Jennifer Blair September 26, 2016

Farms and grazing operations — organic or otherwise — are only as good as their worst resource, according to Oregon-based grazier Abe Collins. “Soil is our primary infrastructure on the farm,” said Collins, who spoke at the recent Organic Alberta conference. “Biologically, chemically, and physically, you need to be looking at the limiting factors in […] Read more

Crops, Forages, Weather

Rain causes extreme haying delays

By GFM Network News July 13, 2016

CNS Canada –– Excessive rain and high humidity over the past few weeks are causing major problems for haying operations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “We should be well underway in our progress and I think we are far behind right now,” said Leanna Rousell, executive director of the Saskatchewan Forage Council. The majority of Saskatchewan […] Read more

Vermeer’s BW5500 inline bale wrapper is designed to help speed up the wrapping process for large producers or custom operators.

Forages, Machinery

New Vermeer bale wrapper

Inline wrapper designed for larger operations

By Scott Garvey June 15, 2016

Vermeer has added a new inline bale wrapper to its hay and forage equipment lineup. The BW5500 is designed to cut down the wrapping time for large-volume hay growers and custom operators. “As you increase the number of bales wrapped each year, producers should consider moving from an individual wrapper to an inline wrapper,” said […] Read more

Crops, Forages, Weather

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

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: CME cattle tick lower in thin pre-holiday trade

U.S. grains: Wheat extends gains on short covering, war risk

Prairie forecast: Plenty more chances for snow over Holidays

Forages