T

Volume 41, Number 7 | MARCH 10, 2015
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PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER
www.grainews.ca
RESISTING
FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT
By Lisa Guenther
T
here’s been a lot of effort
put into breeding fusarium-resistant varieties,
Dr. Anita Brûlé-Babel
told CropSphere delegates in
Saskatoon in January.
But developing cereal varieties
resistant to fusarium head blight
(FHB) is more like a marathon
than a sprint.
“There’s been a lot of breeding
challenges. And I know a lot of
farmers have been very frustrated
— especially in Manitoba — frustrated about the fact that it took
us a long time to get anything
better than what we have,” said
Brûlé-Babel.
Brûlé-Babel is a wheat breeder
and researcher with the University
of Manitoba, based out of Carman.
She’s been working on FHB since
1999.
Plant breeders are making
progress, especially in the Canada
Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat
class. In Seed Manitoba 2014,
more than 25 per cent of CWRS
lines were rated moderately resistant.
The Canada Prairie Spring Red
and General Purpose classes have
some improved varieties coming
Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240
through as well, Brûlé-Babel said.
But Hard Whites and durums
have a long way to go, she added.
Dr. Curtis Pozniak, a University
of Saskatchewan researcher, is
introducing resistant genes from
other species into durum to boost
resistance.
“He’s made some good progress
there, but we’re still quite a ways
from actually having a variety,”
she said.
Fortifying resistance
Plant breeders have identified
several types of FHB resistance,
but they’re focusing on two, BrûléBabel told delegates. Type one
is resistance to initial infection.
Often it’s linked to differences in
flowering type — for example,
whether anthers push out.
Type two is resistance to disease spread within the spike
itself, Brûlé-Babel said. It’s one of
the strongest types of resistance
researchers have at their disposal,
she added.
Researchers have also pinpointed resistant genes. BrûléBabel said one gene, FHB 1, is
particularly effective.
“Because it’s got type two resistance, it also seems to have some
good DON resistance in it as well.
It is our strongest source of resistance. And it is quite widely used,”
she said.
A second gene, FHB 2, also
offers resistance. Plants with FHB
2 alone may have high disease
levels. But plants with both genes
have better FHB resistance, BrûléBabel said.
While researchers can map
markers linked to resistant genes
in the lab, they still have to do
field work to see how plants react
to FHB infection. They prepare an
inoculum in the lab to infect the
plants. When the plants flower,
researchers spray them with
the inoculum. Three days later,
researchers inoculate plants again.
And researchers mist-irrigate the
plants to create the humidity FHB
thrives on.
“We’re creating a perfect storm
for this disease,” said Brûlé-Babel.
Without these measures, it would
be more difficult to get FHB infections every year, she said.
Researchers then look at the
plants’ responses to the infection.
They measure the percentage of
infected spikes, and the percentage of infected spikelets on the
spike. These numbers are used to
rate the disease resistance.
Disease ratings reflect a range
of resistance rather than a single
set percentage. For example, a
variety could have 30 per cent
infected spikes, with 30 per cent
of the spikelets affected. Another
variety could have 40 per cent
infected spikes, with 50 per cent
of the spikelets affected. Both
varieties would be rated moderately resistant.
The challenges
Plant breeders face many hurdles in the race to FHB resistance.
There isn’t a single gene that
guarantees resistance. Fusarium
resistance comes from “many,
many genes,” each with a small
effect, that create resistance
when combined, Brûlé-Babel
explained.
The very nature of fusarium
presents a challenge. The pathogen is a necotroph, meaning it
kills the plant and feeds off dead
tissue. “It’s not like a rust, where a
rust needs a living plant to survive
on. This pathogen will continue
to grow quite happily on the crop
residues and it doesn’t need the
plant to be alive to do that.”
Abundant inoculum in fields
causes problems for farmers, of
In This Issue
photo: istock
Plant breeders are making progress in developing wheat
varieties that are resistant, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint
course. For researchers, it means
“plant defence responses are
really complex,” says Brûlé-Babel.
Another stumbling block is
the lack of understanding of the
way plants and fusarium interact. Brûlé-Babel says they’ve
done many studies looking at
how plants respond to infection.
“And a whole slew of things
happen all at once. And yet we
still are trying to figure out what
are the key things we need to
work on.”
There are also several different fusarium types. Luckily for
plant breeders, the same resistance genes seem to work across
the board, Brûlé-Babel said. This
means plant breeders don’t need
a specific program for each fusarium type.
Linkage drag is another obstacle. When plant breeders introduce new genes to wheat, undesirable genes tag along, BrûléBabel explained. She said it takes
a lot of time to break those linkages, although researchers have
managed to cut many of them.
Measuring disease and setting
resistance levels are also challenges, she added.
