Pre-harvest aids

Pre-harvest aids

Know why you apply: tips for assessing the need for pre-harvest aids

Canola can be a challenge to harvest if stands are too thin or too weedy or if there’s uneven ripening due to crop stage differences. Green stalks and weeds not only hinder harvest but can cause problems in storage too. In situations like these, many Prairie farmers opt to use pre-harvest aids as a late-season […] Read more

Farm thefts on the rise

Farm thefts on the rise

Community action is the first line of defence

Crime isn’t just a big city problem. Farms can be vulnerable to thieves, particularly if they don’t have any security features to help ward off intruders. Country Guard Security, based in Devon, Alta., specializes in protecting farms and acreages against property crimes and has clients across Alberta. The owner, Guy Spiro, who set up the […] Read more


Safety days aim to keep farm kids safe and healthy

Progressive Agriculture Foundation (PAF) Safety Days are an educational initiative designed to make farm and ranch life safer and healthier for children and their communities. The program provides training and resources for local communities to conduct one-day safety and health programs, with age-appropriate activities that are hands-on, fun and safe for children.  At the PAF […] Read more

Ford took its all-electric F-150 Lightning to Alaska for cold-weather proving this winter.

Can the F-150 handle extreme cold?

Ford heads to Alaska to test its electric pickup in extreme temperatures

As more discussion in the automotive world centres on electric drivetrains, potential Canadian buyers tend to ask one question more than others: how will electric vehicles perform in the dead of a brutal Prairie winter? To help convince potential buyers its all-electric F-150 Lightning is a capable all-season vehicle, Ford sent six of them, along […] Read more


Know the width and height of your equipment and adjust mirrors as needed. This will help ensure safe travel and clearance with potential obstructions such as road signs, overhead lines and bridges.

Safety while sharing the road: it’s a two-way street

Too often, many of us overlook the fact that we might be sharing the road with agricultural equipment. We hear of traffic incidents involving motor vehicles and agricultural equipment on public roadways every year. Unfortunately, many of these incidents have severe outcomes for motorists and farm equipment operators alike. In fact, according to Canadian Agricultural […] Read more

Grasshoppers were one of the two biggest insect concerns in Manitoba last growing season.

Is your insect management plan ‘snug as a bug’ this year?

Grasshoppers weather winter better than you think. Scout early and often to gauge insect risks

For farmers who live in areas of the Prairies that received above-average snowfall this past winter, one entomologist is cautioning them not to get lulled into a false sense of security about the threat posed by insects this growing season. “I’ve been cautioning people not to assume that there’s going to be any increased mortality […] Read more


Road safety a shared responsibility

Road safety a shared responsibility

Sgt. Mark Hume has seen a lot on the roadways of Manitoba as a unit commander with RCMP Traffic Services. And working in rural Manitoba, it’s no surprise that he’s seen several roadway incidents involving agricultural equipment. He recalled an incident on Highway 5 by Gilbert Plains, located about 350 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. On […] Read more

It is a heartbreaking situation to put money and effort into establishing high-value pulse crops only to have them wiped out by disease. There are several root rot diseases that can seriously affect pea and lentil (as seen here) crop yields, but aphanomyces is the worst of the bunch.

No easy fix for pulse crop problems

A Saskatchewan pulse producer weighs his options and risks for planting lentils in fields previously hit hard by aphanomyces — plus, the latest research and recommendations on root rot management in pulses

Shaun Dyrland says even in a dry growing season, if there is a thunderstorm that drops about an inch of rain some of the lentil fields on his west-central Saskatchewan farm will be dead within a matter of days. That’s just an indication of the effect root rot disease — particularly aphanomyces — can have […] Read more


A study by Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute indicates more powerful fans may be needed to properly condition canola in larger bins. However, installing something like this 50-horsepower centrifugal fan could require you upgrade your electrical system to three-phase power as well.

The challenge with large grain bins when storing canola

Fan limitations can make it harder to store canola safely

Grain bins on Prairie farms are generally a lot bigger than they used to be. But have best practices for storage management kept pace? Charley Sprenger, a research project lead at Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Portage la Prairie, Man., addressed that question during her Canola Week 2021 presentation on canola storage. “A lot […] Read more

A new program is making it easier for producers to learn key skills for taking care of their businesses, workers and themselves.

Free online course for business planning skills

No matter what stage your farm is in, business management practices play a crucial role in your farm’s success and longevity. But how to go about figuring out which practices to implement? And it can be a daunting task — especially after a long day spent in the fields. Fortunately, a new program is making […] Read more


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