Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 3, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)

Alberta wheat, barley groups test merged management

Reading Time: 2 minutes Already sharing an office and support staff, the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley are taking the next step by sharing a manager. The two grower commissions announced Wednesday that the AWC’s general manager Tom Steve will now serve also as Alberta Barley’s general manager, replacing Rob Davies. With Steve on board, the two commissions’ […] Read more

The Breton Classical Plots were established in 1930, just east of the town of Breton and 100 km southwest of Edmonton.

Some old ways aren’t better, but…

Long-term rotation study underlines that summerfallow harms soil health, but the old mixed farming model looks pretty good

Reading Time: 4 minutes You might think that a long-term crop test might mean five years. A decade would be remarkable. But what could plots tell you about soil health if they’ve been going on for 87 years? They would tell you that Prairie farmers were right to stop keeping fields in fallow as part of a rotation and […] Read more


Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 3, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)

Feed barley market firms with weak production numbers

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — A 16.8 per cent drop in the size of Canada’s barley crop has given feed barley prices some support, according to an industry-watcher in Alberta. “The market is looking fairly strong,” said Allan Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. “It’s made things a little firmer for new-crop feed grain.” Wet weather […] Read more

The Canada 150 emblem in a durum field. (Agr.gc.ca)

StatsCan’s model-based estimates confirm larger crops

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian canola and wheat production likely ended up larger than earlier estimates, according to computer model-based data released Tuesday by Statistics Canada. The model-based estimates are calculated by incorporating satellite data, agro-climate data, and Statistics Canada’s field crop reporting data. The numbers compare with the survey of farmers released Aug. 31. Total […] Read more



Gerry Ritz won’t be coming back to the House of Commons in September. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Shannon VanRaes)

Ex-agriculture minister Gerry Ritz quits Commons

Reading Time: 2 minutes Gerry Ritz, the federal minister for agriculture and agri-food for nine years in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, is done with federal politics. The MP for the western Saskatchewan riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster since 1997, Ritz announced via Twitter Thursday morning that he “will not be returning to my seat in the House of Commons this fall.” […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Yearlings define feeder market

Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets became more established this past week as early yearling sales captivated major feedlot operators. Prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels; however, larger volumes confirmed the price structure. Higher-quality lower-flesh cattle were featured weighing 850 to 1,050 lbs. at most sales. Feedlots have plenty of pen space and with the […] Read more


BASF’s promotions for pre-harvest use of Heat LQ have until now focused strictly on crops such as soybeans, peas, canola, dry beans and sunflowers. (Agro.basf.ca)

Heat LQ cleared for pre-harvest use in wheat, barley

Reading Time: 2 minutes Wheat, durum and barley growers have a new pre-harvest herbicide option now that BASF has received Codex maximum residue limits (MRLs) for its product Heat LQ. While “there were probably some wheat acres already harvested,” according to Dan Packer, BASF’s cereals crop manager, this agreement will provide an additional pre-harvest option for farmers who still […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market anticipates higher feed grain prices

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $5 higher. Across the prairies, strong demand was noted on limited offerings. Most auction barns are gearing up for major sales over the next couple weeks; however, it appears that a few ranchers were testing the waters and the results were quite surprising. Feedlot operators […] Read more