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.

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The return to normalcy in the in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is fuelling some of the highest hog prices in years. North American live hog prices, pressured by changing consumption patterns and reduced processing capacity, have rebounded dramatically since this time one year ago, driven in part, by the reopening of the U.S. economy.

Tyler Fulton, the Director of Risk Management with HAMS Marketing Services will explain the remarkable turnaround for the market and how it has been able to recover from last years huge shock to the value chain.

There is new technology being developed that would spot control weeds using artificial intelligence while passing over a field. It could reduce pesticide use by as much as 95 per cent. Dan McCann is the founder and CEO of Precision.ai. He will share some history on the project, ongoing research and how it could be a game changer for agriculture and the environment.

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COVID-19 had an immediate impact on gatherings. Several agricultural conferences, events and meetings were either cancelled or switched to a virtual format in order to continue to deliver information to farmers. Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Crops Extension Specialist Allie Noble is involved with the planning with many events. The pandemic certainly changed how these activities were delivered but she says it wasn't all bad news. In fact, the pandemic taught organizers a lot about what farmers want and how they want to receive information. Noble says things will return to normal, but it will be a new normal.

Manitoba's pork producers applauded the government's passage of new bills designed to enhance the ability of farmers to enforce biosecurity protocols. Prior to adjourning for its summer recess, the Manitoba Legislature passed the Animal Diseases, Petty Trespass and Occupiers’ Liability Amendment Acts. Manitoba Pork General Manager Cam Dahl said this will help ensure that farmers can help protect their animals from biosecurity threats.

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Ground-breaking research in fertilizer techniques from a soil science expert could increase yield for producers. Dr. Jeff Schoenau and a team of colleagues have recently published a soil study  that could change fertilizer techniques and increase crop yields for prairie producers.

This new research, conducted using the Canadian Light Source synchrotron at the University of Saskatchewan analyzed the reaction that fertilizers undergo once they hit the soil, and how effective current techniques are in retaining nutrients and micronutrients for plants to use. Schoenau will explain how this can improve a farmers bottom line.

Reduced international airline travel, masking, and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is being credited for a dramatic reduction in Influenza and other respiratory infections this year. Dr. Susan Detmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathology with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. She says the number of cases of Influenza did go up slightly during the winter but dropped again, and, for humans, there have been record low numbers.

Detmer tells us why this information is important when dealing with infections in the animal population and the concerns it generates.

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The Soil Conservation Council of Canada is the face and voice of soil conservation and health in Canada. It works with the value chain to advocate for government and industry, promote the benefits of improved soils and demonstrate best management practices to achieve healthier soils across the agricultural landscape.

Executive Director Jim Tokarchuk will share the work of the council and explains one of the efforts to raise public awareness through the SOIL YOUR UNDIES program.

Art Lange is an independent farm business consultant based near Edmonton. Art has worked in many areas of the agriculture and food industry in Alberta and B.C. for almost 40 years.

He has experience in the farm machinery industry, feed industry, inspection work with the federal government, living and working on a hog farm, and selling veterinary medicines for a multi-national drug company.For for 20 years he worked at Alberta Agriculture. Art took all of those experiences and created his own consulting business called AJL Consulting.

He's going to talk about his experience creating business plans for farm operations and shares some of the dos and don'ts of getting this important document together and why every farm should have one.

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