Glacier FarmMedia – Dairy farmers give their cows 50 to 60 days off each lactation, but research suggests a shorter period could make sense for farmers and cows. Barry Bradford, a dairy management and nutrition professor at Michigan State University, says in some circumstances, cows will perform well with 40 to 50 days of dry […] Read more
John Greig
Stories by John Greig
European farmers convert protest into politics
Frustrated producers have successfully organized politically in the Netherlands; should Canadian farmers follow suit?
Glacier FarmMedia – There’s palpable frustration on farms in Europe and it’s spilling from the countryside into political action — and success. The BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) in the Netherlands, also known as the Farmer-Citizen Movement, has in five years grown from grassroots to gaining the largest percentage of votes in the Netherlands provincial elections last spring. […] Read more
Implement dealers go manual after cyberattack
A shutdown at a business management software company locked dealerships out of their digital systems last month
Glacier FarmMedia – Some agricultural equipment dealers’ information management systems were up and running late last week after being out of commission for a week. Brian Osterndorff, chair of the board of the Canadian Equipment Dealers Association and president and chief executive officer of Robert’s Farm Equipment, a seven-store group in Ontario, said June 26 […] Read more
Canada strives to attract gene-editing expertise
Seed development companies want to see more ability to collect royalties than what is currently available in some crops
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada has difficulty attracting companies to develop crop varieties due to the amount of farm-saved seed used by growers. As countries try to establish themselves as suitable places for development of gene-edited crops, there are questions about Canada’s ability to be a player. Gene editing can help with production challenges with many […] Read more
Cyber attack frustrates equipment dealers
Dealers forced to use manual processes after software provider hacked
Glacier FarmMedia – A cyber attack on a major software provider has made providing parts and service difficult for some agriculture equipment dealers. “This is certainly completely disruptive to our equipment dealers that are using the CDK platform,” said John Schmeiser, president of the North American Equipment Dealers Association, Canada. Tech firm CDK’s software was […] Read more
Virtual fence provides cattle management options
An Ontario farm manages two groups of cattle with the new system that is an alternative to new fencing
Glacier FarmMedia – Livestock farmers Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz were facing the costly prospect of rebuilding fences. The task was necessary in a pasture they rent, but the rental rate would be higher if the owner had to do the work. The couple found a new option in virtual fencing and became the first […] Read more
Bee management in the digital age
Apiarists now have software to manage data from hives to make more informed decisions about disease and hive movement. Canadian company Nectar aims to be the “operating system of the global bee industry,” says chief executive officer Marc-André Roberge. He started the company after managing his own bees in Quebec during his university years, where […] Read more
Making liquid fertilizer so manure doesn’t have to be trucked
A Dutch farmer is making liquid fertilizer from his manure so he can use the nutrients where they are produced instead of moving them around the country. Ton Groot Roessink milks about 200 cows with robots, automated feeding and automated manure cleaning near Baak. The manure from the farm is put through a biogas digester. […] Read more
Gene editing race, illegal seed use in crosshairs
Glacier FarmMedia – ROTTERDAM — Many major crop-producing regions, Canada among them, now have a pathway to market gene-edited crops and that could lead to new products that avoid the former arduous, costly and time-consuming approval process that faced genetically modified crops. The World Seed Congress brings together stakeholders in the global seed industry. The critical difference is […] Read more
Antimicrobial use drops in Americas
Glacier FarmMedia – Livestock producers in the Americas are using fewer antimicrobials for animals, although a new report shows a large increase in Africa. The report from the World Organization for Animal Health showed total use in animals increased two per cent between 2019 and 2021 after several years of decline. The increase observed in […] Read more
