technician

New training for the 21st-century farm

Manitoba college’s program aims to build skills in mechatronics

Up until now farm kids considering college or university training have mostly turned to mechanics or agronomy as first choices. And it makes sense. Both are important skills that can still improve a farm’s operations. But as technology has advanced, there’s now another option that can match the usefulness of those other two: mechatronics engineering […] Read more

Health Canada had previously decided that gene edited crops are safe, so, in most cases they will be treated the same as crops developed through traditional plant breeding methods.  Photo: File

CFIA declares gene editing safe for livestock feed

Glacier FarmMedia – Leaders in Canada’s grain industry are praising the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for confirming gene edited crops are safe to use as livestock feed. Today, the Canola Council of Canada, the Canada Grains Council and Cereals Canada “applauded” the CFIA for its new guidance on gene editing. “This is a ground-breaking day […] Read more


VIDEO: New Holland, Raven sync up for grain transfers in the field

VIDEO: New Holland, Raven sync up for grain transfers in the field

Raven Cart Automation aims to make grain transfers in the field more efficient

New Holland and Raven Industries want to make technology your harvest buddy in 2024. The Raven Cart Automation system is designed to reduce mishaps, such as spilled grain, between combine and grain cart operators during harvest. The system works on a radio frequency transmission between machines and allows the combine operator to call as many […] Read more

VIDEO: Precision upgrades for Deere tractors and sprayers 

VIDEO: Precision upgrades for Deere tractors and sprayers 

Tech options aimed at injecting new life into older machines

If you’re not quite ready to pony up for a new John Deere, the brand’s line of precision hardware may be a nice fit to access some of its newer technology features. Deere’s precision upgrade line offers some of the latest receivers, displays, and modems at an affordable price to get more out of your […] Read more


Units such as these developed by a British firm, Small Robot Co., have already been put to work in per-plant weed control, in which an AI "advice engine" identifies which plants the robot can kill.

Farmers need to be open to AI technology

Already a major force, artificial intelligence soon will be smarter than humans

If Canadian farmers are waiting for the wave of artificial intelligence (AI) to hit the agriculture industry, they’re a bit late, according to a technology expert and consultant. It’s already here. And although he’s not a farmer himself, Walter Schwabe told producers attending the recent CrossRoads Conference in Calgary that if farmers don’t try to […] Read more

Danielle Bérard conducts a drone demonstration at EMILI’S Innovation Farms.

Testing high-tech at farm scale

How Innovation Farms reduces digital ag risks for farmers

High-tech innovations aimed at improving farming are being developed all the time — and while there are always some producers keen to try out new tech, that’s certainly not the case for everyone. Many farmers will prefer to wait and see — which is where places like Innovation Farms come in. Enterprise Machine Intelligence and […] Read more


A DOT (now OmniPower) autonomous unit at work on the Olds College Smart Farm. (Olds College video screengrab via YouTube)

Smart farm competition encourages farmers to adopt technology

Competition will serve as opportunity to create and develop smart farm networks

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) is seeking applications for a competition geared toward creating or developing new smart farm networks. Funding under this initiative will support collaborative on-farm tech innovations in hopes encouraging farmers to adopt emergent agriculture technology. CAAIN receives funding from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to address challenges […] Read more

The InputsPro mobile app enables users to filter data by crop and pest type, so they make informed crop protection decisions more quickly and efficiently.

Manitoba entrepreneur creates InputsPro for Prairie farmers

The new mobile app provides easier access to crop protection data

In 2021, Kristen Timmerman was studying agriculture in university when she set out to develop an ag-tech tool she says she believes was long overdue. The tool is InputsPro (inputspro.ca), a mobile app and website that provides farmers, agronomists, ag retailers and crop specialists with essential data culled from the government-issued crop protection guides for […] Read more


The Agrifac AiCPlus uses an algorithm that can be developed for each weed in the field seen with the naked eye.

Spot sprayer economics

Does this technology make sense for your farm? ROI isn’t the only consideration

Interest in spot sprayers has continued to grow among western Canadian farmers over the past decade. It’s easy to understand why. Spot sprayers can detect and spray a weed, leaving a crop untouched, and can dramatically reduce the use of expensive chemicals thanks to a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning and state-of-the-art sensors. While […] Read more