» continued on page 4
Wheat & Chaff .................. 2
Features . ........................... 5
Crop Advisor’s Casebook . 8
Columns ............................ 17
Machinery & Shop............. 24
Cattleman’s Corner .......... 31
AGCO’s pre-owned program
SCOTT GARVEY page 24
MAXXUM UPDATES
scott garvey page 26
FarmLife ............................ 35
2
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Wheat & Chaff
STAMPEDEBY JERRY PALEN
Leeann
Minogue
I
“It’s why they call it ‘team-roping’
Flo! We’re supposed to be a team!”
contact us
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If you have story ideas, call us. You can write
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hearts
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When you renew your subscription to
Grainews, be sure to ask for six Please
Be Careful, We Love You hearts. Then
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f you’re a subscriber, I’m
sure you’ve noticed your
mailbox has been a little
more full than usual over
the past couple of months.
We publish Grainews 18 times
per year, but our schedule is a
little erratic — we mail out six of
these 18 issues in February and
March. You’ll see one more issue
this month, then after that, we’ll
be back to something closer to
monthly for the rest of the year.
This is intentional, not some
sort of tax scam. It’s our understanding that this is the season
when farmers have the most
time to read, go to conferences
and make their plans for the
upcoming year.
That is mainly the case on
our farm, although my husband also runs a seed cleaning plant, so he’s been working steadily with that since he
put the combine in the shed
after harvest. And, of course,
I’ve been busy working as part
of the team that puts together
all these extra winter issues of
Grainews. But if my Facebook
account is anything to go by,
many of you have also been
taking extra time to lounge on
beaches from Mexico to Maui.
Welcome home.
Transportation
and basis update
With the falling Canadian dollar, the not-a-record 2014 crop
and the (until recently) relatively
nice winter we’ve been having,
it seems like the past few months
should have been a good time for
us to put extra cash into our bank
accounts. But in a report written
for the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (SWDC),
ag economist Richard Gray points
out that farmers aren’t the only
ones thinking that.
Let’s start with some background.
Back in December, the SWDC
worked with Sask Pulse, the
Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission and the
Agriculture Producers Association
of Saskatchewan to make a joint
submission to the Canadian
Transportation Agency review
panel that was looking at our
problems moving grain.
One piece of that submission was Richard Gray’s report:
“The Economic Impacts of
Elevated Export Basis Levels
on Western Canadian Grain
Producers.” Gray was commissioned to take a look at the
export basis — the difference
between the price of grain at
the export terminal, and the
price you’re getting at the
elevator. That “export basis”
includes railway movement
costs, country grain handing
costs, demurrage and the grain
company’s profit margin.
On average, Gray found,
from 2002-03 to 2012-13, the
export basis was $72.50/mt.
Even the removal of the CWB
monopoly in 2012-13 didn’t
cause a huge increase in the
long-term average.
But anyone selling wheat last
winter noticed that the 201314 basis was wider than usual.
In fact, Gray’s report said “In
February 2014 the difference
between the f.o.b. West Coast
price and the primary elevator
cash price reached $208/metric tonne.” This extreme was
the high point (or perhaps I
should say low point for farmers), and not the average. In
October, 2014, Gray calculated
the export basis at $112.98/
mt.
Last month, Richard Gray
wrote an update to his original report (“Update on 201415 Export Basis Levels to
February 2015”). The SWDC
released it on Feb. 16. And
here’s the concern. Rather than
seeing lower rail and elevation charges, Gray said “the
export basis between the f.o.b.
Vancouver export price and the
Saskatchewan elevator price
has increased from $112.98/
mt to $134.76/mt since Oct.
2014.” That’s right — our costs
to get our wheat to a boat at
the Vancouver port increased
over the past few months.
In the report, after some
notes about data sources, Gray
writes “Of interest, however, is
that while the export price for
Canadian wheat f.o.b. Vancouver
has remained relatively constant
to slightly higher between Oct.
2014 and Feb. 2015, the primary
elevator price to producers in
Saskatchewan has declined from
$219/mt to 199.7/mt — a decline
of 19.30/mt.” (That last part is
highlighted in the report.)
In the initial report presented
to the CTA review, the SWDC
and its collaborators began
with, “Western grain producers
lost an estimated $3.1 billion
in 2013-14 and could lose an
additional $2 billion in 201415 because of failures in the
transportation and handling
system.”
Now, Richard Gray is rethinking that number. “Calculations
of the aggregate losses for producers over the course of the
2014-15 crop year will have
to be re-evaluated as the year
progresses, as the previous
November, 2014 estimate of $2
billion could prove to be a very
significant underestimate.”
It’s a good thing you’ve already
taken that winter holiday.
Cereals Canada
While we’re on the topic of
the SWDC, the fact that it hasn’t
joined the new national wheat
organization, Cereals Canada, is
still on the agenda for some.
