File photo of a sunrise over an Alberta barley crop. (MNphotography/iStock/Getty Images)

Alberta issues final crop report for year

Harvest over 98 per cent done by region and crop type

MarketsFarm –– For the second year in a row the Alberta harvest wrapped up well ahead of the five-year average. With a gain of three points for the week ended Tuesday, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AFRED) pegged the combining of major crops at 99.2 per cent complete. That’s 22 and a half […] Read more

Continued drought conditions are forcing cattle into feedlots and moving cow-calf producers to reduce their numbers.

No relief in sight for drought-stricken U.S. cattle producers

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

Drought continues to afflict the U.S. cattle/beef industry. Since I last wrote about its consequences in my May column, conditions have only gotten worse in many parts of the country and there is no relief in sight. These conditions continue to force cattle into feedlots and cow-calf producers to keep reducing their beef cow numbers […] Read more


DLF unveiled a new “corporate visual identity” in September 2022. (DLF video screengrab via YouTube)

DLF Pickseed to shed ‘Pickseed’

Danish firm streamlines North American brand

A historic Canadian name in the forage seed business is about to end its run, as its owner tightens up its branding in North America. Danish forage and turf seed firm DLF announced Oct. 6 it has “unified its brand and business” under that name, dropping the “DLF Pickseed” moniker it had used in North […] Read more

(Creativex/iStock/Getty Images)

Manitoba’s harvest 79 per cent complete, report says

Cereal harvest wrapped in most areas

MarketsFarm — Harvest operations across Manitoba were 79 per cent complete as of Tuesday, according to the latest crop report from the provincial agriculture department. That figure was up from 63 per cent the previous week, but two weeks off the five-year average of 89 per cent. Harvest progress was the most advanced in central […] Read more


Parasite control in the feedlot

Parasite control in the feedlot

Strategic deworming methods to maximize product efficacy and cattle productivity

If there was a tool available for Canadian cattle feeders to improve both weight gain and disease resistance, what would it be worth to implement? What if that tool was as simple as deworming cattle on arrival?  As simple as deworming is, not every feedyard opts to do it. Whether the perception is that feedlot […] Read more

Pay attention to what the cows can tell you — they’re likely all carrying worms, but the ones that have a high body condition score probably aren’t carrying as many worms.

When the worms come marching in

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Gastrointestinal parasites are an unavoidable fact of life. Cattle often consume parasitic worm larvae along with the forage they graze. The larvae take up residence in different parts of the digestive system, develop into adults and lay eggs. The eggs are deposited in the feces, where they hatch and release larvae. These larvae eventually leave […] Read more


Degraded pastures or pastures converted to cropland offer more opportunity to increase soil carbon.

More grass, less gas, more money

Good grazing management pays dividends for both farmer and the environment

As Canada works to reach the goals set in its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, many industries, including agriculture, are looking at ways to cut emissions, but discussed less often are measures to prevent them in the first place.  Alberta rancher and custom grazier Steve Kenyon is the lead grazing mentor in the Canadian Forage and […] Read more




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Saskatchewan harvest advances under varied rainfall

Harvest ahead of five-year average

MarketsFarm — Saskatchewan’s harvest progressed during the week of Sept. 20-26 despite variable weather conditions across the province, according to Saskatchewan’s weekly crop report released on Sept. 29. As of Sept. 26, 81 per cent of the province’s harvest was complete, up eight percentage points from the previous week and six points ahead of the […] Read more