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With many crops stranded in fields across the Prairies until spring, this harvest season was not one that could have been planned – if you’d had a choice. What can you do to reduce your risk of losing more money if your grains are low quality, tough or damp or still out in the field? Brian Wittal of Pro Com Marketing looks at a variety of factors you should consider, such as insurance and grain quality, before attempting to salvage a horrid harvest. Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/12/managing-risk-in-a-bad-harvest-year

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Most farmers know the basics of farm business success such as reining in costs, keeping production skills up, watching markets, et cetera. Farm business management opportunities such as peer groups, financial analyses, and performance benchmarks offer even more of a leg up to help modern farmers maintain success. But in today’s volatile world, is that enough? For recommendations from David Kohl, one of North America’s top farm financial brains, read: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/10/boost-the-survival-odds-of-your-farm

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When it comes to reducing the risk of on-farm fires, maintenance and prevention are your best defence. Ontario grain farmer and volunteer firefighter captain Dave McEachren says the leading causes of fire and calls to emergency services due to fires in grain dryers and storage bins are mechanical failures and a lack of maintenance. So what should you be on the lookout for to help prevent your grain dryer and harvest efforts from going up in smoke? Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/10/mechanical-issues-often-cause-grain-dryer-fires

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Manitoba’s dwindling pastures have some provincial livestock specialists urging producers to take another look at watering systems. Pam Iwanchysko, for one, is stressing the importance of, “getting those livestock out of the dugouts,” as water supplies continue to lag in some areas. Solar watering systems, for example, could help preserve scant water supplies by piping cleaner water to cattle and avoiding the dirt and nutrient buildup associated with cattle wading into their main water source.  Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/09/time-to-get-piping

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Canada's beef industry is frequently urged to share its story with the world, and the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) program took a step in this direction by working to build trust and communication with those who meet with the consumer everyday: Canada’s top young chefs. Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/08/young-beef-cattle-producers-connect-with-top-chefs

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An Ontario hops grower says a bylaw passed earlier this year means they have fewer rights than apple and grape growers to direct market to consumers. The bylaw – which aims to put breweries in industrial zones – means only farmers growing grapes and apples can create on-farm consumer products with an alcohol content. While apple growers can offer direct-to-consumer sales of cider, and grape growers have a similar right for their wine, hops growers, potato growers and even beekeepers are out of luck if they wish to produce beer, vodka or mead. Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/07/hopping-mad

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Genetically engineered alfalfa is gaining traction in Ontario — but don’t expect to see it in Alberta any time soon. During its June board meeting, the Alberta Forage Industry Network reaffirmed its 2016 position that Alberta should remain GE alfalfa free. “Plain and simple, we’d have a loss of markets,” said hay grower and marketer John Bland. “It would be devastating to the hay and seed industries to have GE alfalfa.” For the cover story in the latest issue of the Alberta Farmer Express, Jennifer Blair reports on the latest discussions taking place on genetically engineered alfalfa and why Alberta growers and industry representatives are hitting the brakes on putting seeds in the ground. Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/06/does-genetically-engineered-alfalfa-have-a-place-in-alberta

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As farmers gear up to fill their sprayers, it's worth considering what's in the other 999 gallons in the sprayer tank. If you're wondering how water hardness can take the edge off weed control in the field, have a look at Exhibits A, B and C -- plots where glyphosate was applied at 2/3 of the label rate, but with water hardness of 120, 400 and 1,200 ppm respectively. Read: https://www.grainews.ca/2019/06/14/les-henry-know-the-quality-of-water-your-using-to-mix-with-herbicides/

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No matter how you measure it, Canadian farm income took a big hit in 2018. The two biggest culprits were flat revenues, in part because of trade restrictions, and higher expenses, including for commercial feed, interest and machinery fuel. Bill Campbell, a farmer at Minto, Manitoba, having felt the “squeeze” in his own operation, isn’t surprised. “I can see a trend that is concerning,” said Campbell, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP). “We are continually paying more expenses and not necessarily generating more revenue as an industry.” Story here: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/06/flat-revenue-higher-expenses-squeeze-canadian-farmers

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San Eng thinks the agri-food technology investment climate in Canada might improve, but a “venture capital ecosystem” must develop quickly or the nation will lose out. “The people I’ve talked to are overlooking the sector — they don’t think it’s sexy enough, which is disappointing because the potential is there.” (AzmanJaka/Getty Images photo) The story: https://www.agcanada.com/2019/05/investing-in-agricultural-technology

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Canada’s biggest malting company is poised to come in on its Australian parent company’s spinoff of its global malting business, into what would be the fourth-biggest player in the industry. Read: https://www.grainews.ca/daily/canada-malting-to-join-graincorps-global-malting-spinoff

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After a hot, dry summer in the Cypress Hills region of Saskatchewan, Rick Toney knew some budgeting was in order to ensure his cows would be properly fed this winter. “Due to the lack of rain, pastures are not as good as they normally are in the Gull Lake area. And our silage tonnage was down to maybe half of what it would normally be and hay production was down to half,” he said. “This year we will be completely out of hay,” he added, noting that he’s unsure how far the silage he does have will stretch. And there's more than just the financial cost to consider during a feed shortage. Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2018/12/consider-more-than-cost-during-a-winter-feed-shortage

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One of the most prominent -- and unlikely -- advocates for the beef cattle sector is both a vegetarian and a rancher, challenging the accepted wisdom that cattle production is worse for the environment than gas-guzzling SUVs. Nicolette Hahn Niman brought her defense of the industry to the recent Organic Alberta conference. Read: https://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2018/03/02/cattle-arent-actually-killing-the-planet-says-vegetarian-rancher/

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it’s estimated that about 80 per cent of the malt sold comes from about 20 per cent of barley growers in Western Canada. Is there a way for growers to get into that elite 20 per cent who capture the lion’s share of malt sales? Well, yes and no. Read: https://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2018/02/20/trying-to-grow-malt-can-make-you-cry-in-your-beer-2/

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Brian Mulroney on Trump and NAFTA at CropConnect in Winnipeg: “When fear and anger fuel public debate, history teaches us that protectionist impulses can easily become a convenient handmaid. History also demonstrates, in Europe, North America and throughout Asia, that the best antidote to protectionism is more liberalized trade, not less.” Read more: https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/non-partisan-approach-needed-for-canada-u-s-trade-relations/

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One telling phrase sums it up: ’There are no winners except the lawyers when a dispute over the family farm leads to litigation.’ When it gets to that point, the family is pretty badly damaged, says Don Good, a lawyer of 30 years who’s seen his fair share of farm litigation cases. It goes without saying that no farm family ever wants to end up in court, so what can you do to help protect it from happening? Angela Lovell of Country Guide talked with Good, who has some advice to help keep family farms – and families – from being torn apart in court. Read: https://www.agcanada.com/2018/01/courting-disaster

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They were a welcome addition in Manitoba farmers’ fields this summer, but the overwintering habits of this non-native species now have some rural residents irked. Read: https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/local/asian-lady-beetle-population-swarms-across-manitoba/