(Although the SWDC is not a
member, Saskatchewan wheat
growers are still represented at
the Cereals Canada table by
Radisson, Sask., farmer Joan
Heath, who was appointed by
the Saskatchewan government.)
A few issues ago, I quoted
from a press release issued by
the Canadian Wheat Board
Alliance. I got this email from
Greg Porozni, farmer, Alberta
Wheat Commission director
and chair of Cereals Canada.
“I am sending this email to
clarify a quote you printed
from Kyle Korneychuk from the
February 10 edition of ‘Grainews.’
The quote from Kyle states that
‘Cereals Canada cannot reflect the
interests of farmers. It has only
three western farmers on a Board
largely composed of representatives
of multinational grain and agrochemical companies.’
“This is completely false.
Cereals Canada’s board of directors consists of six farmers three
from Alta., one from Sask., one
from Man. and one from Ont.
Cereals Canada’s vision statement is: ‘A dynamic, responsive
Canadian cereals industry that
brings sustainable profitability to
the entire value chain.’
“In order to meet our vision’s
goals, all sectors must be profitable and the board of directors
work together as a team to achieve
success.”
I talked to Greg Porozni in
late February. He had recently
returned from what he says was
a “very successful trade mission
to Southeast Asia. (Alta. farmer
and Grainews columnist Sarah
Weighum was part of this mission. The second part of her
two-part report is on Page 23 of
this issue.)
“We took the lead on that,”
Poronzi said, referring to Cereals
Canada, “working of course
with Cigi and the Canadian
Grain Commission.”
The fact that the SWDC is not
contributing to Cereals Canada
is a sore point for Porozni.
“It’s a little frustrating for me,
working in Alberta and doing
a lot of good things,” he said.
“Saskatchewan produces 45 per
cent of the wheat production
in Western Canada,” but isn’t
helping to fund these trade missions. “They’re basically getting
a free ride right now.”
Another project Cereals
Canada is working on is a
market research development
study, in conjunction with
Cigi, working to make sure
Canada can maintain or grow
its share of the world wheat
market. “I think our market
share is slowly, steadily rising,
by small increments, but at
least we’re going in the right
direction,” he told me. In the
absence of the CWB monopoly, he said, “I think we’ve
filled the gaps.”
“We’ve done so much with
Cereals Canada in one year, and
we’re just getting going.”
Porozni hopes Saskatchewan
farmers will pressure the
SWDC to join Cereals Canada.
“The Saskatchewan wheat producers have to start asking the
tough questions to the board
of directors,” he said. “If I was
a grower in Saskatchewan right
now, I’d be asking those questions.” †
Leeann
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
Wheat & Chaff
Farm safety
Assessing capabilities for farm safety
A
ssessing risk on the farm doesn’t
just stop at machinery, livestock,
buildings or agricultural chemicals. It also means assessing the
capabilities of all those working on the
farm. Injuries can and do occur when
a person isn’t physical or mentally able
to competently perform a farming task.
Training, maturity, physical limitations
and mental alertness are all factors that
can mean the difference between effective
and efficient use of time or an injury.
Children and the elderly on farms are
particularly at risk. Children aren’t miniature adults. Tasks that may seem simple to
an adult can often prove to be complicated
and dangerous for a child. It’s important to
assess a child’s capabilities in an unbiased
way. Many parents over-estimate their
child’s maturity and their child’s understanding of risk. Children are often eager
to help and may try to complete tasks
that they don’t have a clear understanding
of. Every child grows, learns to think and
develops emotionally differently.
It is also natural for farmers to want to
include their children in farm activities.
Introducing children at a young age to
farm activities can help build many varied
skills. However, there is sometimes a fail-
ure to appreciate that children are more at
risk to farm hazards than mature adults.
Young people may feel under pressure
to complete tasks for which they are not
qualified or do not understand, or may
not be physically able to do, sometimes
with fatal consequences.
An excellent resource to determine
appropriate tasks for children on farm
is the North American Guidelines for
Children’s Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT).
The NAGCAT is a collection of guidelines designed to assist parents and others in assigning age-appropriate tasks for
children. The guidelines are based on
an understanding of childhood growth
and development, agricultural practices,
principles of childhood injury and agricultural and occupational safety. To find
our more, please visit nagcat.org
Older farmers are also at risk on
Canadian farms. Farming-related fatal
injury statistics show this. According to
Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting
(CAIR) data, the age group with the highest fatality rate between 1990-2008 were
those 80 years and older. The overall fatality rate was 12.9 deaths per 100,000; but
in farmers over age 80, the rate was 79.7
deaths per 100,000. This is significantly
higher than the average. The realities of
aging mean that eyesight, reaction time,
hearing, and strength deteriorate, making
some farming tasks more dangerous.
