Time for the ‘Big R’ has come

Time for the ‘Big R’ has come

About 10,000 interviews and 45 billion words later there’s nothing left to say — almost

By about this time next week — October 20 to be exact — I will be retired. After about 50 years of writing and editing and rarely missing a deadline, October 20 is my last day of full-time employment. October 20 is my birthday. I will be turning 71 (where the heck did that number […] Read more

Summers Manufacturing offers a dedicated controller alternative for the VRT Renegade, which required an iPad
app previously.

New controller for Summers VRT Renegade

Dedicated control array removes need for iPad app

This season, Summers Manufacturing introduced a new switch box option for its VRT Renegade variable-rate tillage tool. The switch box uses toggle switches and dials to modify tillage settings, instead of an iPad touchscreen, which was previously the only control option for it. Summers says the new switch box offers the same functionality as the […] Read more


Farming Smarter used salvaged materials to construct this two-stage biobed at its research farm near Lethbridge, Alta., in 2019.

A better way to dispose of pesticide rinsate

Biobeds aren’t that difficult to build and can be relatively inexpensive

Biobeds are an environmentally friendly way to break down pesticides in the rinse water flushed out of sprayers as well as leftover or unusable pesticides once they’re sufficiently diluted. You’ll find biobeds in Sweden and other European countries, but they haven’t caught on with farmers in Western Canada. Farming Smarter, an applied research group that […] Read more

Les and Loree Wedderburn farm near Rivers, Man. Last December, thieves stole 1,600 bushels of canola worth about $40,000 from a grain bin. The
Wedderburns were shocked by the theft because they thought they lived in a community where something like this would never happen. Since the
theft, the Wedderburns have taken measures to deter and prevent an incident like this happening again.

Tips to prevent grain theft on your farm

Grain theft can happen to you. These strategies will make it harder for thieves to steal from you

In December 2021, Les Wedderburn and his wife, Loree, who farm at Rivers, Man., were victims of grain theft. They are among many victims of this type of theft stretching back decades across the Prairies. In total, they lost about 1,600 bushels of canola — the harvest from 40 acres — from their farm, which […] Read more



Wheat fields being harvested

Protect yourself from developing respiratory problems

Grain dust may be commonplace on farms, but respiratory problems don’t need to be

It’s harvest season and that means two things are common sights on farms across the country — combines and grain dust. Just because grain dust is a regular occurrence on many farms doesn’t mean you should ignore it. In fact, grain dust can wreak significant havoc and long-lasting damage on your lungs with repeated exposure. […] Read more


Get your farm finances on track to reduce stress

Get your farm finances on track to reduce stress

Tips to help get you out of financial trouble and improve your mental health

Mental health among farm families is much written and talked about in the media these days — and rightly so. Over the last couple of years, western Canadian farmers have been hit by record-setting droughts and other hardships while they cope with the lingering effects of the pandemic. In Alberta, there was an excess of […] Read more

David Lobb, a U of M soil science professor and researcher, considers soil organic matter and crop yield the two main indicators of soil health. He says soil organic matter levels are vital to crop production. Lobb blames the loss of topsoil and organic matter primarily on erosion.

The biggest bang for your buck? Improve soil organic matter

Soil organic matter is vital for crop production and soil health — here’s what it does, why and how to improve it on hilltops and knolls

If you can tackle only one thing on your farm to enhance crop yields, let it be ways to improve soil organic matter. That may be somewhat of an oversimplification considering all of the factors that affect yield, but protecting and, where needed, improving soil organic matter levels may deliver the biggest bang for the […] Read more


Photo: getty images

There’s still a place for swathing in canola operations

If you didn’t plant a shatter-tolerant variety, you’re going to have to swath. But swathing can play a crucial role in other cases as well

Straight cutting is no longer merely an option for harvesting canola — it’s become “the” harvest option. In many cases, the one-pass alternative has replaced swathing completely. “The decision to straight cut canola has been increasingly made for farmers in the past eight years,” says Dane Froese, oilseed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “The advent of […] Read more

Stuart Chutter, product coordinator for Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), says research has shown the leading factor to reducing the risk of yield loss on the farm is high soil organic matter. One day, crop insurance rates may reflect that.

What’s the relationship between soil organic matter and crop insurance?

Adjusting insurance premiums based on soil quality factors is an idea now being discussed

This is all just in the thinking stage right now, but the day may come when farms that can demonstrate production practices that maintain high levels of soil organic matter may qualify for reduced crop insurance premiums. It is a concept being pondered right now by Alberta’s crop insurance agency, the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation […] Read more


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