The dry conditions prompted a retired soil scientist to send out a tweet telling farmers they need to soil sample this fall to understand what the nutrient carryover will be next spring. Smaller yields likely mean the fertilizer applied in the spring was not used up and could be available for next years crop. Ross McKenzie will explain how the soil test could possibly save farmers money at seeding time.


A deferred delivery contract locks in the price for a certain quantity of a base grade of grain to be delivered to a certain location at some date in the future. The drought reduced crop means that some producers will not have enough grain to cover even modest contracts. SaskCanola Chair Bernie McClean says commodity groups are reaching out to grain companies asking them to work with producers to reduce contract penalties and administration fees for this year in light of the growing conditions. Bernie will explain what they hope to accomplish during the discussions.

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Herbicide resistance is the ability of an individual plant to survive a herbicide application that would kill a normal population of the same species. Resistant weeds can often survive application of herbicide at rates that are much greater than the recommended rate. Farmer Josh Lade said there is new technology available to deal with this problem.

He'll explain the Seed Terminator, how its being used on his farm, and share the results of some trials.

Ag Transport Coalition (ATC) is a consortium of agriculture groups focused on measuring the service performance of Canada’s rail carriers. QGI Consulting is tasked with compiling this information for the partner groups. Milt Poirier with QGI will share the final results of the 2020-21 crop year and provide some insights for the new crop year. He says less grain to move this year doesn't necessarily mean it will get to port any quicker.

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Herbicide resistance is a growing concern and one of those biggest worries is with wild oats. In fact, the Herbicide Resistant Wild Oat action committee found roughly 69% of wild oat across the prairies display herbicide resistance. Farmer Josh Lade saw the devastating effects of herbicide resistance in his home country of Australia and now farming in west central Saskatchewan he has been dealing with herbicide resistant weeds.

He'll share his strategies for management including patch targeted spraying, herbicide layering and on farm trials.-

The prairies and parts of Ontario are dealing with extremely dry conditions. There has been a great deal of focus on grains, oilseeds, and the livestock sector. Wayne Dobbie with Nutrien will discuss forage seed stands and provides a strategy for preparing the crop for 2022.

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Do More Ag Foundation says more and more farmers are reaching out and asking for help because of the devastating effects of drought. The dry and hot conditions have impacted both the cattle and grain side. Executive Director Adele Stewart says farmers need to be supported and encouraged to take care of their mental well being now and, in the days, to come.

I talked to Adelle last fall about the work of the organization and the importance of producers needing to know they are not alone, and they have an entire industry behind them.

Dominican Republic is experiencing an outbreak of African Swine Fever. Dr. Paul Sundberg is the Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center. Sundberg says he is confident the first outbreak of African Swine Fever identified in the Western Hemisphere in more than 40 years will not alter the level of risk for North America.

Sundberg explains the outbreak was identified through a cooperative surveillance program where banked tissue samples from sick, dying, and dead pigs as well as feral pigs collected in the Dominican Republic are sent to the USDA's Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab.

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The drought conditions in Western Canada and other parts of the country have caused a great deal of stress for producers. There will be crop losses. Now farmers are worried about filling grain and oilseed contracts. Senior commodity analyst Wayne Palmer says the situation is dire and producers need to be proactive in dealing with those contracts.

A new app is showing how shelterbelts are helping the environment. Research at the University of Saskatchewan is showing the benefits of planting trees. Bryan Mood with USask will discuss the app, how its showing the economic value of shelterbelts and is also helping landowners determine the best trees to grow.

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The prairies are dry.  While some farmers are dealing with this drought for the first year several ranchers have been struggling through these conditions for a number of years. Tamara Carter is the president of the Saskatchewan Forage Council and farms near Lacadena, Sask. She talks about how they are coping on her farm and why its more important then ever for farmers and ranchers to support each other.

The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization or VIDO-InterVac as its known, is pursuing two options for protecting pigs from the ravages of African Swine fever. African Swine Fever is not present in North America, but it continues to spread in Europe and Asia. Dr. Andrew Van Kessel, the Associate Director Research with VIDO-Intervac says the virus is complex, making vaccine development has been challenging.