Getting older doesn’t mean giving
up farming all together, rather it means
taking realistic assessments of your capabilities. Everyone ages and adjusting for
this reality can keep older farmers safe.
It is possible to somewhat compensate
for the loss of abilities that comes with
aging. Regular check-ups, exercising
extra caution, maintaining good hydration levels, staying rested, and asking for
help are all a part of aging gracefully and
safely. It’s also important to understand
how chronic conditions such as arthritis
and medications to treat diseases may
affect reaction times and mental alertness. Adjusting tasks, changing roles and
asking for help can all prevent injuries in
older farmers.
If you are working with an older farmer,
speak up if you notice dangerous farming
practices. Older farmers might not want
to admit that they need help with farming duties. Talking about limitations may
save a life. Older farmers do have an edge
on their younger counterparts: wisdom.
Using that wisdom to understand their
You might be from the Prairies if...
By Carson Demmans and Jason Sylvestre
N
o matter what you’re planning to grow this
season — be it soybeans, canola or pulses —
protecting that crop from Rhizoctonia and
ensuring a good, strong stand establishment
should be your first priority.
I’ve seen many situations where Rhizoctonia infections in
fields have caused seed rot and decay, pre and post emergence damping off, and even seedling blight after the crop
has come out of the ground.
That’s why I say it all comes back to getting a good stand
establishment so you can set the stage for yields in the fall.
Seed treatments are an important tool for optimizing
that stand establishment and protecting plants from soil
borne diseases and early season insect pests.
If you can protect that seedling early in the season, you’re
also supporting the growth of properly developed roots
that anchor the plant in the soil, take up nutrients more
efficiently and help your crop out-compete nearby weeds.
Your fertility program and weed management program will
also be based around that stand and what yield potentials you
can expect to get in that year. And the better the crop potential you have, the more you are going to want to keep that
investment going and maximize your returns. †
This agronomy tip is brought to you by Ted Labun, western seedcare technical
lead, Syngenta Canada Inc.
Canadian Agricultural Safety Association — www.
casa-acsa.ca
Weather Lore
Agronomy tips… from the field
Take a stand
against Rhizoctonia
limitations will create a safer environment and let them enjoy their golden
years without threat of a farm injury.
Children and older farmers aren’t the
only ones at risk on the farm. Farmers
between the ages of 18-79 are also at risk.
A good self-assessment of your physical
well-being, mental health and knowledge
are all a part of injury prevention. It’s ok
not to understand how to operate a piece
of equipment, ask for training from the
dealer. It’s ok not to feel well, seek medical advice from your doctor. It’s ok to be
tired, get rest and eat a well-balanced
diet. Assess your own capabilities fairly.
Human error accounts for the majority of near-misses, injuries and fatalities.
Understanding and accepting limitations
are the first step — only then can solutions be sought to fix the problem.
Remember: no one should be permitted to carry out any work activity unless
their capabilities have been assessed to do
the job.
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week is
March 15-21, 2015. For more information
about how you can “Be the Difference,”
please visit agsafetyweek.ca. †
Crazy cat
behaviour
.. When the cat stands on its brain,
Look for thunder ...lightning ...rain!
A
lthough this rhyme describes a
summer storm, crazy cat behaviour can forecast a change in the
weather any time of the year. We’ll
probably notice it more in winter because
they’re more likely to be indoors with us.
Winter (and summer) storms are usually
preceded by a drop in barometric pressure.
This can cause twinges in old injuries,
upset tummies and even itchiness in our
furry, feline friends. This accounts for the
bizarre behaviour they tend to exhibit prior
to a storm. No, they don’t actually stand
on their brains but they do achieve some
amazing acrobatics as they race through the
house, scattering furniture, rugs and occasionally their people in their wake. †
You have gone to a wedding and been related to both sides.
Photo contest
GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT
Laura Elias of Stuartburn, Man., sent in this photo. Laura said,
“Our border collie dog loves riding in our farm truck. Here, she’s
very pleased to be able to go along with my brother Jason to the
other farm.”
Thanks for sharing this, Laura! We’ll send you a cheque for $25.
Send your best shot to [email protected].
Please send only one or two photos at a time and include your name
and address, the names of anyone in the photo, where the photo
was taken and a bit about what was going on that day. A little writeup about your farm is welcome, too. Please ensure that images are
of high resolution (1 MB is preferred), and if the image includes a
person, we need to be able to see their face clearly.
Leeann
Shirley Byers’ book “Never Sell Your Hen on a Rainy
Day” explores over 100 weather rhymes and sayings.
It is available from McNally Robinson at: www.
mcnallyrobinson.com.
