Irrigation may guarantee a decent crop and predictable cash flow, but it also guarantees tonnes of residue that will dig into that cash flow. Aaron Vanee farms four quarters of irrigated land near Brooks, Alta., where he grows canola, flax, wheat, seed alfalfa and big piles of residue. Three years ago, he decided to take […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Size matters, but so does spread
Whether farmers focus on implement size or implement speed, it ultimately boils down to either acres per hour or acres per dollar. The 40-year old no-till trend is gradually reversing itself as farmers begin to see more exposed soil and new cultivation implements coming to the market. However, farmers are expecting a lot more from […] Read more
Lighten up after big booms with aluminum
The first Pommier aluminum spray booms that arrived in Manitoba from France a decade ago started an aluminum trend that’s spread throughout North America. Today’s aftermarket 120-foot aluminum booms weigh about the same as the original equipment manufacturer 90-foot steel booms. Dan Light, owner of Ultra-Light Aluminum Boom Products in Lisbon, Iowa, said aluminum booms […] Read more
Gramlow tacks rubber tracks and GPS onto planter
If the local dealer can’t supply GPS steerable OEM factory rubber tracks, aftermarket companies like Gramlow probably can
When plans for a rubber-tracked GPS-guided steerable corn planter bog down because the dealer can’t find the parts, help might be available from Gramlow Ltd. “Centre sections on planters are too heavy much of the time. The original tires aren’t up to carrying the full load,” says Richard Gramlow, co-owner of Gramlow in Fullerton, North […] Read more
CaseIH focuses on customization
Precision Planting parts can be added to older Case machines
Farmers who plant soybeans and corn are frustrated when buying a planter that isn’t designed to accept the exact components they know work on their farm. CaseIH and Precision Planting looked at this situation and saw an opportunity, according to CaseIH crop production marketing manager Dan Klein. “We looked as far as possible into the […] Read more
Kit converts beet, corn planter to canola
Prairie-built disc kit helps canola growers manage seed spacing and singulation
Despite the recent flurry of interest in turning old corn planters into dedicated canola planters, most farmers are limited by cost and availability of the necessary parts. But the efforts of two farmers from Lettlier, Man., may soon change that. Their Red River Valley (RRV) Canola Disc is a relatively low-cost kit that converts old […] Read moreHigh-capacity screw press helps dairy farm deal with waste
Scott Dick and Cliff Loewen of Agra-Gold Consulting travelled to Europe in 2013 to investigate manure treatment technologies for the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative. In Holland, they visited a dairy farm with a 75 cow herd that is one of the few livestock operations in that country with enough land to accommodate all the […] Read more
Filter belt makes manure separation a simple task
One of the simplest systems for treating hog and dairy manure is a filter belt, consisting mainly of a perforated conveyor belt. It is simple and effective. It separates manure into 20 percent solid material, 30 percent mineral content and 50 percent clean water. Raw manure is mixed in the collection tank to create a […] Read more
Company develops filtration system to turn manure into water
The reverse osmosis system used for processing liquid manure is considerably bigger than the drinking water filter many people install under their kitchen sinks. The two common products exiting all manure separation systems are solids and liquids. In most cases, both can be used as fertilizer without further processing. However, both can also be refined […] Read more
ReCon crushes stems to keep in moisture
Re-conditioners help forage growers get the most from their crops
FARGO, N.D. — Some hay farmers count the days between cutting and baling. Serious forage producers, such as dairy farmers, count the hours. A grower who bales 48 hours sooner stands to gain $67 per ton, or $17.50 per acre, on hay quality, says Dan Undersander of Wisconsin State University, a frequent speaker at Manitoba […] Read more
