Western Canadian presence | Manufacturer strikes out in new direction after Kramer leaves business
Claas had to adjust quickly after Kramer Ltd.’s decision last spring to get out of the agriculture business. Kramer had sold and supported Claas’s Lexion combine for 15 years, and there are customers who still need sales and service support across the Prairies. A new retail location, Tingley’s Harvest Centre in North Battleford, Sask., was […] Read moreVideo
VIDEO: Grain industry history: out of the vaults, into an apartment, hopefully into the archives
What’s cooler than some dusty, yellowed, storage-locker-smelly documents, long forgotten, dragged out and exposed to the light of day once again? If you just exclaimed “NOTHING!,” you’re like me: a fan of history and historical preservation. It also makes you kind of weird. But that’s OK. It puts you an a self-selected elite of nerdiness […] Read more
Video: Canada’s agricultural markets update – August 15, 2014
Canola futures fell Friday on weak vegetable oil markets and expectations for huge North American oilseed production this year. November canola fell $14.40 per tonne on the week to close at $429.50 or $9.74 a bushel. Soy oil has been weaker than soybeans. The soybean crush has increased to meet the need for meal, but […] Read more
Video: Poor rotations blamed for clubroot resistance breakdown
Farmers’ poor stewardship has resulted in the loss of one weapon in the war against clubroot. Since the disease was first discovered in Alberta, and later in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, agronomists have recommended farmers practice good crop rotation to keep clubroot damage at bay. However, attractive canola prices prompted many to plant canola on canola […] Read more
Video: Canada’s agricultural markets update – August 8, 2014
Canola closed Friday with a slight gain and rose $8.60 over the week. November closed at $442.90 per tonne on Friday. Slow farmer selling and a weakening loonie supported canola. The market could also be adjusting to ideas that year end canola stocks might be tighter than was forecast just a month ago. Exports this […] Read more
VIDEO: Installing tile drainage a ‘winning proposition’
Yield benefits in wet, dry years | Cost could be up to $600 per acre
ROULEAU, Sask. — Tile drainage hasn’t traditionally been installed on Saskatchewan cropland, but the last several wet years and a backlash against agricultural drainage have sparked interest in the practice. Wayne Weber, designer of the Crary Tile Pro plow from Morgan, Minnesota, predicts a lot more will come. “This is going to be a new […] Read more
VIDEO: Field access to wi-fi eases data collection
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A small antenna mounted on top of a tractor, sprayer or combine can now give farmers wi-fi access in the field from their home router. Ayrstone Productivity of Minnesota created the tractor-based wi-fi system to give farmers access to their farm equipments’ production data and use their laptop, smartphones and other equipment […] Read more
Video: Consul trades field for factories
Canada’s consul general | Former soil conservation specialist now deals with trade issues
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Jamshed Merchant might work in a glass and steel tower in the downtown core of a great American city, but he isn’t afraid to get down and dirty with farmers’ issues. It’s something he’s been doing both literally and metaphorically for decades on both sides of the border. Merchant is Canada’s consul general […] Read more
Canada’s agricultural markets update – August 1, 2014
U.S. soybean futures took another hit Friday, carrying its pain since the start of July into August. That handed canola a bad day too, although the northern oilseed’s recent experience has been far less brutalizing than soybeans.’ Soybeans fell 26 cents on the September Chicago contract and 23 cents for November. Canola fell 16 cents […] Read more
Sufficient soil moisture essential for corn
TABER, Alta. — The next two weeks are crucial in the life of southern Alberta corn plants. The thirsty crop will use six milli-metres of moisture per day once plants reach the tassel stage, so producers need to keep up with their irrigation plans. “As we move into this tassel time … that’s the highest […] Read more
