Agriculture insights, views and expert opinions.

  Today in my relentless “going to the ends of the earth” search for knowledge on how to grow better crops and improve beef production profitability, I am in Campbell River, B.C. salmon fishing. I think I was fishing, although at times Wednesday morning it was much more like doing research on how other  people

This week, John Deere invited members of the ag media to Indianapolis, Indiana, to see the official unveiling of its new 2012 product line up. The event was part of the company’s dealer convention and new product training. Just like AGCO’s Kansas City launch two weeks prior, farm writers had a chance to not only

Here are a couple interesting columns from totally different observers on the actions and role of the Canadian Wheat Board, as the wheat marketing monopoly era comes to an end. Wednesday August 24 was the final day for getting ballots on the CWB referendum on the monopoly in the mail.  Many people will know Brenda

  Whether you agreed with his politics or not, you have to give Jack Layton credit for the character and courage he showed in the final days of his life. It was just under a month ago, he mustered his strength and hobbled into a news conference — a frail looking figure — to announce

So I have had a couple suggestions on this mystery photo I took of a canola field in the Westlock area last week. The crop looked nice and uniform except for these flowered strips and I did see a couple other fields with similar patterns. I thought it might be something to do with compaction,

This week (starting on the 8th) AGCO is holding its North American dealer convention in Kansas City, Missouri. I was one of the members of the farm media invited to attend the opening ceremony and product introduction portion. That gala evening made the event seem more like a night at the Oscars than a farm

A friend of mine who works on the oil rigs says he doesn’t like being out on the prairie because there is nothing to see. But I beg to differ. I just got back from an amazing road trip from Calgary to Neerlandia (north of Edmonton) and the drive there and back was like a

Now here is something you really don’t want in your field. No, I’m not talking about Kelly Bennett, portfolio marketing leader, cereal herbicides with Dow Agrosciences (pictured left). I’m talking about the very robust wild buckwheat plant he is holding. Bennett, a Saskatchewan farm boy who has been with DAS for 25 years, made the

Two western Canadian research and commodity organizations have announced the appointments of key management positions. At the Western Grains Research Foundation based in Saskatoon, Garth Patterson has been named executive director, taking over a position previously held by Lanette Kuchenski, who resigned earlier this year. Prior to joining WGRF, Patterson has been well known in

The sheer spectacle of seeing six high-horsepower, four-wheel drive tractors working in one field at the same time made attending last week’s vertical tillage field day worth the trip; everything else was a bonus. Held near Lipton, Saskatchewan, and organized by Tri-Star Farm Services (www.tristarfarms.com), implements and factory reps from three manufacturers were on hand.