Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A farm’s best plan when it comes to rebuilding the cattle herd after drought may have a lot to do with how deeply they had to cull, according to the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC). The advice is the result of a BCRC modeling study, which hoped to gauge the best recovery […] Read more
Economics of herd rebuilding depend on cull rate, study finds
BCRC study hopes to map out a farm’s best path toward a rebuilt herd
Thanksgiving in a time of bird flu
North America's poultry sector is embroiled in a fall surge of avian influenza, even as turkey demand hits one of its annual peaks
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s the final stretch until Thanksgiving, but anyone hoping to bring their raw bird over the border may be disappointed. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public that raw poultry, including turkey, from restricted areas of the U.S. will not be allowed past the international border due to the ongoing fight with […] Read more
BASF pegs InVigor canola woes
Reading Time: 2 minutes BASF says they are aware of the issues farmers are seeing in some of their canola varieties. A statement from the company, released in mid-June, noted that some InVigor hybrids “may be encountering various challenges that could be hindering crop establishment this season.” The issue had been noted in “select geographies” in Western Canada, according […] Read more
Calculating the genetic cost of drought
Herd genetics take years to build, but producers are watching much of that work head to slaughter this year
Reading Time: 6 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Craig and Lenore Brown have been building up their cattle herd for more than 20 years in the northern Interlake, and some of those genetics date back even further, back to the previous generation of their family farm. Earlier this month, they watched a good chunk of those genetics leave. Why it […] Read more
Forecast, flea beetles complicate canola timing
Dry conditions make ideal seeding time difficult to peg
Reading Time: 3 minutes Drought conditions, and the odds of more to come, have some Prairie canola growers pondering when to roll the dice on seeding, if they want to do more than feed the flea beetles. Small-seeded crops, such as canola, have garnered particular concern from agronomists and producers worried about germination, given power dry topsoil across much […] Read more
Beef sector aims for new 2030 targets
Organizations involved in Canada's National Beef Strategy have announced new goals for the beef sector for the next decade
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Canadian beef industry has new benchmarks to reach for in the next decade. The organizations involved in Canada’s National Beef Strategy — the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canada Beef Breeds Council, Beef Cattle Research Council, Canada Beef, The National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Canadian Meat Council and Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef have announced new 2030 […] Read more
Auction marts urged to introduce social distance
Cattle are still flowing through auction marts as scheduled
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Livestock Markets Association of Canada wants to see more social distance at auction marts in the wake of COVID-19. The association has released an emergency response policy, asking its members to implement social distancing and prevention measures against the virus. “What we are looking at is trying to get a consistent message out to […] Read more
Wild host a thorn in the side for oat growers
Common buckthorn is a haven for crown rust spores over the winter and an easy source of infection if the farmer opts for a susceptible oat variety
Reading Time: 2 minutes Oat growers may want to gauge the distance to the nearest woody stream bed the next time they choose a variety. That’s one of the messages sent out during this year’s Crop Diagnostic School in Carman in the first two weeks of July. Why it matters: Manitoba’s most popular oat varieties have either been downgraded […] Read more
‘Spray Guy’ puts the nix on ‘cavalier’ fungicide application
Fungicide drift should earn the same prevention as herbicide, according to one of Western Canada’s best-known spraying experts
Reading Time: 3 minutes Most farmers are more worried about drift if they’ve got herbicide in the tank, but at least one spray expert says those same concerns should apply to fungicide and insecticide. “I can’t tell you how often I hear, ‘Oh, it’s just a fungicide, fog it in,” said Jason Deveau, the fondly nicknamed “spray guy” from […] Read more
Refund scam flagged by Canadian beef breeders
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian cattle breeders should be on their guard after reports of an online scam. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council issued a warning after numerous producers reported fake emails looking to set up a sale, then requesting a refund before cheques clear. “It’s generally pretty high dollar values, so it gets the people excited that they’ve […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
