Calving and winter feeding tips

There always has to be one party pooper, and after looking at a couple of recent news/information reports it looks like pretty good days right now for beef producers. While this boom is good, it probably means the next bust is coming. Everyone was excited in late January that the South Korean market has reopened […] Read more

Understand herbicide groups

In our industry it’s easy for most of us to spout off the names of at least a couple of herbicides and what herbicide group they belong to. However, most of us wouldn’t be able to do a very good job explaining what these herbicide groups mean. Herbicides are placed into different groups based on […] Read more


Casebook: Heating canola is for the birds

Dennis’ old crop canola had stored well through the spring and summer of 2011. At the end of August, sensors indicated that the canola in one of the eleven steel bins was heating up. Dennis said he had put the canola in the bin cool and dry, at 9.1 per cent moisture. He asked me […] Read more

Casebook: Grassy Weed Gaffe

Two weeks after he sprayed his wheat field with a grass and broadleaf herbicide mixture, Jim discovered the wild oats in his wheat crop were still thriving. “There must be something wrong with the chemical,” he told me when I visited his farm to look at the problem. We walked through Jim’s field, scouting for […] Read more


Dairy reproduction needs nutritional balance

The lactating dairy cow has an absolute requirement for nutrients, which is normally greater than nutrient requirements for vital body functions. These nutritional requirements are also linear — as she produces more milk, she needs to consume more dry matter feed containing the essential nutrients. In contrast, the need for the same nutrients for good reproductive performance seems to be a […] Read more

Plan rotations to avoid fungicide and herbicide resistance

Pathogens, organisms and plants will eventually find ways to adapt and develop immunity to the various methods used to control them. This has been shown clearly with the announcement of glyphosate- resistant kochia in Alberta. Other recent challenges for farmers include increasing amounts of Group 2 herbicide-resistant cleavers and wild mustard in pulse crops. Group […] Read more


But at least it is Green

The Canadian Cattleman’s Association has just released a study conducted by the Ontario-based George Morris Centre that says efforts by the federal government to promote a biofuel industry in Canada takes a $130 million annual toll on the Canadian livestock industry. The biggest impact: it appears that promoting the use of feedgrains to produce ethanol has driven up the price of feed grains. Tied […] Read more

5 tips for growing soybeans in a cool climate

Western Canadian farmers have always had a keen interest in growing new crops. Pulses and oilseeds were few and far between 30 years ago where I farm in southeast Saskatchewan. Since then farmers have actively participated as new crops have been tested and refined to meet our environment and slowly worked into our mainstream rotations. Today pulses and oilseeds are the main drivers of […] Read more


COOL: Is it good or bad for beef?

The World Trade Organ-ization ruled a few weeks ago the U.S. broke international trade rules when it implemented country-of-origin labelling (COOL) on food products. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association was one of the main challengers of COOL on behalf of the cattle industry. Arguments against the law made by producer groups stated this was a technical […] Read more

Casebook: surfactant slip up

Adding the correct adjuvant to your tank mixture is as important as getting the herbicide tank-mix partners right. Getting it wrong can be a costly mistake, as one producer from Alberta found out last spring. Two weeks after spraying his wheat crop with a grass and broadleaf herbicide mixture, Jim found healthy wild oats growing […] Read more


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