Buffalo beans adorn the pastures, field edges and even kitchen tables of many Prairie farms and ranches — but the pretty plant is now also being picked for its potential properties as a cancer fighter. Experiments show compounds extracted from buffalo bean leaves have potential to fight a class of cancers that includes multiple myeloma, […] Read more
Guenther: Buffalo bean more than floral for cancer researchers
Guenther (video): Northwestern Sask. fire hazard looms over farms
Judy Wilkinson was planting potatoes on Thursday when she had a bad feeling: the dry weather was just right for a fire. “It’s scary out there. The buffalo don’t want to eat hay anymore,” said Wilkinson, who with her husband Kevin raises bison on the forest’s edge near Turtle Lake, Sask. “They’re on the move, […] Read more
Guenther: Alta. cutworms sought for mapping, posterity
If you’re an Alberta farmer and your crops have got cutworms, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development wants to know. Scott Meers, an entomologist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, is asking farmers to report cutworms online. The province uses those reports to create an interactive map displaying cutworm sightings. Meers and provincial insect research technologist […] Read more
Guenther: Reseeding already considered in parts of Sask.
While farmers in northwestern Saskatchewan are getting seed into the ground, warm weather tops their wish lists. Frost is “going to be our biggest enemy here, coming up this weekend, I think,” said Geoff Schick, assistant location manager for AgriTeam Services at Glaslyn, Sask., about 65 km north of North Battleford. As of Friday, weekend […] Read more
Crop tour in Russia, Ukraine finds mid-sized farms under pressure
Conflict in Ukraine has left the country’s farmers in a tight spot, as they’ve told agronomist Mike Lee. Lee, who grew up in the U.K. but has managed large farms in Ukraine and worked in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia, traveled 5,000 km through Ukraine and Russia in late March, evaluating winter crops and talking to farmers. […] Read more
Guenther: Farmers keep minority stake in CWB, for now
While G3 Global Grain Group is set to scoop a majority stake in CWB, grain farmers will be able to hold onto some equity in the former Canadian Wheat Board over the next seven years at the least. G3 is a new joint venture between Bunge Canada and Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment (SALIC) Canada, […] Read more
Guenther: ‘Full story’ sought on crop health in Ukraine, Russia
Given the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, the country might seem like a risky place to conduct a 10-day crop tour. But Mike Lee’s confident he can pull it off. “A lot of people think we’re completely nuts for going there. But to me, it’s not that crazy. It’s a fairly normal, straightforward place if […] Read more
Guenther: McDonald’s sustainability goals to reach beyond beef
Farmers who want to keep supplying the world’s biggest quick-service restaurant chains can expect more scrutiny of their methods going forward. That’s because the chains’ customers appear to be looking for more sustainably-produced food — so companies such as McDonald’s in turn are looking for third-party verification to prove the ingredients they source make the […] Read more
Cheaper crude clouds Canada’s economic fortunes
While dropping oil prices have boosted the U.S. economy, how the price slump will affect the outlook north of the border remains a question mark from where Canada’s largest lender sits. “In Canada, it’s a little bit less clear-cut. And the reason is our energy sector is much larger as a share of the overall […] Read more
Guenther: Indigenous ag summit cultivates global ambition
Elmer Eashappie is an idea man. And on his mind today is an agricultural summit connecting First Nations groups worldwide to network and learn, all under the umbrella of Canadian Western Agribition. And that idea is closer to reality than one may think. Eashappie, an Agribition board member, is chairman of the Indigenous Agriculture Summit, […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