3
4
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Cover Stories
Farm awards
Manitoba crop advisor wins international award
By Julienne Isaacs
PUBLI SH ER
M
anitoba Agriculture,
Food and Rural
Development
(MAFRD) has an
internationally recognized certified crop advisor on staff. John
Heard, a soil fertility specialist
with MAFRD based in Carman,
Man., recently traveled to Long
Beach, Califoria, to collect this
year’s International Certified Crop
Advisor (CCA) award from the
American Society of Agronomy
at its annual meeting. This award
recognizes certified crop advisors
who deliver exceptional customer
service, are innovative, are leaders
in their fields, and have contributed to the transfer of agronomic
knowledge.
Day to day, Heard focuses his
work on co-ordinating and providing technical training for certified crop advisors and other
crop consultants or agricultural
retailers through conferences,
the Manitoba Crop Diagnostic
School and winter workshops.
“My crop advising to Manitoba
farmers is usually done through
contacts initiated by other advisors — either in the extension
service or the ag retail business,”
Heard says. “Much of my field
work involves establishing onfarm demonstrations or research
on current problems, for example, rescue nitrogen applications
when soybean inoculation fails.”
Heard believes the most
important aspect of his work
is communication with agronomists and farmers. He directs his
energies at educating and training crop advisors. “Agronomists,
especially certified crop advisors,
can make more impact dealing
one on one with farmers than I
can ever reach,” he says. “That’s
why training and working with
them is so important.”
A graduate of University
Lynda Tityk
Associate Publisher/
Editorial director John Morriss
Edi tor
Leeann Minogue
fiel d Ed ito r
Lisa Guenther
Cattleman’s Corner Editor
Lee Hart
Farm life Edito r
Sue Armstrong
Machinery EDITOR
Scott Garvey
Pro duction Di recto r
Shawna Gibson
Des igne r
Steven Cote
MARKETING/CI RCUL ATION
Dir ector John Heard believes the most important aspect of his work is communication with agronomists and farmers.
of Guelph (crop science) and
Purdue University (conservation tillage), Heard worked
for the extension service in
Ontario as an assistant ag rep
in Huron County, a soil and
crop specialist in Perth/Huron
Counties, and a crop research
coordinator
in
northern
Ontario with New Liskeard college. Since 1996, he has worked
in Manitoba as a soil fertility
extension specialist.
Currently, Heard’s extension
efforts are focused on economic
nitrogen rates when crop prices
slip but fertilizer costs remain
high. A new challenge is producing marketable protein levels
in high yielding wheat varieties
grown by Manitoba farmers, as
well as promoting recent phosphorus guidelines to account for
the soil test depletion experienced
with high yielding crops, while
recognizing the water quality concerns of losses in surface water.
“I’m proud of the Manitoba soil
fertility extension and research
team I am a part of and the
guidelines we’re providing for
Manitoba farmers,” says Heard.
Advancing extension
Heard has found many ways to
advance soil fertility extension. He
chairs the Manitoba Soil Fertility
Advisory Committee, which
comprises agricultural researchers, business and extension specialists, and reviews soil fertility
research to develop recommendations for Manitoba farmers.
“The recent retirement of worldrenowned soil fertility researcher
Dr. Cindy Grant from Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada will make
this job tougher,” Heard says.
He’s also a director with
Nutrients For Life Canada,
which produces and delivers science-based soil training to supplement Canada’s high school
curriculum. And, he works on
the editorial board of the CCA
magazine “Crops and Soils”.
Outside of work, he serves as
treasurer at his church and as a
scout leader.
When Heard travels for conferences and industry events, he
has a chance to indulge in his
passion, “soil hunting” — collecting soil samples.
“It is a hobby I fell into
after crusading with others in
Manitoba to have the Newdale
clay loam officially proclaimed as
the official provincial soil here,”
he says. “Then I decided to make
the collection and photographing of other provincial or state
soils part of our trip-taking.”
Collecting soil is more than
just an extension effort for
Heard. It epitomizes the work
he is recognized for internationally and the work he loves to do
— meeting people and sharing
information for everyone’s benefit. “Soil hunting gets us off the
Interstate and into fields, and
meeting great folks, often farmers, university or state agronomists that normally you would
never meet,” he says. †
Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based
freelance writer and editor. Contact her at
[email protected].
Lynda Tityk
Circul at ion manag er Heather Anderson
president
Glacier farmmedia
Bob Willcox
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Seed varieties
» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Resisting fusarium
head blight
Canadian Postmaster: Send address
changes and undeliverable copies
(covers only) to PO Box 9800,
Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7
Unlocking AC
Emerson’s resistance
AC Emerson is a relatively new
winter wheat, and the first of any
class rated resistant to FHB.
Asked by a delegate whether
researchers have been able to
identify which genes are resistant,
Brûlé-Babel said they haven’t yet.
She suspects it’s a type one resistance, based on what she’s seen in
other winter wheat. A graduate
student will try to map the resistant genes this summer, she said.
