Agripod

Identifying forage efficient cattle was the focus of a study conducted by Dr. Greg Penner at the University of Saskatchewan. The study focused its work on individual operations to compare cattle within a herd instead of across herds. it involves a comparison in their owned herds by weighing the cattle, assessing the body condition, and recording the day of calving. Dr. Penner shares some of things...

I’m away this week.  Here is one of my favourite episodes to hold you over until I get back. The farming industry is constantly changing. New innovations are being developed to make farms more efficient. A research project involving at Naicam, a Saskatchewan consulting company and the University of Regina is looking for a way to reduce environmental impact and save money. Cory Willness of CropPro...

California Proposition 12 is an initiative that sets new standards for space allowance for raising of animals that produce the pork sold in that state. It has raised concerns in Canada because not only will this apply to farmers in California but to all farmers in North America who sell pork into that state. Manitoba Pork general manager Cam Dahl says the issue is now being brought to the attentio...

Hundreds of Canadian scientists and researchers were in Saskatchewan for a conference marking the conclusion of the seven-year Global Water Futures program. Global Water Futures was established with a $78 million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. The University of Saskatchewan was one of four leading institutions with the others including Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier, and McMaster...

Healthy feet and hooves are extremely important for bulls, especially heading into breeding season. Dr. Chris Clark at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan talks about what to look for to prevent hoof problems in bulls and cows and the ground-breaking equipment being used at the Vet College to trim cattle hooves and treat foot problems. The Do More Agricultu...

The first revision of the Prairie Nutrient Removal Calculator in more than 20 years is now available online for producers and agronomists. The updated version covers more crops, 15 in total, as well micro-nutrients boron, zinc, and copper. It was a three-year process covering 2020, 2021 and 2022 Dr. Fran Walley, along with Dr. Rich Farrell are the research scientists with the University of Saskatc...

Wild pigs are an invasive species that damage crops, and the environment. As well they are at high risk for the spread of disease. That's why the Governments of Canada and Manitoba, in collaboration with Manitoba’s agricultural sector, launched the Squeal on Pigs campaign to inform the public about the damage caused by wild pigs and what to watch for in order to report sightings. The coordinator f...

More than ever consumers are curious about how and where their food is produced. Amy te Plate-Church is the Director of the U.S. based Center for Food Integrity. She says consumer trends and developments in consumer perceptions have far reaching implications for farmers. She says some of the factor’s consumers consider when making purchasing decisions are changing. The General Manager of Manitoba...

A former president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says the agriculture industry has been hurt by international activist and protest organizations. Tim McMillian, who was also a Saskatchewan cabinet minister in Brad Wall's government, is concerned these same groups are, more then ever before, turning their attention to the farming community. Farmland values continued to...

Live cattle prices are at their highest point in eight years. Brenna Grant, the executive director of Canfax in Calgary, says the first quarter of 2023 has been a good one for both cow/calf producers and feedlots. A smaller supply of live cattle in North America has forced processors to pay more for feeder cattle and slaughter cows. Brenna will discuss prospects for the rest of the year. The aging...

Farmers across the prairies are ready for the snow to disappear so they can start Plant 2023.   Three farmers from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba talk to me about their seeding preparations and some of the issues they are concerned about facing the ag sector. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian Western Agribition’s Next Gen Mentorship Program was created to support the next generation of agriculture leaders. The program matches eight young leaders in the agriculture industry with professionals for an 18-month mentorship where they gain skills and experiences to advance their careers. David McTaggart is one of the mentees in the fourth cohort. He has been partnered with Protein I...

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (CRSC) is nearing completion of a document that highlights the sustainable practices used on Canadian farms. The goal is to develop a tool that can be used to convey these messages around sustainability and quality to domestic and international buyers, as well as the Canadian public and government. Jason Lenz is the CRSC chair and a farmer from Alberta...

Later this year, the first three students will graduate from the Distance Delivery Option of the Registered Veterinary Technologist Program at SaskPolyTech in Saskatoon, Sask.   These three students were able to take most of their classes online, as well as gaining experience at a local veterinary clinic that provides large animal care services.   Rural areas of Western Canada are not only experie...

4-H Canada Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction (LEAD) recognize outstanding members who show 4-H values in the way they live their lives. The awards honour youth who have become exceptional leaders through their 4-H experience, and who share the best of themselves with their community. Kate Axton from Saskatchewan is one of the recipients of the $20,000 scholarship for her post secondary e...

Canadian's dependence on exports makes the prevention and preparation for foreign animal disease critical. In response to the threat of African Swine Fever, the Saskatchewan government and the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board have contributed one million dollars to support swine disease mitigation, including adding a dedicated cull line into the North 49 sow processing facility being built in M...

The Palette Skills Digital Agriculture Specialist program was created to prepare people for jobs in the agriculture sector in several areas including farm robotics, agriculture automation and food processing. Program manager Ednali Fertuck-Zehavi says it was designed to prepare people with already have some post-secondary education, with the skills they need for jobs in the agriculture industry. E...

On-farm research has become a powerful decision-making tool for farmers, especially when it comes to making management decisions on their own operation. On-farm research can provide meaningful information specific to your soils, farming practices, and local conditions, allowing you to make management decisions with confidence. Christiane Catellier with the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundat...

African Swine Fever has been confirmed in two dead wild boars in Greece. This is the first report of ASF in Greece since 2020. Dr. Paul Sundberg, the Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center, says North America can learn a lot from Greece and other countries when it comes to controlling the spread of ASF. Applications can now be made under the Advance Payments program---better kno...

The Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair with the University of Saskatchewan is confident genetic improvements accomplished through gene editing will contribute to lower food prices in Canada. U-Sask associate professor Dr. Stuart Smyth says one of the challenges is there isn't a regulatory system for gene edited livestock.   The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board has launche...

The livestock industry is very concerned about the shortage of veterinarians. But what are the main issues that are preventing post-secondary students from getting into and then staying in the veterinary profession? Alberta Veterinarian Sydney Crosby spoke to the recent Saskatchewan Beef Industry Symposium and share some of her thoughts on how the sector can change to help keep vets in the industr...

Preliminary results of research show pigs can be stimulated into engaging in play. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine and the Prairie Swine Centre are exploring the prospects of using play to improve the emotional well being of pigs and improve their resilience and performance. In one experiment the behavior of two groups of pigs provided intermittent play opportunities was compared to a c...

It's the time of year when many producers and agronomists are attending trade shows, industry meetings and annual general meetings hoping to gain some insights for the next growing season. Chuck Penner with Leftfield Commodity Research gave his outlook for the grains and oilseed markets at Western Canadian Crop Production Show in Saskatoon. He says he's not a predictor but rather spends time doing...

It’s no surprise to grain and oilseed producers that 2022 was a year of great uncertainty. The senior analyst with FarmLink Marketing Solutions Neil Townsend says the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a key market factor in the past year and any restrictions to the flow of grain out of Ukraine this year will have far reaching affects on commodity markets. Moving to the pork market, despite exception...

It's estimated soil salinity is affecting anywhere from five to 10 million acres on the Canadian Prairies. Establishing perennial forages is one of the top recommended methods to manage saline soils for the long term. At a Forage Crop Walk in northeast Saskatchewan where producer Harvey Heavin shared his story of how he converted 90 acres of poorly producing saline land to a productive forage crop...