Biologist says grower’s no-till method may have improved soil structure and left soil microbes undisturbed
DRESDEN, Ont. — The future has arrived at Dean Glenney’s southwestern Ontario farm. He routinely harvests 300 bushels of corn an acre, which is double the average for North America and on par with what the seed industry hopes to achieve by 2030 with im-proved genetics. “We already have the capacity with current cultivars to […] Read moreStories by Jeffrey Carter
Delayed corn harvest pays off for some farmers
Ontario farmers who leave corn in the field over winter will see a yield loss, but can also save money on drying costs
DRESDEN, Ont. — Last year’s Ontario corn harvest is finally near completion. Don Kabbes, an agronomist with AGRIS Co-operative, said as much as 20 to 30 percent of the crop was left standing over the winter in some areas of the province. “We might have had a record crop if we had had the summer […] Read moreFor most stomachs, wheat not a problem: nutritionist
LONDON, Ont. — A few Canadians should worry about eating wheat. For everyone else, it’s simply a good part of healthy eating. That was the core message that a U.S. nutritionist delivered to the recent Grain Farmers of Ontario conference. “About six percent, maximum, should be avoiding gluten-rich food. For the rest of us, eat […] Read more
Ranchers need to give land enough time to recover
ELMWOOD, Ont. — Recovery time is the biggest consideration for graziers looking to get the most from their pastures. Joshua Dukart, co-ordinator and field representative with the North Dakota Lands Coalition, emphasized the point repeatedly when he spoke here March 17. “Recovery time is the most under-rated element of grazing,” he said. “Until we have […] Read more
New approaches to hayland pay off
Ranchers have found that new strategies,including permanent watering systems, have boosted hayland performance
ELMWOOD, Ont. — Landowners who want to harness the full potential of forages may need to venture beyond the ordinary, says the co-ordinator of the North Dakota Lands Coalition. Joshua Dukart, who spoke here March 17, cited the example of four North Dakota ranchers. Todd McPeak of Driscoll used to maintain both pastureland and hayland. […] Read moreU.S. farm bill guarantees farmers can cash in
LONDON, Ont. — It doesn’t matter which option U.S. farmers choose under the country’s latest farm bill. According to the president of the American Soybean Association, it’s a matter of cashing in sooner or later. “In the long run it will probably balance out,” Richard Wilkins said in an interview during Grain Farmers of Ontario’s […] Read more
Canada’s farmers, rural communities need allies, says Joe Clark
Former prime minister says farmers need to find sympathetic partners to help lobby government on issues like neonicotinoids
LONDON, Ont. — A former prime minister has told Ontario’s grain farmers that they need allies to more effectively lobby government on issues such as seed treatment insecticides. “In order to become an effective minority, there might be some constructive partners, including from within the environmental movement,” Joe Clark said at Grain Farmers of Ontario’s […] Read more
If you can’t beat it, graze it, says producer
ELMWOOD, Ont. — An Ontario cattle producer is using management rather than eradication to control knapweed. “It has excellent nutrition,” Dr. Peter Kotzeff told the Profitable Pastures Conference and Trade Show March 17. The trick is to keep the noxious plant species from bolting, at which point it become unpalatable. Kotzeff said knapweed can provide […] Read more
Organic profits, methods spark conventional interest
Incomes are higher, expenses lower, soil is healthier and absence of chemicals is good for the environment, says expert
LONDON, Ont. — The murmur of conversation died when the organic speaker displayed his corn income numbers at the Innovative Farmers of Ontario conference. Jeff Moyer, farm director with the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania, had finally caught the full attention of his audience. He said typical conventional farmers, including those who use tillage and no-till […] Read moreStrip-till system reduces fuel, fertilizer but adds labour
Grower says the reduction in fertilizer use may be linked to the ability to target the root zone with no hot spots
LONDON, Ont. — An Iowa strip-tiller told farmers at the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario conference Feb. 24 that the practice is saving him fuel and fertilizer. Jeff Reints has been using a Dawn Pluribus unit since 2008 and recently moved up to a 24-foot unit that he pulls with a 400 horsepower Steiger tractor. […] Read more
