Where does fake news come from? In the case of the Prairies this past week, its Saskatchewan’s provincial cabinet and a think-tank from Winnipeg. They aren’t alone. Politics and picking sides appear to be a pretty regular source of public lies designed to deceive. In Canadian agriculture we can’t afford to be involved in fake […] Read more
Stories by Mike Raine
Market remains hot but sales cool
Machinery makers face shortages of parts, supply chain delays, rising costs for labour and transportation as COVID disrupts the business
Farm equipment sales are down for Canada and United States, with Canada showing significant drops from last year on the largest gear. This year, four-wheel drive tractors and combines in Canada saw sales fall 22 percent from last season at this time. American numbers were better, but followed the same trend, with four-wheel drive tractors […] Read more
Fertilizer use not the same as fertilizer emissions
The fertilizer ban that never was is politics, pure and simple. The fertilizer emissions reduction target is science, like it or not. A 30 percent reduction in fertilizer emissions is not the same as a 30 percent ban on fertilizer use, despite what social media and many farmers have been led, or choose, to believe. […] Read more
Groundwork continues on Saskatchewan plan to expand irrigation acres
The Westside irrigation expansion in Saskatchewan, a $4 billion plan, remains that, a plan. The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency is doing the groundwork before any earth moving begins. Environmental assessments of the soils’ appropriateness for irrigation and surveys of the planned routes are underway, said Clinton Molde during Saskatoon’s Crop Production Show earlier this month. […] Read more
Sask. Agriculture Hall of Fame’s walls get four new faces
“These folks all have had significant effects on agriculture in this province and beyond,” said Reed Andrew after the latest inductees to the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame were announced. Andrew, a producer from the Regina area, is the president of the organization and said all four brought significant value to the industry and deserved […] Read more
New columnist joins Producer
You might have noticed a new name in your Western Producer last week, opposite this column, on page 10, where Katelyn Duncan’s column is today. Manitoba farmer and opinion writer Toban Dyck has joined us as a columnist. I very happy to have him with us, as he brings both experience as a farm commentator […] Read more
Journalism in the busiest times
I have taken many classes in journalism over my 35 or so years in the business, and been given plenty of advice from other, often older-than-me farmers. A few bits have remained forever with me. “Look busy, Jesus is coming,” I was told at the Poynter Institute in Florida. Just what did that investigative reporter […] Read more
Deere raises a green flag over robotics company
Deere acquired Bear Flag Robotics, expanding the farm equipment company’s labour reduction technology platform
Farming is a game of timing, precision activities and work, in its most fundamental form. Important stuff has to get done on time and machines can be really good at that stuff, especially when there aren’t enough skilled people around. That is an over-simplified version of what San Francisco’s Bear Flag Robotics has been developing. […] Read more
Agco: More green, and black, coming
Agco’s new head says smarter tools that automate operations in the field and barn are making farmers more efficient
As chair of the board, chief executive officer and president, Eric Hansotia knows a few things about agricultural consolidation. The new Agco head has worked in the machinery world for about 30 years, in that time spent a good deal of time in technology development and delivery. He says Agco’s approach to smart machines is […] Read more
Agco: More green, and black, coming to prairies fields
As chair of the board, chief executive officer and president, Eric Hansotia knows a few things about agricultural consolidation. The new Agco head has worked in the machinery world for about 30 years, in that time spent a good deal of time in technology development and delivery. He says Agco’s approach to smart machines is […] Read more
