This year, instead of making a New Year’s resolution to lose some weight or save some money, consider resolving to improve your marketing plan. PI Financial’s David Derwin has three simple marketing resolutions to get you started.

Top three marketing resolutions for 2017

Four steps to a fair land rental agreement
As land values increase, so do land rental rates, but commodity prices don’t always follow the same trajectory, although input costs might. So how do you come to an arrangement to rent land that is fair and profitable for both parties, because that’s the number one consideration if both want a stable, long-term deal. “Communication[...]
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Could camelina be ‘the next canola?’
You’ve heard the pitch on this oilseed before, but this time it could actually be true
Reading Time: 4 minutes [Updated Dec. 12, 2016; at bottom] – Jack Grushcow says the sky’s the limit for camelina, and he isn’t referring to the brief but well-publicized test when it was used for jet fuel a couple of years ago. Grushcow is CEO of Linnaeus Plant Sciences, which owns Smart Earth Seeds, a company developing new camelina[...]
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Seven steps to accurate soil testing
Many Prairie farmers spend $250,000 or more on fertilizer each year. Are you getting your moneys worth? Applying fertilizer nutrient that is not needed is a waste of money. If you don’t apply a needed fertilizer, you’ll see a loss in yield and revenue. Soil testing can provide an excellent picture of the nutrient levels[...]
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ICE weekly outlook: Rangebound canola watches U.S., China
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– ICE Futures Canada canola contracts find themselves trading within a rather narrow range, with a downturn more likely than a move higher in the near term. “We have a bull and a bear that are yanking each other right now, and (canola) is quite flat,” said analyst Errol Anderson of ProMarket Communications[...]
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7 tips for on-farm research tests
Is that shiny new product likely to work on your farm? To separate the heifer dust from the cream of the crop, farmers need to take a hard look at the research behind the marketing claims. John Heard, soil fertility specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says the best way to learn about good research “is to[...]
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Manitoba sunflowers ready for harvest
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Most sunflower fields in southern Manitoba are ready for harvest, but the province first needs to see some drier weather. A handful of fields have seen some harvest activity already, “but the bulk is still to come,” said Ben Friesen, purchasing manager with Scoular Canada at Winkler, Man. “If the sun shines,[...]
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Four steps to managing herbicides
Cutting herbicide resistance risks comes down to managing herbicides, in part. Here are four tips for doing that better, courtesy of Kate Sanford Mitchell, who manages Bayer CropScience’s herbicide and insecticide portfolios for oilseeds.

Five risk situations for stored canola
Canola growers in Western Canada often have to deal with rising temperatures in canola bins. The reasons for heating can vary, and most situations can be avoided by regularly checking bins. To further reduce the risk of spoilage, keep in mind these tips provided by Greg Sekulic, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada.

VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update for Aug. 3, 2016
Reading Time: < 1 minute D’Arce McMillan, The Western Producer markets editor, monitors trends in the North American and global agricultural markets. Each week he hosts a market video about crops designed to help viewers understand the forces responsible for changes in the trade. The Western Producer is a member of the Glacier FarmMedia network.