Crop Management
CANDO, Sask. — Jim Cook has become a believer in investing in intensive agronomic strategies. As he combined his wheat Sept. 13, Cook was noticeably pleased with what he was seeing in his field. He didn’t need a weigh wagon to tell him that the crop had a significant yield increase. The Cando farmer averaged […] Read more
Crop Management
Program weighs rewards and risks
Farmers bag 100 bushel wheat crops
Don Wieben drives the combine these days rather than making decisions on the family farm. However, what he sees in the field and on the combine monitors still makes him smile. Never in his years farming has he seen such amazing yields: wheat yields of 100 to 120 bushels per acre. “I’ve never seen anything […] Read more
All-wheat commission proposed in Alberta
Alberta wheat producers will be asked their views this fall about a proposed all-wheat commission, with the goal of establishment by next August. Commissions exist in the province for winter wheat and soft white wheat, but producers from both think an all-wheat commission would generate more money for research and market development for all types […] Read more
Wet prairie spring sees winter wheat acres nearly double
Official estimates aren’t finalized, but growers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan likely planted 800,000 acres of winter wheat this fall, said Winter Cereals Canada executive director Jake Davidson. “In western Manitoba, there is winter wheat everywhere you look,” said Davidson, who maintains an office for Winter Cereals Canada in Minnedosa, Man. If Davidson’s figures are correct, […] Read more
Roller coaster crops mirror stock market
It looks like the old pattern, slightly abbreviated. However, analysts say it is premature and probably wrong to assume the trusty old harvest market is back with us, five years after it seemed to die. The recovery of crop prices almost certainly has more to do with the rebound in commodity and stock markets in […] Read more
Sweet things happen under Alberta sun
Everyone is smiling over the southern Alberta sugar beet harvest. Gerald Third, executive director of the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers, said Oct. 11 that harvest is underway and both tonnage and sugar content are higher than expected. Harvest began earlier this fall than growers had initially expected after a cold and wet spring slowed planting […] Read more
Pulldozer aims for level playing ground
Farmers wanting a smoother field after fall drainage operations now have access to a machine designed with finish as the foremost factor. “The biggest benefit of the Pulldozer is ease of finishing compared to conventional scrapers,” says Dale Kotzer of Bridgeview Manufacturing in Gerald, Sask. “We saw that farmers wanted a more level field surface […] Read more
Large drainage ditcher smooths problems fast
Why would a farmer bother to design a new ditcher from scratch, considering the wide variety of options already on the market? For Jeff Penner, it was all about speed. “Speed and the fact that I wanted to move as little dirt as possible and still have good drainage,” says Penner, a farmer from Swan […] Read more
Harvest: I bet you’re glad it’s over
Maybe you’ve had a busy harvest or maybe you didn’t have much of a crop to harvest. In either case, you are putting your combine away for the winter and it still needs tender loving care, whether it’s a 20-year-old machine or a two-year-old with all the gadgets. I’ve seen engine bearings in a tractor […] Read more
V-Ditcher cleans drain to keep water moving
FARGO, N.D. — Standing water is not a pretty sight, especially with today’s crop prices. “With $7 corn and $10 beans, losing 20 acres to standing water is something you just do not want to do,” said Perry Rust, owner of Rust Sales in Harwood, North Dakota. His solution is a disc-style V-ditcher that looks […] Read more