Brûlé-Babel said that when
they first registered AC Emerson,
she was worried the resistance
might not hold up.
“But it seems to be holding up
quite well,” she said. †
Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based
at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@
fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.
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These are actual fusarium spores, F. avenaceum, under the microscope.
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Fusarium symptoms: The seed
on the top is healthy; the seed
in the bottom photo is infected
with the fungal disease.
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MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
5
Features
Seeding
Up seed rate to add pea yeild
Prairie researchers looks at the costs and benefits of combinations
of four pea input treatments. Try their results on your farm
By Melanie Epp
W
hile individual
aspects of field pea
production have
been researched,
combined agronomic factors have
not been evaluated simultaneously before. Led by Laryssa Grenkow,
research manager at Western
Applied Research Corporation,
a team of researchers, including
Eric Johnson, Anne Kirk, Stewart
Brandt, Sherrilyn Phelps, Chris
Holzapfel and Bryan Nybo, determined which agronomic practices
contribute most to field pea seed
yield. They also looked at combinations of agronomic practices
to see which would produce the
highest pea yield and the best economic return.
“It is not only the impact of
individual inputs that we wanted
to look at, but also the inputs in
combination to see if by combining certain inputs there could
be further increases in yield,”
says Sherilyn Phelps, agronomy
and seed program manager for
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.
Deciding which inputs to test
was a challenge, Phelps says, since
they wanted to include everything
that producers have to decide on
each growing season. The inputs
that were evaluated included seeding rate (60 versus 120 seeds per
square metre), fungicide applications (no application versus two
applications), type of inoculant
used (liquid versus granular), seed
treatments (none versus seed treatment), and starter nitrogen (none
versus 30 pounds per acre).
The researchers started with what
they called an “empty package,”
which included a seeding rate of
60 seeds/m2, liquid inoculant, no
seed treatment, no starter nitrogen
and no fungicide treatments. They
then added the inputs individually
and in combinations of two, three
and even four. The final treatment
— the “full package” — included
a higher seeding rate (120 seeds/
m2), granular inoculant, seed treatment, starter nitrogen and fungicide applications.
ally recommended plant density,” says Phelps, “so it is difficult to assess if our current recommendations provide the crop
with plant density high enough
to maximize yield potential. The
best return on investment was at
the higher rate due to significant
yield increase.”
Growers should be cautioned,
though, that there was a general
trend for higher disease ratings as
seeding rates increased.
Consistent yields
With regards to input combinations, only some consistently resulted in higher yields.
“Consistency is important,” says
Phelps. “Increased consistency in
response also means decreased variability. The inputs that increase
yield also resulted in lower variability.”
“As we combined these inputs
the variability decreased even further with still some yield benefits,” Phelps says. “The highest
yields were obtained when all
three inputs were combined at the
high yielding sites.”
The lower yielding sites were
less consistent, but it’s important to note that they did have
other yield-limiting factors,
such as environment. At the low
yielding sites, using a higher
seeding rate was the highest
yielding input.
What’s the return on investment? Economic benefits were
highest when the combination of
seeding rate, fungicide and granular inoculant were used in the
high yielding sites with seeding
rate being a component of the top
four economic returns, says Phelps.
At the low yielding sites, seeding
rate provided the highest economic
return. “Fungicide application on its
own was one of the lower returns
due to the cost,” Phelps says.
In a recent report, Laryssa
Grenkow wrote that although the
combination of granular inoculant,
high seeding rate and foliar fungi-
cide did, on average, result in the
highest yields and the highest net
returns, applying only the high
seeding rate to the empty input
package also saw significant yield
increase, on average. In fact, it had
the second highest net return.
Grenkow and Phelps suspect
an intermediate seeding rate may
provide yield improvements and
be more economical when combined with other inputs.
“Growers should focus on seeding rate, granular inoculant and
fungicide in order to maximize
yield potential and economic
return,” concludes Grenkow. †
Melanie Epp is a freelance farm writer based
in Guelph, Ont.
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The results
In the high yielding sites,
yield increases were seen where
higher seeding rates, a fungicide
application and granular inoculant were applied alone. When
applied in combination, further
yield increases occurred. The high
yielding sites, located in Scott and
Melfort, Sask., and Minto, Man,
were those sites where yields were
consistently over 45 bu./acre.
Two sites, Indian Head and Swift
Current, Sask., saw lower yields
due to environmental limitations,
including excess moisture and
root rot. At these sites in particular, the biggest yield gains were
seen where seeding rates were
increased.
While the researchers only used
two seeding rates in their experiment — 60 and 120 seeds/m2 —
current recommendations suggest
that growers should target plant
densities of around 80 plants/m2.
