Dan Yates

Give and get | The financing model provides farmers with capital in return for a set amount of canola at a fixed price

A Saskatchewan firm that offers an untraditional form of farm finance says its list of contracted canola growers has grown faster than ex-pected. Launched in 2012, the company has already loaned $32 million to farmers in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Input Capital has borrowed a financing model from the mining industry to offer farmers capital upfront […] Read more

An alternative crop rotation may provide farmers with a new way to fight weeds. In a study published in Weed Science, Katriona Shea calls it “weed-weed competition.” She said stacked crop rotations, such as corn-corn-soybean-soybean-wheat-wheat, could suppress weeds without increasing inputs. “The idea is basically do what you already do, but in a different order […] Read more

‘Nutrition transition’ | Report finds residents in northern Canada are eating fewer locally sourced foods

The local food scene looks a little different In the far reaches of the Canadian North. Moose, fish, polar bears and belugas have long been staple foods for residents in remote areas situated on permafrost inhospitable to agricultural production. However, the authors of a new report observe what they call a “nutrition transition.” That is, […] Read more

The pulse exporter is finding a niche in gluten-free, high fibre food ingredients

Alliance Grain Traders says its focus on packaged food and food in-gredients can help shelter it from volatile commodity markets. “The customers in both of these platforms, food ingredient and packaged foods, are highly specialized and appear to be less susceptible to the cyclical patterns in the global commodity business,” Murad Al-Katib of Alliance Grain […] Read more

Flood irrigation Official believes introduction of cash crop may benefit southwestern Saskatchewan ranchers

Winter wheat could put more cash in the hands of producers with flood irrigated land, says a Saskatchewan Agriculture official. As part of a demonstration project last fall, winter wheat was seeded at three sites in southwestern Sask-atchewan that more regularly see greenfeed. Producers in the region, mostly ranchers, typically manage perennial forage systems of […] Read more

Big part of equipment maker’s business | Company confident recent turmoil won’t hurt sales

A western Canadian agricultural manufacturer with a significant interest in Ukraine says it’s business as usual in the country despite political turmoil that could affect the farm economy. Ag Growth International, which announced record 2013 sales and profits last week, said it expects to continue shipping portable and commercial grain handling and storage equipment to […] Read more

Snow melt runoff | Frigid winter conditions on Prairies may require changes to grazing, fertilizing and seeding methods

Barbara Cade-Menun will be heading out into the field in the coming weeks. As she has since 2010, Cade-Menun and other Agriculture Canada re-searchers will be collecting snow melt runoff and studying its nutrient composition as part of an ongoing project to assess existing management practices for nutrient loss. “Yes, we’re concerned about the environmental […] Read more

Before she had a website, Shannon Veurink had pieces of paper sprawled out across the floor. From this low-tech start, Veurink, husband Kevin and brother- and sister-in-law Andrew and Brittany Veurink, developed an online platform connecting farmland owners with prospective renters. “We had a massive newsprint roll,” said Veurink of Hagersville, Ont. “It was 15, […] Read more

Variety development | Officials take Canadian mustard to Chile to help improve crop

Canadian mustard has been sent south for the winter to speed the development of new varieties. Canadian plant breeders have long made use of southern nurseries, but mustard remains a relatively new project in Chile, where Daryl Males has been taking Canadian mustard seed for three years. The Canadian mustard industry has set a goal […] Read more