Larry Penner plans on including winter cereal crops in his rotation for several reasons – it spreads out the workload, benefits wildlife, improves weed control and, at the end of the day, the crops are also profitable.

Benefits of winter crops outweigh the challenges

Depending on seeding conditions, the best approach may be to ‘seed shallow and pray for rain’

As the calendar rolls around to August and September each year, south-central Alberta farmer Larry Penner finds himself in two time zones — seeding time and harvest time. For a good part of his farming career, Penner has been a believer of including a winter cereal crop in rotation. He says the timing can be […] Read more

AAC Wildfire is a popular hard red winter wheat with short strong straw, good winter survival and excellent lodging resistance. AAC Network is coming along as a short stature winter wheat with earlier maturity, higher protein and an excellent all round disease package.

A few pointers on fall rye and winter wheat production

Pay attention to seeding date and rate and proper fertility

In most parts of Western Canada, the window is now open for seeding winter cereals. Depending on location, getting fall crops seeded between mid-August and mid-September is ideal, although with some cereals and varieties that window can be extended to early October. Here are a few points on growing winter cereals based on common crop […] Read more


The USDA building in Washington, D.C. (Art Wager/iStock/Getty Images)

Larger spring wheat crop expected in U.S.

USDA expects reduced total worldwide wheat crop

MarketsFarm — Early indications point to a much larger spring wheat crop in the United States in 2022 compared to the drought-stricken 2021 crop despite the late seeding, according to the latest production estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In USDA’s first official production estimates of the growing season breaking out the different wheat […] Read more

CBOT July 2022 soft red wheat (candlesticks) with 50-day moving average (black line), MGEX July 2022 spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. July 2022 hard red wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat eases on harvest pressure

Nearby corn firms, July soybeans also lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures ended lower on Wednesday, led by K.C. hard red winter wheat, as the harvest progressed and forecasts signalled continued dry weather for combines rolling in the southern Plains, traders said. Corn futures closed mixed, with strong domestic cash markets supporting nearby July futures on the Chicago Board of […] Read more


Corn seedlings in southern Ontario in 2021. (Farmtario photo by John Greig)

Spring planting well underway in Ontario

MarketsFarm — Farmers are well into seeding their crops for 2022, according to Wednesday’s crop report from Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The report noted planting of corn, soybeans and spring cereals started late last week — the exception being where there are heavier soils. OMAFRA projected planting could be 80 […] Read more



CBOT January 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, dark green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn set multi-month highs

South American crop uncertainty, chart-based buying are factors

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures closed higher on Friday, hitting a 2-1/2 month top on worries about South American crop weather coupled with chart-based buying, traders said. Corn futures set a four-month high near $6 a bushel and wheat followed the firm trend (all figures US$). Chicago Board of Trade January soybeans settled […] Read more

CBOT September 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat snaps winning streak

Chicago corn, soybeans also fall

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures plunged 2.6 per cent on Thursday, snapping a six-session streak of gains as traders locked in profits from the rally. Soybean futures were down two per cent, with the latest weather forecasts showing that some timely rains will arrive in key growing […] Read more


CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with MGEX, CBOT and K.C. September 2021 wheats (green, yellow and orange lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy fall as Midwest rains seen boosting crop health

CBOT September wheat down, MGEX September wheat up

Chicago | Reuters — Forecasts for rain in the U.S. Midwest pushed corn and soybean futures lower on Tuesday, traders said. New-crop December corn, which tracks the crop that farmers will harvest in the fall, notched the biggest decline. The contract sagged 3.2 per cent as the storms are expected to provide a much-needed boost […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 corn (candlesticks) with CBOT, MGEX and K.C. July 2021 wheat (orange, green and yellow lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy sag as crop weather outlook improves

Moisture stress remains in parts of Corn Belt

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell by almost four per cent on Monday on forecasts for improving crop weather in the Midwest, including cooler temperatures and beneficial rains late this week, analysts said. Soybeans fell more than two per cent and wheat followed the weaker trend as the U.S. winter wheat harvest got […] Read more