Reading Time: 7 minutes A few decades ago, most Country Guide readers put the final lid on their shoebox record-keeping systems and made the move to computerized farm books. Maybe it started with a progression from Mom’s hard-copy ledger to a series of Excel spreadsheets. Or was it a transition from spreadsheet hell to a desktop software that the […] Read more
A path to better bookkeeping
Are you using the right accounting software for your operation? And, is the right person doing the job?
TELUS targets the farm
Maybe it used to be just a telephone company, but the TELUS of today is assembling a powerful list of technology services that it says will shape tomorrow’s agriculture. In fact, you may already have bought in without knowing it
Reading Time: 6 minutes Farmers have seen the consolidation of equipment dealerships, input suppliers, grain companies, and feedlots. Consolidation of farms themselves has and is occurring. So should we be surprised that consolidation of ag data companies is now happening? TELUS has entered the agricultural industry in a big way. Yes, TELUS, the outfit that many farmers view as […] Read more
Canada lays out $9.1 billion roadmap to meet 2030 climate targets
About $1 billion earmarked for new or expanded ag programs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Canada released its first real roadmap to meeting 2030 climate targets on Tuesday, laying out detailed plans and $9.1 billion in new spending to cut planet-warming carbon emissions after years failing to meet its goals. The Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) is the first time Canada has had a comprehensive plan, rather than just […] Read more
Is farming on the cusp of being redefined?
The future could be much better than today. But will we decide that we want it?
Reading Time: 6 minutes Farming has been described as the backbone of civilization. Without the domestication of crops and livestock, society as we know it would have been impossible. So, since it’s so important, everyone knows what farming is, right? If you ask a random group of people what farming is, and what role farmers play in society, you […] Read more
Prizes put up to develop year-round berry production in Canada
Weston Foundation's new challenge backed with $33 million
Reading Time: 3 minutes A philanthropic foundation focused on improving public health now wants to improve diets by finding ways to juice up Canada’s home-grown fruit supplies. The Weston Family Foundation on Tuesday pledged $33 million over six years for what it calls the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, a prize challenge pitting ideas against ideas with the goal of extending […] Read more
The robots are here, and ready to weed your field
Robotics has started revolutionizing even the toughest jobs like weed control. Horticulture crops are first, but row crop robots are coming too
Reading Time: 6 minutes In the 20-plus years of precision agriculture, most field jobs have evolved so they can incorporate some level of data retrieval, prescription mapping, overhead imagery, or specific in-field applications like auto-steer and downforce components. But not all field jobs. Precision ag had seemed like it would also lead to site-specific weeding, but this never gained […] Read more
Pastoral Song: A Farmer’s Journey
Guide Books Review: “Diversity is a strength in farming,” Rebanks says in his best-seller. But adds, “We do need efficiency gains and we can’t live completely in the past."
Reading Time: 3 minutes Pastoral Song: A Farmer’s JourneyBy James Rebanks Like a lot of farmers, James Rebanks is thoughtful. But unlike the rest of us, his thoughtfulness has helped him write a globally popular, best-selling and prize-winning book. It has even been named a New York Times editors’ book of the year, and it’s all about the questions […] Read more
Taking crop imaging to a new level
A pilot project in Ontario is collecting images from manned aircraft at 10,000 feet
Reading Time: 5 minutes The chance to gain a bird’s-eye view of a growing crop is one of the biggest attractions of precision agriculture, but the degree of precision depends on the tools. So far, growers and advisors have had a choice of either satellite images or those from drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Each has advantages and […] Read more
Machines vs. climate
Shrewd machinery purchases have always been essential on the farm, but not like this. Emerging technologies mean huge potential payoffs for getting it right, and even bigger penalties if you don’t. Think precision farming. Think surviving climate change
Reading Time: 8 minutes In the last two or three decades, farmers have been offered a dizzying array of new features on ag equipment. There’s more power, more capacity, auto guidance, the list goes on. Yet now, looking to the future, it will be even more crucial to make the best possible purchase decisions and to integrate your technology […] Read more
Time to hit ‘Print’ for that machinery part?
How about using your 3D printer to reproduce broken machinery parts? That capability is already here, and it’s getting better all the time
Reading Time: 4 minutes First, let’s get the name right. Until now, we’ve been calling it 3D printing. It’s a name that will probably stick around for a while, but those in the know are already calling it by its newer name, “additive manufacturing.” “The technology is far, far more user friendly and there are really good desktop printers […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
