Getting ready to disc the 80-acre section that the previous renter ripped with spikes, which only scratched the surface and made it rough (and located a few rocks).

New farmer breaks new ground. What a wild ride

The first step in the process was a pretty rough ride

Riding an angry bull is probably worse. It has to be. But, they don’t have to stay on for 120 acres. I did. I held on with both hands, and around corners would bounce out of my seat. It was the roughest tractor ride of my life. The tab that allows the driver to fill […] Read more

soil

Using base-cation saturation ratios

Fertilizer recommendations based on BCSRs do not beat traditional approaches

In my last column, I discussed soil pH and its effect on plant nutrients and fertilizers. In this article, more about basic, or alkaline, soils and how some agronomists are using base saturation to make fertilizer recommendations. Remember that soils with a pH of 6.6 to 7.4 are in the neutral range, pH 7.5 to […] Read more


pasture ploughed stockXchange

Pastureland gets prepped for crops

With the help of a kind couple, Toban Dyck is investing in 120 acres of new-to-him land

What was at first a distant possibility, a fragile idea, discussed over scotch and left to simmer has become something much more. It’s now real. It is as real as a custom applicator killing the pasture grass. It is as real as me looking for a disk to break the ground before it freezes. It […] Read more

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


PHOTOS: Installing water table wells

All of this is very low tech, but it works. How can you plan your 2016 crop if you do not know the details of the gifts Mother Nature is providing? In our area we know that most of next year’s moisture is in the ground and we can plan accordingly.  

Rethinking the natural water cycle

Rethinking the natural water cycle

The natural systems we rely on and think of as simple are actually very complicated

Groundbreaking water research out of the University of Saskatchewan has just been published in the international science journal Nature. Researchers Jaivime Evaristo and Dr. Jeffrey McDonnell of from the U. of S. and Scott Jasechko of the University of Calgary have taken a new look at the hydrological cycle, something that’s been pretty well established […] Read more


Cutaway of Plant and Roots in Dirt

The broad basics of your soil’s pH

Soil pH is complex, and has different impacts on the availability of different nutrients

Farmers frequently ask “What does soil pH really mean?” and “What effect does pH have on availability of nutrients in the soil?” Both are excellent questions! The effects of pH are complex and vary with different nutrients. However, some broad generalizations are useful to keep in mind when understanding soil pH and making nutrient management […] 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


Euan Evans, plant pathologist points out the value of providing a crop the whole nutrient package to optimize yields.

Soil testing more relevant than ever

If you don’t know what nutrients are in the soil it’s hard to meet your crop’s needs

To optimize crop yields, Ieuan Evans, a well-known western Canadian plant pathologist, urges farmers to get back to the basics — do a soil test and follow the recommendations. Evans, speaking to farmers at the Ag In Motion farm show near Saskatoon in July says farmers have been advised since the beginning of modern agriculture […] Read more

a tilled farmer's field

Back to tillage after wet years

With extra rain, tillage is back in style in some areas. First, evaluate the 
risks of erosion and salinity. Then, consider dealing with compaction

Soggy springs and summers have made tillage fashionable again in some parts of the Prairies. Some see tillage as a means of drying saturated soils. Others hope to relieve compacted soils through some sort of vertical tillage. But is tillage an effective solution to these problems? And do the potential benefits outweigh the risks? Tilling […] Read more