A feed shortage is a big financial hit, but how much depends on how you respond and the particular situation on your ranch.
 Photo: Michael Moskaluk, special to Alberta Farmer

Four options to help deal with a feed shortage

What is your best option if you’re short on feed? “Each farm is different and therefore doing your numbers as they pertain to your situation is paramount,” said provincial economics extension specialist Herman Simons. “In addition, each option has different pros and cons, which should be listed and taken into account when determining the best […] Read more

(Jeannette Greaves photo)

Six tips for a smooth soybean harvest

For two-thirds of soybean producers in Saskatchewan last year, it was their first time growing the crop, with seeded acres up to 850,000 from just 239,939 in 2016. In Manitoba, soybean acreage jumped from over a million and a half acres to well over two million acres in 2017. Estimated acreage is lower this year […] Read more


Six steps to help prevent clubroot in canola

Six steps to help prevent clubroot in canola

Back in 2013, John Guelly discovered some dead canola plants with ominous-looking root galls at his Westlock-area farm. But even though clubroot was already known to be in his area, he hadn’t seen it himself, and he wasn’t sure what it looked like. People were secretive about the disease, he told farmers, agronomists and other […] Read more

Photo: Canola Council of Canada

Top four pests to watch in canola

There are a lot of insects out there, but damage-causing pests are actually in the minority. Even a few “bad” bugs can be beneficial. “Crops can tolerate a certain level,” said Keith Gabert, agronomy specialist, for the Canola Council of Canada. “And even in some cases, it can benefit from a little bit of insect […] Read more


Seven beneficial insects on your farm

Seven beneficial insects on your farm

When making crop production management decisions, consider beneficial insect populations. These harmless bugs can provide adequate control if their populations are high enough. Some beneficial insects are hard to identify, but with some basic training producers should be able to spot them in the field. The following beneficial insects are found in most crops in […] Read more

Seven rules of behaviour for family farm teams

Seven rules of behaviour for family farm teams

When the next generation comes home, Elaine Froese says families can set up some rules of engagement right away so everyone knows and can operate within that culture. When new people join the team, it can help to clarify expectations. “Culture is the invisible glue that holds the farm and the family together. It is […] Read more


Photo: Canola Council of Canada

Four steps for better seeding this spring

It’s an age-old conundrum: You need to expand so you acquire more acres of land to get more return, but then the rush to get a crop in means seeding some acres too early, too late, or too fast. “There’s a lot of potential for making a mistake when it comes to seeding,” said Harry […] Read more

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Seven summer financial bottlenecks

In biz-speak, a bottleneck is a point of congestion that causes delays or inefficiencies, leading to higher costs. It’s a perfect metaphor for farm finances at a time of year when the bottle we’d rather be thinking about might have something cold in it, with us sitting on a dock. Yet summer is a too-good-to-miss […] Read more


Photo: Thinkstock

Four ways to increase your organic matter

A question that I hear a lot is, “How do cover crops fit into a grain operation?” Lots of grain farmers have no desire to get into the livestock business and no interest in producing hay. But many have some soil issues that need to be addressed. This can be done by buying more iron […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Growing canola in a dry year

With last year’s dry weather and predictions that this year will be similar across much of the Prairies, there’s concern that this might not be the best year for canola. With moisture levels are already low, and coming out of a year where crops did well by using what was available in the soil profile, […] Read more