Reading Time: 2 minutes “Matty Cowlick” is indifferent to the recent retirement of Dr. Clarence Swanton, weed scientist in the department of plant agriculture at the University of Guelph. But I’m happy for him. I’m happy that Clarence will continue with his research program and to advise graduate students, and happy that he will have more time to spend […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Thank you, Dr. Clarence Swanton
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Admitting you have a mental health problem
Learn to look in the mirror… really look. Dealing with stress and anxiety may never be easy, but it helps if you’re alert for these warning signs
Reading Time: 6 minutes For several years, Wayne Black couldn’t see what was happening. He drove himself to be better as a farmer and then, when he became a sales manager at a central Ontario farm input dealership, he was always striving for the highest results for his customers. But early in 2018, he began to notice that he […] Read more
Soybean cyst nematode tough in dry beans too
The pest can be especially devastating in certain classes of edible beans
Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s a case of “something old, something new” for growers with edible beans. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is now a threat to producers with cranberry beans, white beans, kidneys and adzukis. Nematodes have been affecting soybean production in parts of Ontario since the late 1980s, and now it appears they have the capacity to weaken […] Read more
Hitchhiking pests
Yes, cleaning out equipment takes time, but it’s worth it
Reading Time: 6 minutes When it comes to discussing the scourge of weed management in Eastern Canada, much of the light has shone on herbicide-resistant Canada fleabane and its spread from Essex County to the Quebec border in just five years. The latest weed species that is cause for concern is common waterhemp. It’s been the topic of conversation […] Read more
Struggling on the farm
You’re already trained for first aid on the farm. But what about mental illness?
Reading Time: 8 minutes By now, most people involved in agriculture have heard something about depression and anxiety disorders. Whether it’s been through the survey of farmer mental health, started in 2015 and highlighted in 2018, or through the efforts of groups like Do More Ag, word has spread. Now, it’s important that this awareness gets translated into action, […] Read more
Does input in equal profit out?
University of Guelph researchers are working with precision ag tools to identify areas of profit, not just yield
Reading Time: 5 minutes Farming and farmland conservation sometimes seem at odds — a win for one is seen as a loss for the other. Taking land out of production for conservation is seen as a loss of productive farmland, while the ecological community sometimes views intensive ag production as a threat to long-term sustainability. But an ongoing study […] Read more
Profit more by farming less
Based on new University of Guelph research, profitability mapping shows why some parts of the farm will never make money with corn and soybeans
Reading Time: 6 minutes Seldom has agriculture been a model of “cutting back” or “making more by doing less.” Yet when it comes to sustainability, soil health and even profitability, it may be time to explore both of these notions. There are some who insist agriculture in North America is heading in the right direction with recognition of soil […] Read more
The annual performance review
Does it really make sense to put employees and team members through a performance appraisal?
Reading Time: 4 minutes You’re busy, of course, so finding an excuse for not doing annual performance evaluations with employees and team members looks so very tempting. Would it really be so bad if you pushed the reviews onto the back burner? The answer is an unequivocal “yes,” according to Dr. Sara Mann, an associate professor specializing in human […] Read more
The water question
Should you be more concerned about drought tolerance, or water-use efficiency?
Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s a term that’s often loosely used, and it isn’t well understood at any level. Yet it may become one of the dominant yield limitations in your crop production within the next few years. Water-use efficiency has been part of agronomy’s lexicon for decades, yet as yields have increased, its definition and how it functions […] Read more
The right time
For Brian and Joanne Keunen, off-farm experience created an eye for opportunity. But what really paved the way for Mapleview Agri came from the generations innovating how to work together
Reading Time: 9 minutes Like many newly minted high school grads, when he turned 18 years old Brian Keunen went off to college. His choice? Centralia College in southwestern Ontario. His goal? To get a diploma in agriculture, and then to return to the family dairy farm near Drayton, an hour and a half west of Toronto, where he […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