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Indigenous Works is a national organization tasked with helping to create opportunities for indigenous companies. President and CEO Kelly Lendsay says part of that has been to increase indigenous engagement in agri-business.

Kelly will talk about the work of the organization and a new project to develop a national strategy to improve diversity and inclusion of Indigenous groups in the Canadian agriculture.

The first protein fractionation plant for faba bean is slated to begin operations this fall. It will be in an existing mill north of Edmonton. The facility will continue to produce a substitute for peanut butter . . . with the feedstock switched from peas to faba beans.

Brad Goudy is the President of Faba Canada. He will talk about the conversion of the plant and exciting opportunities for faba bean growers.

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4-H youth members across the country now have access to a new mental health activity kit. Unbox Your Mind is part of the broader Healthy Living Initiative. 4-H Canada chief marketing officer Liz Jarvis says the resource will empower youth to get to know themselves better and find mental health practices and solutions that best fit their unique needs. Liz will also share how 4-H Canada has been moving through the pandemic and how the local clubs have been coping.

A new report says one of the biggest worries for farmers would be a sudden increase in interest rates. Farm Credit Canada principal economist Craig Klemmer says a sharp rise in interest rates could have a significant impact on the ability of farm operations to service debt. Craig says there is a way to prepare, and producers need to understand their financial situation and be prepared to adjust their business plans so they can weather the 

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The agribusiness industry in Canada faced many challenges. Labour shortages, competition from foreign players, rising land costs, shifting weather patterns, and of course, the pandemic.

A report from KPMG says the future agriculture depends on its willingness to embrace technology and ultimately build a more sustainable, resilient system. David Guthrie, national agribusiness sector leader for KPMG, will share a report on why agriculture should be transformed into a high-tech industry.

The rollercoaster ride of the commodity markets continues. Senior crops analyst Wayne Palmer says after record highs, prices dropped off again. He will talk about the factors contributing to this 'price chaos' and gives some advice for farmers still trying to make decisions about whether or not to lock in prices.

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To help farmers and agri-businesses find new ways to make their operations more sustainable the federal government has created the Agricultural Clean Technology Program. $50 million of the $165 million designated for the program will go specifically towards the purchase of more efficient grain dryers. Are there products out there that can meet the guidelines set out in the program.

Triple Green Products of Manitoba has created BioDryAir that uses biomass material to fire up those dryers eliminating the need for natural gas or propane. Lyall Wiebe will explain the new dryer and how it fits into the federal governments’ new strategy.

A California ballot initiative set to take effect at the end of the year has implications for the production of livestock throughout the United States and Canada. Proposition 12 imposes new minimum space requirement for calves raised for veal, breeding sows, and laying hens and restricts the use of certain production practices and bans the sale of product from any farm that fails to meet those standards.

National Pork Producers assistant vice president and general counsel Michael Formica explains what this means for anyone that supplies meat products to Californians and the concerns it raises for all of North Americas producers. To help farmers and agri-businesses find new ways to make their operations more sustainable the federal government has created the Agricultural Clean Technology Program. $50 million of the $165 million designated for the program will go specifically towards the purchase of more efficient grain dryers.

Are there products out there that can meet the guidelines set out in the program. Triple Green Products of Manitoba has created BioDryAir that uses biomass material to fire up those dryers eliminating the need for natural gas or propane. Lyall Wiebe will explain the new dryer and how it fits into the federal governments’ new strategy.

A California ballet initiative set to take effect at the end of the year has implications for the production of livestock throughout the United States and Canada. Proposition 12 imposes new minimum space requirement for calves raised for veal, breeding sows, and laying hens and restricts the use of certain production practices and bans the sale of product from any farm that fails to meet those standards.

National Pork Producers assistant vice president and general counsel Michael Formica explains what this means for anyone that supplies meat products to Californians and the concerns it raises for all of North Americas producers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.