A four-year project in Manitoba has some notable findings on tillage economics and the reliability of heat unit ratings
As Prairie farmers consider growing some of the shorter-season corn hybrids coming onto the market, they still have questions whether they should even risk trying them, and which hybrids have the best chance of success. After completing three years of the four-year Corn Agronomy Project, researchers are beginning to provide a few answers — and […] Read more
Agronomics and yield are the big priorities for flax growers in Western Canada
Flax acres have started to rebound over the past few years, with Saskatchewan still accounting for most of the flax grown on the Prairies. In order to entice more growers to flax, however, yields will need to increase. Average flax yields have hovered around 22 bu./ac. for many years, and although growers in some areas […] Read more
FarmLead takes aim at the U.S., with leaders who learned their lessons on the farm
Five years ago Brennan Turner and Alain Goubau were slogging it out alone. They were ahead of the curve, trying to sell western Canadian farmers on their vision of an online grain marketplace to connect grain producers and buyers, giving them the power to list, negotiate and finalize grain deals with no upfront cost. Today, […] Read more
Sarah Jackson had been planning for her farming future since she was 17 years old, knowing her father Tom would be working right alongside her. So when he died suddenly eight months ago, she was thrown into a maelstrom. It’s an old story in agriculture, but because of new attitudes and modern connections, it ends with some surprising twists
“We left the hospital, and went to tell my grandmother he had died, then I came home and loaded trucks at two in the morning,” says Jackson. Neighbours rushed to help, but “Dad hadn’t even been dead for four hours and I had no choice but to keep farming.” Hard as it was at the […] Read more
They could have a fit for Western Canada, but they require just as much planning as any other crop choice
Open just about any U.S. farming publication and you won’t read for long before seeing the words “cover crop.” There’s been an explosion of interest in the practice of sowing a cheap mixture of seed to cover the soil after harvest, and then seeding directly into it the following year. The benefits go beyond soil […] Read more
Country Guide revisits three young Manitoba farm families building their future in agriculture
In 2012, Country Guide discovered a cluster of young farmers near out-of-the-way Cartwright, Man. They were all searching for ways to start small in the heart of big-farm Canada, and they all saw their best chance in a combination of direct marketing and holistic practices. To some readers, it seemed like a dream. To others, […] Read more
Country Guide revisits Fresh Roots Farm and its focus on direct-marketing
Back in 2012, Michelle Schram and Troy Stozek’s biggest goal was to quit their off-farm jobs and farm full time. It’s something that Stozek has more or less managed to do, although Schram still works part-time at her parents’ ranch supply store. Schram and Stozek originally established Fresh Roots Farm as a Community Supported Agriculture […] Read more
Country Guide revisits two Manitoba beef producers building their future
In the five years since Country Guide last caught up with Riley and Lee-Anne Kemp, their lives have become even more hectic. For starters, their family has grown to three children — six-year-old Lexi, three-year-old Elliot and Halle, who just turned six months old. Riley still works off farm as a teacher at the local […] Read more
Country Guide revisits the livestock operation of McDonald Farm
Wayne McDonald has never had a job off the farm and admits that he has no idea what nine-to-five is all about. That’s the way he likes it. Now, thanks to some hard work and their very dedicated focus, he and wife Maria have managed to achieve one of the key goals they set themselves […] Read more
Farmers considering herbicide resistance strategies are looking at the economics first
There are several reasons many farmers haven’t yet adopted herbicide resistance management (HRM) plans. These include a lack of information, the complexity of different management strategies and limited time. But a major reason is still economics. Many farmers worry about the costs of implementing a resistance management plan, especially if they’re uncertain about the potential […] Read more
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