Reading Time: 6 minutes In 1990, nearly 30 years ago, Amos Brielmann moved his family from Germany to the Rainy River District between Fort Frances and the Manitoba border. They settled on a farm near Pinewood, first working on a beef cattle operation just north of the village. Slowly, they began buying the farm and maintaining the herd and […] Read more
Ontario farmers grow corn acres, and a successful livelihood
Amos family in Ontario’s extreme northwest a good example of the pioneering spirit
Tar spot comes to corn
First identified in the U.S. in 2015, there is so much to learn about tar spot and its impact
Reading Time: 6 minutes The alarm bells were ringing. In just one year, Asian soybean rust could move in and devastate huge tracts of beans. Palmer amaranth swept north from the mid-south in 2010 to Michigan in only two years. It’s not that crop pathologists and weed specialists were trying to alarm growers as much as make them aware […] Read more
The next corn battle
The boom in corn acres is great news for the West. But how much will it hurt growers in the East?
Reading Time: 6 minutes For years, there’s been one great truth in Canadian agriculture. East is East, and West is West. So it’s little surprise there’s a sense of worry about the growth of “eastern” crops, especially corn and soybeans, in the West, and the way that markets and processors may adapt to the new geography of those crops. […] Read more
Taking the corn plunge in the West — gradually
Experienced farmers on the Prairies say to start by planning how you’ll dry your trial corn crop. Then, everything else will fall in place
Reading Time: 5 minutes Access to new shorter-season genetics means many Prairie farmers would like to give corn a try, but they’re put off by the considerable upfront costs for equipment such as planters, combine headers, grain dryers and additional storage. For those who want to start with a trial run, however, there are options such as sharing equipment […] Read more
Farm the north country
Just ask Lee Laframboise. Ontario’s Near North can be a great place to farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes Spend a few minutes talking to Lee Laframboise about where he farms and it quickly becomes apparent that he’s right where he wants to be. That’s not rare among farmers. Most have a passion not just for farming but for their particular chunk of the planet, the surrounding landscape and the people who make up […] Read more
Higher corn yields on the way
Plant growth regulators are opening the door to unheard of yields
Reading Time: 5 minutes Plant science and breeding technologies have been at the forefront of the last century’s new yield plateaus, particularly in corn. First was the development of hybrid seed production along with research that led to an understanding of fertilizer and then weed control. Most recently, biotech innovations have provided enhanced pest and weed management opportunities. Amidst […] Read more
A strategy for uncertain corn markets
Market fundamentals are excellent, and European sales will surely help. But what will Mr. Trump do next?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Growing corn can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Over the years we have seen amazing genetic improvements from the hybrid corn that we grow in our fields. Then, with planting taking place in late April and early May in Ontario and Quebec, it takes almost no time before the corn is poking through the […] Read more
Ready for the NEW cost of production?
It's a bit more complex, but a lot more accurate
Reading Time: 6 minutes Calculating your farm’s cost of production (CoP) has been a focus of discussion for more than 20 years. According to some in the agri-food industry, it’s been embraced by more growers in the past 10 years, particularly with cyclically low commodity prices, comparatively higher land costs, plus seed and technology costs and the need to […] Read more
What’s in store for corn markets in 2018?
For Canada’s corn growers, it is the best of times and the worst of times
Reading Time: 5 minutes There is no question that growing corn is a rewarding thing to do. Increases in productivity over the last several years have helped farmers boost yields across Canada as well as throughout the greater American Corn Belt. This has led to an abundance of corn on the ground almost everywhere, but with a corresponding drop […] Read more
A ‘bio’ that works
Commercial use is still a couple of years away, but this bioherbicide is already raising eyebrows
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to biopesticides, most researchers say that despite today’s limited selection of bio-based fungicides, insecticides and herbicides, the technology’s potential is extraordinary. Public and private scientists are especially excited by an “all natural” basis for developing new active ingredients. Since most of the elements for these biopesticides come from natural sources, they point […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
