Install the well. This photo shows a well installed with a cap on top — just loose of course. This was a very clean 11 foot hole so I had to set the top with natural clay from auger leavings.

DIY: Installing water table wells

With water in the soil, we can survive on little rain. Learn how to measure what you have

2015 will go into the books as a very different kind of growing season. In central Saskatchewan we started off with soil completely full of water after a big dump of snow on April 26. My rain gauges showed 2.5 inches of water when it all melted. And then Mother Nature turned of the tap […] Read more

One acre of land, six inches deep, weighs about 2,000,000 pounds.

Soil sampling and soil testing

Fall is generally the most convenient time for soil testing. Plan now for effective testing

In the last issue of Grainews Les Henry wrote a great article on soil testing. I couldn’t agree more that soil sampling and testing is a great tool to assess the soil nutrient levels in your fields so you can wisely plan your fertilizer program for next spring. Here are some of my thoughts on […] Read more


Andrew Morrison, a mixed farmer in Victoria, Australia.

VIDEO: Farming down under on the other side of the world: Pt. 2

Lisa Guenther's two-part interview with a mixed-farmer from Australia

What does farming look like on the other side of the globe? In some ways, it looks the same as any farm in Western Canada, but in other ways it’s quite different. In this second interview, Andrew Morrison, a farmer in Victoria, Australia, talks frankly about how he’s managing herbicide resistance and why he adopted […] Read more

Andrew Morrison, a mixed farmer in Victoria, Australia.

VIDEO: Farming down under on the other side of the world: Pt. 1

Lisa Guenther's two-part interview with a mixed-farmer from Australia

What does farming look like on the other side of the globe? In some ways, it looks the same as any farm in Western Canada, but in other ways it’s quite different. In this first interview, Andrew Morrison gives us an overview of his mixed farm, located in the Australian state of Victoria. He talks about […] Read more