Early combining reduces risk from weather, insects and phantom loss, which could be the only silver lining in this year’s harvest cloud. Phantom loss describes the invisible grain loss from the combine’s threshing systems, according to a recent news release from GSI. Farmers minimize the risk of phantom loss by cutting their crops early. In […] Read more
Forgotten combine tuned up for harvest again
The 1947 Cockshutt was likely abandoned for 60 years before an auto body technician decided to repair it
The saying, “they don’t build things like they used to,” was on the mind of rural Saskatchewan resident Borden Ylioja as he set about restoring a 1947 Cockshutt combine left to rust for decades in a field, covered in trees and which had become a home for porcupines. Ylioja said he stumbled across the combine […] Read more
Combine repair adventures not for faint of heart
You’d think that with such a spindly crop, harvest would be fast and easy. Instead, for me at least, it’s been a season of fix and repair daily, if not hourly. We got a new-to-us combine last fall and we kept the better of our two much older combines. What could go wrong when you […] Read more
Road trip down memory lane puts farm history in context
As The Western Producer launches features to acknowledge 100 years of serving western Canadian farmers, it seems an appropriate time to look at some agricultural milestones. The following is not a full list, by any means, and leans heavily on items from the Producer’s own evolution, but we thought readers might enjoy reflecting on a […] Read more
Finding ways to grow crops with limited moisture
In the areas suffering from consecutive years of serious drought, soul searching is underway on what can be done differently to make better use of whatever moisture is available. Troy LaForge, a well-known agronomist from southwestern Saskatchewan, believes stripper headers on combines are going to become increasingly popular. LaForge farms near Cadillac and uses a […] Read more
Combine settings app wins award
LANGHAM, Sask. — Trevor Scherman and partner Megan Madden are making it easy for farmers to connect during harvest time to get the best settings for their combines. Scherman, who co-founded the ScherGrain Solutions System with his father, says he used the same philosophy in his latest behind that was behind using a drop pan […] Read more
Taking the long-term approach to recruitment
Case IH’s partners with technical schools in Canada and the U.S. to identify and train future employees
LANGHAM, Sask. — Nobody needs to tell farmers that today’s ag equipment has gone high tech, making modern equipment capable of remarkable efficiencies that improve a farm’s bottom line. However, it also means that the days of expecting to fix a breakdown with a small toolbox full of wrenches and a tube of grease have […] Read more
Machine vision drives desktop grain sampler
Regina — A desktop grain tester that uses machine vision to determine grain grades was on display at a recent farm show in Regina. “We’re building a unit that will go on the combine and will be able to grade grain quality in real time as you harvest. But as part of the journey, we’ve […] Read more
Omnipower future is not here yet
John Burns says the era of autonomous implements has not yet arrived. He compares them to electric vehicles, whose time has just come too soon. He said there’s little support for robotic vehicles in government regulations or within the industry for completely autonomous vehicles.
Ag Notes
Agricultural partnership The City of Richmond, B.C., parks department was recognized with the Kwantlen Polytechnic University 2023 Community Impact Award for its support of the university’s agriculture and food systems programs. The partnership combines hands-on learning with holistic food system awareness. It promotes urban agriculture, advancing food security and creating new opportunities for innovation. The […] Read more
