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Tag Archives Soils and Crops

This photo was taken September 24, 2021. This canola field near me had way more nice yellow flowers in late September than it did in mid-July. It looked like a decent crop at that time. With no rain in September and very little frost, it dried up for a second time.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: The Birch effect on our soils in 2021

Microbes had a heyday when the rain came

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As I watched the 2021 growing season unfold, there came a time when I started to think about the “Birch effect.” Lo and behold, when I went looking for the papers that documented the Birch effect, I stumbled on a piece titled “Fall Soil Sampling: the ‘Birch’ Effect” by Les Henry in the October issue […] Read more
This grand, four-square house was built in 1918 southeast of Oyen, Alta. The house was moved to Oyen in 1953, where it served the Kuich family until 1982. It was sold and demolished in 1992.
Columns

Catalogue houses – Eaton’s, others and how it all happened

Farmers have never been as rich as they were from 1915 to 1919

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Regular readers will be familiar with my sideline dealing with catalogue houses. I thought you might like to know how my interest in the subject ended up with a book being written and published. I was raised in a large, old, two-and-a-half-storey house with four bedrooms on the second floor and a long hallway that […] Read more
This 50-foot well, set up to automatically keep the trough full, kept a few dozen cow-calf pairs happy this summer. Recent rain has greened up the pasture so stock is still there September 10. Many mornings when I arrive, the cow-calf pairs are lounging around slaking their thirst and then they saunter off to find some grass. It has been fun to watch.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Your guide to finding water in the ground via wells

They’re often a good solution to the water problem in pastures

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The drought of 2021 has left pastures with dry sloughs and dugouts. A good solution to the water problem in pastures is often a well, or multiple wells. Many former community pastures had several wells with old-fashioned windmills that filled the need in spades. In our soil salinity work of the 1980s and 1990s, we […] Read more
Les Henry: Droughts I have known
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Droughts I have known

What comes next?

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The 2021 crop year for the Prairie provinces will go down in history as hot and dry with a huge impact on crops, hayland and pasture. The lack of feed for livestock is most serious, as it will require forced sale of cattle with long-lasting effects on farms and ranches. Many would lead you to […] Read more
The east side of my Dundurn quarter NW22 32 3W3.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: A snow job, Part 2

Watch out for crop variability in 2021

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Drought is now the operative word in major areas of Prairie farming for 2021. The drought in this area started on July 8, 2020, and has been interrupted by only two significant events — the big snow and blow of November 7 and 8 last year and the welcome May 2021 long weekend rain of […] Read more
My first experience at Annaheim, Sask., was with the rotary MF 8570. It was a good combine but the cab was not that tight. After a few days, I was plugged up with dust. The door actually rattled and had to be slammed shut every so often. It had a spinning screen to keep off the chaff. However, it did not work all that well.
Columns, Machinery

Les Henry: Combines I have known, Part 4: Masseys

This column is all about the red paint

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This is Part 4 of a series about combines that occurs on no particular schedule. It seemed this was an appropriate time for something light and breezy. Part 2 (Grainews, September 26, 2017 issue) had a fair bit about Massey combines but this one is all about the red paint. I will take you back […] Read more
My experiences with Saskatchewan Crop Insurance have been mostly positive. – Les Henry
Columns

Les Henry: Government farm programs

My experience as a two-bit farmer

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Farm programs are much in the news these days. “I am from the government and am here to help you.” Have you ever heard that one before? Full disclosure — I am not an ag economist so this is largely opinion backed up with facts based on my experience as a two-bit farmer. A bit […] Read more
‘When moisture is the overriding limiting factor to crop yield, even the best land will not pay the mortgage in the long run. The past decade of extra precipitation has led to prices that, I think, are not sustainable.’ – Les Henry.
Columns

Les Henry: Farmland prices and net farm income

Beware the other side of the average

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We have had recent inquiries about an update on farmland values. Our previous columns on this topic have included only Saskatchewan data. As I began to search for updated data, I stumbled upon Statistics Canada data for all three Prairie provinces. As well, net income from 1926 to 2019 was available. The raw data is […] Read more

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