Selling grain to the U.S.

Some farmers selling to the U.S. prefer to use a broker, others go it alone. 
Try these tips to help with both of these approaches

Whether you choose to go with an established grain broker or try to sell direct to a U.S. buyer, there are a few things it’s probably best to know in advance as you develop a successful marketing strategy for your wheat and barley. 3 basic tips First, a few basic tips for farmers considering selling […] Read more

Producer cars in the new marketing era

Between changes to Western Canada’s grain marketing system and evolving Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) regulations, some farmers have concerns about the long-term viability of producer cars as a shipping option. Anything could happen in the long-term, but at the start of the 2012-13 crop year, producer cars are still going strong. Tim Coulter says CWB and the […] Read more


Deciding to incorporate

Many farmers have already made the decision to incorporate. If you’re still on the fence, here are six potential benefits to consider

Farming has been in the family for generations. The farm you’re operating started out with only a few acres, but over the years it’s expanded. When your grandfather owned the farm, it was organized as a sole proprietorship. Now, you’re grappling with the decision to incorporate — to create a new legal entity for the […] Read more

Quebec’s outstanding young farmers

It took hard work, planning and patience, but after many years of renting land, and working with make-shift facilities, Martin Brodeur Choquette and Johanne Cameron, have turned their dream of having a successful sheep farm into a reality. Choquette and Cameron, who farm in southwest Quebec, started from scratch in their early 20s. Martin started […] Read more


Saskatchewan’s outstanding young farmers

Sue Echlin and Vance Lester, 2012 winners of Saskatchewan Outstanding Young Farmers award, seem to have found the perfect blend of passion and practicality. Some might say establishing a winery on the Prairies is an act of pure passion, and more than a little risky. But Living Sky Winery, opened in 2010, has already won 12 national and […] Read more

Atlantic region hosts 2012 OYF event

Some of the brightest young minds of the Canadian agriculture industry will be meeting in Charlottetown, P.E.I., later this month as regional nominees from across Canada gather for the national awards event to select Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers. The seven regional finalists, representing all parts of the country and a wide range of farming enterprises, will gather November 27 in Charlottetown, as […] Read more


Ontario’s outstanding young farmers

Cory and Heidi Van Groningen have built their well-established southwest Ontario beef operation around the long-standing agricultural axiom “produce what the customer wants.” The Van Groningens not only raise good quality cattle on their 400 head cross-bred cow-calf operation, but along with family members they see those animals through to processing, retail and consumer levels […] Read more

Management practices can reduce fusarium

Fusarium head blight has plagued Eastern Canadian farmers for decades. Over the years the disease has spread into Western Canada, and the Canadian Grain Commission has found the fungus as far west as northern British Columbia. The right management practices will reduce fusarium levels most of the time. But even farmers who do everything correctly […] Read more


SULPHUR LOSS: MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK

When Art, who farms 1,500 acres of canola, wheat, peas, oats and barley 10 miles east of Carrot River, Sask., noticed a problem developing in his oat crop in mid-June, he gave me a call right away. Areas of Art’s field had deteriorated over a matter of days, and were showing patches of pale green […] Read more

MAKING “SCENTS” OF POOR CANOLA EMERGENCE

I received my first call from Joe, a Morinville-area farmer who farms 2,000 acres of canola and wheat, on May 28, 2012. Concerned with the level of scentless chamomile in his canola field, Joe was looking for a way to clean it up. He had planted glyphosate-tolerant canola on this particular field, but by late […] Read more