BRANDON – Public concern about water quality has focused attention on nutrients running off agricultural land into rivers and streams. Phosphorus runoff is often cited as a concern and phosphorus concentrations have continued to rise in nearly all water bodies across the Prairies. Excessive nutrients in water can cause excess algae growth, oxygen depletion that […] Read more
Production — page 129
A question of balance
Combine drive powers farm built sprayer
VONDA, Sask. – When Bernie Denis and his brother split their farm into separate operations, Bernie needed a sprayer. The Denises, who farm near Vonda, had built and used several sprayers in the past. “We had used a pull sprayer, then we built one out of an old combine and used it for a couple […] Read more
New Products
Keep warm The Pro 600 Exhale glove by Gorgonz Performance Work Gear allows wearers to heat their gloves by breathing into a small port, which is fitted to the glove. Gorgonz has also introduced ear warmers with a fleece inner lining and an adjustable behind-the-head frame. The ear warmers come in three styles. The Pro […] Read more
Header unit picks up bonus bushels
A seven-bushel per acre loss on canola can easily cost $40 to $50 per acre. The input costs for fertilizer, fuel and crop protection have already been paid on those lost bushels. You paid for them and you grew them. But how do you get them into the combine tank? What would it be worth […] Read more
Biso straight cut attachment saves the bacon
Straight cutting canola will eventually replace swathing, according to Wayne Bracken. The Clandeboye, Man., farmer is the first Canadian customer to plunk down his money for an Austrian-built Biso canola straight cut attachment being imported by Robert Breckner. “We’ve straight cut a fair bit of canola before this year, so that’s nothing new to us,” […] Read more
Potato production for market gardeners
EDMONTON – Potato production can be a lucrative business for market gardeners and a decent source of supplemental income for farm families, says Patricia McAllister, an Alberta Agriculture seed potato specialist who provided hints and tips to help market garden operations during the Alberta Horticulture Congress in Edmonton last month. She said Statistics Canada data […] Read more
Dare to be different – grow tasty, not pretty potatoes
EDMONTON – Patricia McAllister says direct marketers have the advantage of knowing their customers and can sell a variety by name. “That’s something the supermarkets don’t want. They want red, yellow, white or Russet. They don’t want customers to know what it is,” the Alberta Agriculture seed potato specialist said. “Russet Norkotah tastes like dirt. […] Read more
Pick a spud to suit your pot
EDMONTON – Market gardeners who plan to sell fresh potatoes can choose from many varieties. “Our tissue culture bank distributes more than 70 varieties every year,” said Patricia McAllister, a seed potato specialist from Alberta Agriculture in Edmonton. “I think this year there’s 91 potato varieties available in the province.” However, seed potatoes can’t be […] Read more
New Products
Filling the drill Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc. has developed a drill fill system. The CCS Planter Fills are available in conveyor or folding auger models. Both have dual on-off controls and a standard telescoping downspout. Variable-speed conveyor models are 18 feet long and six inches wide. They have galvanized construction and move as much as […] Read more
Forty cubic yards of soil per big gulp
KANE, Man. – The biggest pull-type construction scrapers ever built by Caterpillar hold 34 cubic yards. Jack Fehr’s version of that popular scraper holds 40 cubic yards, runs on four rubber tracks, is fully laser-compatible and demands at least 500 horsepower to work effectively. This 40-yard monster is a one-of-a-kind unit. Most of the field […] Read more
