Despite fluctuating fertilizer prices and a U.S. economic crisis affecting other agri-businesses, an organic alfalfa milling plant’s biggest challenge is finding enough supply to meet demand. “There’s not enough organic product to supply the marketplace,” said Doug Will, general manager of the Western Alfalfa Milling Co. Ltd. in Norquay, Sask. He said alfalfa pellet markets […] Read more
Production
Pellet business booming
If one GPS system is good, then two must be better
BRANDON – Producers can sometimes make precision farming more precise by doubling the number of GPS receiving antennas they use. “When you see a GPS receiver on an air drill, look again and I bet you’ll see another receiver on the tractor,” says Pamela Haegeman, GPS-GIS consultant for the Mazer Group and for the Manitoba […] Read more
Air filters fight swine disease
BANFF, Alta. – The PRRS virus is a challenging swine disease in Eastern Canada, the United States and Mexico that is hard to remove even under the strongest biosecurity plans. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome in 2005 cost North American hog producers $250 million due to declines in average daily gain and feed efficiency in […] Read more
Border crossing: brokers or the blues?
Agricultural equipment and parts travelled duty free across the U.S.-Canadian border long before the North American Free Trade Agreement was a twinkle in former prime minister Brian Mulroney’s eye. However, duty free doesn’t mean smooth sailing when it comes time to clear customs with machinery. U.S. customs officers will not release a self-propelled vehicle into […] Read more
Reaping between the lines
Colin Rosengren knows how to grab his audience’s attention. During his PowerPoint presentation on intercropping at Ag Days in Brandon Jan. 21, Rosengren brought up a slide called “show me the money.” It illustrated how in 2008, when growing peas and canola together on his farm near Midale, Sask., he earned a net profit of […] Read more
Canola kings
An overflowing canola crop turned out to be fit for a king. Krywy Farms of Danbury, Sask., has won Hudye Soil Services’ second annual King of Canola Challenge with yields of 67.1 bushels per acre. Third-generation farmers Don, Lyndon and Sheldon Krywy, who farm 4,000 acres, grew Invigor 8440 canola for the contest. “We just […] Read more
Buyers favour low-cost tractors
BRANDON – Manufacturers and dealers are reporting a large demand for mid-range tractors. One factor prompting farmers to buy new is the serious penalties that often lurk in used tractors. A used 100 horsepower tractor with mechanical front-wheel drive, loader, cab, adequate hydraulics and a convenient transmission costs about $30,000. The drawback is that many […] Read more
Inventor uses tubes to ventilate grain
BRANDON – Natural air convection in a granary can cool, dry and ventilate grain without fans, heat or manpower requirements. It’s as if the system runs itself. GrainAirTubes, manufactured in Saskatoon, are intended to produce good aeration within a bin without depending on fans or energy. A producer can aerate bins in fields or in […] Read more
Ease ice problems without heating
Keeping a trough free of ice may not require keeping the water warm – it may just need to be kept from getting too cold. Will Oddie, a farmer from Lumsden, Sask., who also runs a solar power company, says the recent run of extreme cold weather prompted many livestock producers to consider their winter […] Read more
The seven principles of Canadian organic standards – Organic Matters
Canada’s organic standards have always been voluntary, but that will change in June. The expensive, yet democratic methods for standards and committee formation are formally structured by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB). However, many in agriculture and trade who support organic methods serve on the CGSB’s organic technical committee. These volunteers share a range […] Read more