“The populations in this experiment are outside the tradition-
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6
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Features
Soil management
Controlled traffic farming
CTF enthusiasts are drawing lots of interest, and starting to collect
long-term data. For some, the benefits will outweigh the costs
By Lisa Guenther
Chatting with reporters after
his presentation, Gamache said
hen you think farmers are showing lots of interabout compaction, est in the system, but it’s still
you might think an early days. He estimated that
ounce of preven- about 15 Alberta farmers have
tion is better than a pound of converted to controlled traffic,
cure. Controlled traffic farming is at least in part. Producers “have
a system that may be both cure lots of healthy scepticism” about
and prevention.
whether it will make sense on
Controlled traffic farming sepa- their farms, he added.
rates crop from traffic zones. “Wheel
Controlled traffic is more widely
tracks are confined to specific lanes used in Australia, but Gamache
or tramlines,” Peter Gamache told told reporters Australians have
delegates at Crop Production Week been at it for 20 years.
“I think the biggest thing is
in Saskatoon in January. Gamache
heads Controlled Traffic Farming Australia has had their backs
the wall because of climatic
Alberta (CTF
Alberta), 1an
on-farm
FBC-JuniorAds.pdf
09/02/2015
12:44:44against
PM
conditions,” he said. Much of the
research organization.
W
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
adoption in Australia took place
during a prolonged drought, he
said, and controlled traffic farming
performs well during droughts.
So how well does controlled
traffic farming work in Alberta?
And what are the pros and cons
of the system? More work needs
to be done, but CTF Alberta is
starting to yield answers.
The research so far
CTF Alberta completed a project
between 2011 and 2013, and is
now into its second three-year
project. The project collects data
from five co-operating farmers
located in various parts of Alberta.
During the first project, farmers
implemented controlled traffic
on plots ranging from 140 acres
to 480 acres. A plot with regular
random traffic served as a check.
Gamache said they’re now using
replicated plots to gather statistically-valid data. The co-operators
have also switched most of their
acres to controlled traffic in the
last few years, although some
may still be changing pieces of
the system, Gamache said.
Farmers switching to controlled traffic don’t need to stick to
small equipment. They can scale
up by using ratios. For example,
Craig Shaw of Lacombe used a
30-foot combine header, 30-foot
seeders and a 120-foot sprayer,
according to a CTF Alberta
report. Gamache said co-operators’ seed drills range from 30
feet to 80 feet.
One benefit they’ve seen is risk
management. Controlled traffic
farming systems work well during droughts and excess moisture
situations, Gamache said.
And controlled traffic systems
give farmers an edge when it
comes to completing field operations in a timely manner. Most
of the Alberta co-operators said
they were able to spray on their
tramlines a little earlier than their
neighbours, Gamache said.
“The tramlines are packed.
They’re hard. They hold traffic.”
Gamache added that if they can
stay on tramlines, farmers can
harvest in “horrendous” conditions, if need be.
Controlled traffic farming is
also a good platform for on-farm
research. “Pass-to-pass accuracy
is phenomenal. The elimination
of errors and odd-ball things”
such as random field traffic creates better, more reliable data,
Gamache said.
The system also makes it easier
to do inter-row seeding, Gamache
said. Co-operating farmers can
then leave taller stubble. By leaving cereal stubble at 16 or 18
inches, Morrin-area farmer Steve
Larocque was able to boost harvest speeds from two to 4.2 mph,
according to the CTF Alberta
report. That stubble also makes
the following year’s pea crop
easier to harvest, even if it gets
nailed by hail.
Soils
take time
to repair
Farmers have also seen better water infiltration and more
even crop maturity, Gamache
told delegates.
University of Alberta researchers will be looking at rooting
depth, root size, pore space and
biological activity in the soil.
“All those we would expect to
improve,” Gamache said.
Asked whether controlled
traffic fields were less likely
to develop ruts, Gamache said
there probably was a gain in that
area with controlled traffic. “But
we need to probably have some
more variety in weather, too,”
he said.
Gamache said most tramlines
have held up well, but are now
at the stage where they need a
tune-up. The tramlines tend to
dish and rise in the centre, he
explained. How often ruts will
need to be fixed will depend on
weather, he added.
Drawbacks and unknowns
Australian researchers have
noted yield gains in controlled traffic systems. But so far Alberta yields
are “kind of flat,” said Gamache. So
far they haven’t seen a consistent,
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
7
Features
1
3
4
photos: ctf alberta
2
photo: roger andreiuk
1. CTF allows farmers to leave taller stubble. 2. With CTF, wheel
tracks are confined to specific lanes, or tramlines, like these tramlines
in winter wheat. 3. In this photo, researchers are measuring tramline
depth after four years of traffic. 4. The CTF system makes it easier to
do inter-row seeding.
real difference between controlled
traffic and random traffic plots, he
explained.
