Green peas. (PulseCanada.com)

Trends for 2016: Pulses expected to steal acres from cereals

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian farmers are expected to seed more pulse crops at the expense of cereals in 2016, according to early projections from industry experts looking at current market trends. “Definitely we’ll see an increase in pulse crop acreage,” said Bruce Burnett, weather and crop specialist at G3 Canada. Lentils and peas are seeing […] Read more

Average sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (°C) for the week centred May 6. Anomalies are computed with respect to the 1981-2010 base period weekly means. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. sees El Nino as near-certain to last through summer

Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — The El Nino climate phenomenon is almost certain to last through the Northern Hemisphere summer, the U.S. weather forecaster said, raising the chance of heavy rain in the southern U.S. as well as South America, and scorching heat in Asia that could devastate crops of thirsty food staples like rice. […] Read more


farm with dark clouds in the sky

Keeping up with the high cost of farm living

When farmers have more, they spend more. The question is, can farm families stop spending if they have less?

Reading Time: 7 minutes Maybe the biggest surprise is that the numbers aren’t all that surprising. Researchers at the University of Illinois have found the average amount of family living expendables skyrocketed from about $53,000 per farm in 2004 to $81,000 in 2013. After starting at $84 per acre, living costs jumped in that one decade to $121 per […] Read more

Errol Anderson, crop marketing strategist

Reading the basis

Of all the signals the market is always sending you, the clearest can be the basis. Here’s how to put that to better use in your farm’s 2015 marketing strategy

Reading Time: 7 minutes If there’s a market signal farmers obsess over, it’s the basis. Not only can it make the difference between profitability and red ink, it’s also set by your local grain buyers, so theoretically it’s the signal you should hear the loudest. But is the basis really well understood? Is it ever entirely clear why it’s […] Read more


corn and soybean plants

The best strategy to market grains?

Here is an eye-opening study that all farmers should read and consider

Reading Time: 4 minutes Coffee shops abound with the stories of farmers who have topped the markets by using a specific grain marketing strategy. Market advisers boast of the high prices that producers have earned by following their advice. But rarely do we hear of marketing mistakes or of the prices received by those who have sold in the […] Read more