Wheat prices were, at one point, up over 50 per cent September 2021 over the September previous according to Statistics Canada's latest report. The federal agency said it was the largest increase in the grains index since 2008. Strong demand and tightening supplies in Western Canada strengthened both wheat and barley prices.

Farmer Bill Gehl is wrapping up an eight-year stint as a past chair and director with the Saskatchewan Wheat development commission. He puts the wheat prices in perspective with rising costs rising and reduced production and he believes its too early to worry about soil moisture for spring seeding.

Pork producers are cautiously optimistic about the coming year. Global pork supplies are lower due to African Swine Fever---with China continuing to be most affected. Substantially higher feed prices will have an impact on pork production.

And there haven't been any significant disease issues found in Canada and countries. Florian Possberg is a partner with Polar Pork Farms.  He shares his thoughts on the coming year.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this episode I've picked two of my favourite stories from the archives and combined them into a unique episode.

First, Bob Tosh, a farm and family advisor with MNP. The process of transitioning the farm from one generation to the next is a long and difficult process.

What makes it so difficult is each family farm business is unique and no single approach works for everyone.

Bob will discuss the roadblocks, the importance of being heard, the difference between succession planning and estate planning and the first steps in getting the conversation started.

Control your money so it does not control you.

Vanessa Stockbrugger is a former investment banker on Toronto's Bay Street who went on to found and run Womencents. She says having more money does not necessarily fix things - instead, people need a strategy or action plan to achieve their financial goals.

But what happens when that business is a farm. To reduce stress, she says people must have power and control over their finances. 

Vanessa discusses strategies for dealing with some of the big decisions including when to save, when to spend and when to pay down debt.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The current estimate for the drought reduced canola crop is 12.8 million tonnes . . . but those numbers could change. Market analyst Mike Jubinville is projecting Canadian canola exports will be less than half of the usual 10 million tonnes. He explains how this will affect the canola crushing industry which is very important this country.

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has developed a 12-point plan to help producers following the devastating 2021 drought. The SSGA says it appreciates the federal/provincial Agri-Recovery program . . . which could amount to nearly 300 million dollars for Saskatchewan. But it adds additional measures are needed to safeguard producers into the next growing season.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grocery Prices are Rising. But the farmers' share continues to shrink.

National Farmers Union Vice President Stewart Wells says corporate processors and retailers are the ones benefiting.

Wells will explain consumers need to know that less and less of the money they spend on food actually makes it back to the farmer and retail food prices are high because meat packers, other large processors, and big retailers are taking ever larger shares.

Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers were announced at a special event recently. Jenny Butcher and Wes Kunz run a dairy operation in the Brantford, Ontario region.

Raymond and Tracey Bredenhoff are from Abbotsford, BC. and have a 40-thousand broiler per cycle chicken operation and are also the largest distributors of Canadian grown hops.

We'll hear from both families about winning the award and the successes and challenges they've faced this year.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a growing disparity along the beef supply chain . . . with consumers paying more at the front end and cow/calf producers getting less money on the back end.

Throw in high feed costs and the threat of a strike at Cargill's High River Alberta Beef Processing Plant . . . and there is a lot of dis-satisfaction on the farm. Livestock producer and chair of the Alberta Beef Producers Melanie Wowk will talk about some of those concerns and why she thinks the cattle price cycle is broken.

The labor shortage facing agriculture is limiting the sector's growth potential and causing some operations to question whether they can continue to operate. The labor crunch faced by Canadian agriculture is examined as part of an article posted to the Manitoba Pork Council website and distributed through Manitoba newspapers.

Manitoba Pork General manager Cam Dahl will share his thoughts on the problem and discuss a recent Canadian Agricultural Resources Council survey last year that showed 40 percent of agricultural business had not met their staffing requirements and the possibility of over 135,000 open positions by the end of the decade.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ask any farmer - it doesn’t matter what the commodity prices are if you have no crop to sell. Those short supplies have meant record commodity prices.

Neil Townsend of FarmLink Marketing Solutions says there is going to be very high prices this winter on canola, wheat, and barley. Neil will share some thoughts on what to expect in early 2022.

An outspoken advocate and dedicated researcher on innovations and agriculture has been named the 2021 Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan Champion. Dr. Stuart Smyth has been vocal on social media and outspoken advocate correcting misinformation about agriculture.

Stuart will share why he feels so strongly about why we should be speaking the truth around the industry and what he has shared with his students these past 15 years.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association has warned farmers that seed supply will be tight in 2022. Drought had an impact on seed production. But grain contracts that need to be filled might tempt seed growers to take grain to the elevator instead of keeping it as seed.

Todd Hyra with SeCan talks about how seed production was impacted this year and gives some advice for producers who are still trying to secure seed for the spring.

Ergot is a fungus that can be found in wheat, barley, and rye during wet and damp growing seasons. The ergot body or sclerotia replaces the kernel and turns it a black or dark purple color. These sclerotia contain poisonous chemical compounds, which can cause conditions such as lameness and gangrene in cows. In humans, ergot poisoning is linked to convulsions and hallucinations.

University of Saskatchewan PhD student Jensen Cherewyk is studying how ammonia and UV light can be used to reduce the harmful effect of ergot in cereal crops. Jensen will talk about her research.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report released by Agri-Food Economic Systems suggests the declining number of mid-sized farms in Canada jeopardises the rural institutions that have traditionally supported farms and farm families.The report explores the potential consequences of the decline in the number of small and, especially, medium-sized farms. Research Lead Dr. Al Mussell will share the results of the report how it impacts rural communities and consumers.

The RCMP is advising producers to take precautions against theft from their farms. There is often a focus on larger items or equipment, but those small portable items are expensive and easy to steal. Staff Sergeant Devin Pugh will share some tips for protecting those important items, large or small, and why its important to report all thefts immediately.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers are seeing the benefits in cover crops. That's according to a University of Manitoba survey reflecting the growing use of cover crops on the Prairies.

Callum Morrison, a graduate student at the U of M, created the survey alongside Professor Yvonne Lawley. Morrison says this practice is in the early stage of adoption on the Prairies, there’s not that much information available as to how farmers are integrating cover crops into their operations.

He’ll share the details of the survey and what the roughly 200 farmers shared about their experiences in 2020. There have been many stories about farmers who have experienced problems filling their grain contracts and the repercussions.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan heard from about 200 farmers discussing grain production and struggles filling contracts.

APAS President Todd Lewis said one of the greatest challenges is there does not appear to be a standard way of dealing with theses contractual arrangements.

Lewis will discuss the survey and what they hope to learn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farm Credit Canada says, all things considered, 2020 was a pretty good year for Canadian agriculture and food exporters.

Chief Economist J.P. Gervais will tell us how Canada’s agriculture and food industry has shown resilience during the pandemic and has the potential to emerge from this even stronger. Canada had the highest year-over-year increase for agriculture commodity exports at 13.8 per cent.

Even with challenges on the road ahead, Gervais says the sector is looking very strong.

The canola crop is now in the bin; the Canola Council of Canada is taking the opportunity to remind producers about growing clubroot-resistant canola and the steps needed to keep disease spores from spreading.

Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Autumn Barnes will talk about the newly created infographics for farmers to help them tackle clubroot and strategies for planning for next year's crop.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.