wildfire smoke over cattle grazing outside calgary 2023

What we know about how wildfire smoke affects Prairie crops

Impacts depend on smoke quantity, plant progress, surrounding weather conditions

With nearly 100 active wildfires across the three Prairie provinces at this writing, farmers don’t have to go far to see and feel the effects of smoke in the atmosphere — but what this year’s crops will experience is a more complicated matter. If you’ve got time for some reading right now, here we’ve gathered […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie forecast: Mostly warm and dry weather expected

Forecast issued May 28, covering May 28 to June 4, 2025

We start off with high pressure dominating most of the Prairies. A large surface high is sitting over the north-central U.S. This is beginning to tap into more heat and moisture, which will allow for warmer daytime highs and nighttime lows as dewpoints creep up.



(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Klassen: Lower beef production forecasts support feeder complex

Improving feedlot margins contributed to the stronger feeder market. Alberta packers were buying finished cattle on a dressed basis at $500/cwt delivered which was fresh record high. Using a 60 per cent grading, this equates to a live price of $300/cwt. Feedlot breakeven pen closeouts are in the range of $260-$270/cwt. Feedlots are anxious to reload and larger groups of quality packages are limited at this time of year.






Proven Seed silage corn plot

Corn’s amazing nature

Practical Research: The fusarium we see in small cereal grains is the anamorph of the pink mould seen in corn

Consider that if you grow corn after wheat or vice versa and have a wet summer or fall, be prepared for possible outbreaks of pink mould/fusarium head blight in either crop in such a rotation.