Garden star

Garden star

Eggplant can be delectable but it takes a bit of know-how to cook it properly

Like many Prairie children of central European extraction, my early experience of eggplant was erratic, error-prone and anything but remarkable. My mom never mastered eggplant, which she’d encountered on her European travels — on her return to Canada, she dutifully did her best, slicing, dredging, frying. But the true nature of eggplant never emerged in […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

U.S. grains: Wheat up 6 per cent after Russia quits Black Sea pact; corn, soy firm

Chicago | Reuters – U.S. wheat futures jumped 6 per cent, hitting a two-week high, and corn rose more than 1 per cent on Monday as Russia’s withdrawal from a Black Sea export agreement raised concerns over global supplies. Soybeans followed the trend, with the most-active January SF3 contract setting a one-month top. As of 1:08 p.m. […] Read more





Photo: Thinkstock

U.S. grains: Corn sags on firm dollar, concerns over U.S. export demand

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Board of Trade corn futures ended lower on Friday on worries about slowing U.S. export sales, while wheat futures sagged as rains benefited growing areas in the country’s southern Plains, analysts said. A stronger dollar added to concerns about corn export demand, analysts said, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported lower-than-expected […] Read more

Take these steps to protect the quality of your stored cereal grains and canola

Take these steps to protect the quality of your stored cereal grains and canola

Don’t let malathion residue or OTA development put your stored crops at risk

As crops are coming off the fields and into the bin, Keep it Clean is reminding growers of best management practices to maintain crop quality and reduce storage risk. Two of the biggest risks to stored grain are contamination and spoilage. “Before storing canola, it’s absolutely essential that the bins are clean and malathion-free,” says […] Read more


Photo: iStock/Getty Images

U.S. grains: Corn futures end down as U.S. export sales disappoint traders

Chicago | Reuters – U.S. corn futures slumped on poor export demand on Thursday, analysts said, while wheat futures also declined. Traders were disappointed as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported weekly U.S. corn export sales of 264,000 tonnes in the week ended Oct. 20. That was below the low end of analysts’ estimates that ranged […] Read more



With the dramatic rise in crush capacity slated for the Prairies, the onus will be on farmers to ensure there is adequate supply to keep up with rising demand for canola seed.

Priority No. 1 for canola growers: ‘produce more’

To take advantage of the biofuel boom and all of its benefits, farmers must increase canola productivity on each acre. Which agronomic tools can you lean into for the heavy lifting?

The biofuel market in North America is rapidly expanding, thanks in part to government regulations promoting clean fuels to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. This, in turn, is driving up demand for biofuel feedstocks like canola oil, which is why Chris Vervaet says grain companies are spending some $2 billion over the next few years […] Read more

File photo from a Teamster-represented engineers’ picket at CN in Winnipeg in 2009. (Dave Bedard photo)

Unions rip supply chain report’s language on strikes

Task force calls for 'new labour relations paradigm'

Recommendations from the federal government’s National Supply Chain Task Force to strengthen the country’s supply chains have drawn a cheer but also one significant jeer from unions in the transport sector. The task force’s final report, released Oct. 6, offered up 21 recommendations aimed at easing congestion in Canada’s ports, filling labour shortages and improving […] Read more