There are two topics which are so apt regarding chalk and cheese. I farm in the Peace River country at Farmington, near Dawson Creek, B.C., the northwest of prairie farming. We are into our fourth drought year, this I believe becoming the most severe. Since the May long weekend blizzard and rain, we have received […] Read more
News
Chalk and cheese
Weed of the week: scentless chamomile
Scentless chamomile’s white daisy-like flowers look attractive, but every farmer knows the weed is bad news. Formally known as matricaria perforata, it spreads rapidly in ditches, along fence lines and into pastures and fields. The annual, biennial and occasional perennial plant is tough to remove from pastures. It likes high moisture and disturbed soil, which […] Read more
Showing draft horses a big job
MOOSE JAW, Sask. – A 2,200 pound heavy horse bolts toward the open barn door where 21-year-old Lacey McNutt stands, waving her arms and hollering to stop the runaway. When that fails, she quickly pulls down the overhead door. “They’re a big horse and they’ve got big feet and can surely hurt someone,” McNutt said […] Read more
Frost on potato growers’ minds
Southern Alberta potato producers will need nearly perfect weather for the remainder of the growing season. Otherwise, it will be difficult to beat the frost and produce a high quality product, says Rob Van Roessel, who farms near Bow Island, Alta. “When the first killing frost comes will be very critical to how much revenue […] Read more
Soggy spring tests farm support plans
Governments are responding to agricultural, municipal and homeowner damages caused by heavy rainfall and storms across the Prairies this spring and summer. In this special report, Western Producer reporter Karen Briere surveys the response and digs into the details beyond the announcements. YORKTON, Sask. – Prime minister Stephen Harper received a bird’s-eye view last week […] Read more
Grain cart on tracks gains interest
Grain carts have become a more common sight in fields over the past few years. Kellen Huber believes the market will only go up as carts replace grain trucks and semis as the preferred mode of transport from combine to storage. He started Tri Star Farm Services, based in Grand Coulee, Sask., to sell new […] Read more
From beaches to dogs to ponds
GRANDORA, Sask. – Nigel and Louise Hill had a sizable nest egg to travel the world when they retired from the computer business in the late 1980s. But the wanderlust didn’t last long. “We did it for a while but it gets boring. We can’t do that forever,” said Louise. “There’s only so much time […] Read more
Wheat price rally a head scratcher
Wheat prices have rallied, but analysts aren’t sure the rise is justified or sustainable. They say wheat prices have piggybacked on corn’s rapid rise on the panic of users and speculators who had market positions based on expectations of falling prices. Also a factor is the re-entry of commodity funds onto the long side of […] Read more
Farmers look to aid programs
Marie Bohnet lost two acres of grapes when the skies opened and drenched southwestern Saskatchewan last month. She and her husband, Marty, own Cypress Hills Vineyard and Winery and spent nearly two weeks without customers after the flood washed out their road. They were back in business July 1 but Bohnet said the final losses, […] Read more
New Products – for Jul. 15, 2010
Broadleaf herbicide The name says what it does when it comes to taking back grass pasture from weeds. Dow has registered a new herbicide, Reclaim, that targets broadleaf pasture pests such as wolf willow, wild rose, shrubby cinquefoil and buckbrush. The herbicide allows producers to graze their livestock without a time restriction post application, with […] Read more