Gamache hopes that will change.
“We do think that soils take
time to repair and some soils
may not repair very quickly just
by nature of their texture and
those kinds of things,” he told
reporters. Some soils, such as
cracking clay, seem to respond
quicker, he added.
In England, farmers are routinely told to do some deep working of their soils while they’re
establishing tramlines, Gamache
said. He added the Alberta group
hasn’t tried it yet, but has talked
about it. The layout of a controlled traffic system would lend
itself to such an on-farm experiment, he added.
Controlled traffic farming is
also a rigid system, Gamache
said. Farmers can’t buy machinery without making sure it’s the
right size, he said. Sometimes a
machine’s working width is less
than the manufacturer’s specs, so
farmers need to measure.
And for controlled traffic farming to work, farmers can’t deviate
from the tramlines. “If you have
a lot of custom guys, you’re not
likely set up to do this,” said
Gamache.
Fields dotted with sloughs,
bluffs or other obstacles aren’t
ideal, either. “Long straight runs
are helpful,” said Gamache.
Gamache said controlled traffic farming has a big learning
curve. Co-operating farmers have
been doing it for a few years but
are still refining their systems,
he said.
Weed control on bare tramlines has been a problem in
Australia. Alberta farmers are
seeing more weeds on their
tramlines, too. “There’s less
competition. That’s also where
we get good seed to soil contact,” Gamache said.
There are also capital investments. Most farmers upgrade to
RTK, which is a more precise guidance system than GPS. Farmers
might also need to modify existing equipment.
For more information, visit
controlledtrafficfarming.org. The
report referenced in this article
is titled ONTRACK booklet on the
2011-2013 project and is found on
the “About” page. †
Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based
at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@
fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.
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/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Features
Crop Advisor’s casebook
Mystery of the ailing soybeans
By Russell Thompson
I
t was the first week in July
when I got a call from Aaron,
who grows wheat, canola,
barley and soybeans at his
farm northeast of Dauphin, Man.
Soybeans account for 1,000 acres
of Aaron’s 3,300-acre operation,
but plants in two of his soybean
fields were really struggling.
“The crop isn’t doing so well in
those fields, compared to the rest,”
he said. “The plants are stunted,
and their leaves are yellowing and
dropping off.”
I paid Aaron a visit to have a look
at his soybean crop. I could clearly
see that the affected fields were
not as green and lush as the nearby soybean fields. I also observed
that while plant populations were
appropriate in the affected fields,
individual plants in them were
smaller and weren’t as bushy as
those in the healthy fields.
A closer look revealed the affected
plants had unifoliate and first trifoliate leaves that were not only yellow and but also covered with small
brown spots. Soybeans’ cotyledon
leave emerge out of the ground first.
Then the unifoliate leaf, followed by
the first trifoliate leaf.
The lowest leaves were sloughing off, and most of the cotyledons had already dropped off too,
much earlier than they usually
do. We dug up plants to check the
condition of the roots, but they
were well nodulated and there was
no evidence of root disease.
It had been a late spring with
cold, wet weather, but the affected
fields, which were on light soils,
were quite dry. I asked Aaron
about the history of those fields
and was told this was the second
consecutive year he’d planted
soybeans on them and that no
fertilizer had been applied.
Aaron thought some kind of leaf
disease might be to blame for the
crop’s poor condition, but I wasn’t
so sure. I arranged to have plant
tissue samples sent to Manitoba
Agriculture, Food and Rural
Development’s Crop Diagnostic
Lab as well as another agriculture
Russell Thompson is a sales
agronomist with Richardson
Pioneer Ltd. in Dauphin, Man.
The soybean plants were stunted. Their leaves Plant populations were fine, but individual plants were
were yellowing and dropping off.
smaller and not as bushy as in healthy fields.
Casebook winner
L
andon Olsen is the
Casebook winner for
this issue. Landon is
a sales rep for Cervus
Equipment (a John Deere
dealership) in Drumheller,
Alberta. He also works with
this wife Kim, son Weston and
parents Roger and Janice on
his family grain and hay farm,
Mile West Farms, near Cereal,
Alta.
Landon says, “We mainly
plant hard red spring wheat
and alfalfa/grass mix.” Landon
is a fourth generation farmer.
Thanks for reading, and
thanks for entering Landon.
We’re renewing your Grainews
subscription for a year and sending you a Grainews cap. †
Leeann Minogue
testing service to help shed some
light on the issue.
Do you think you know what’s
ailing Aaron’s soybean crop? Send
your diagnosis to Grainews, Box
9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7;
email leeann.minogue@fbcpub
lishing.com or fax 204-944-5416
c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. The
best suggestions will be pooled
and one winner will be drawn.
The answer will appear in the next
Crop Advisor’s Solution File. †
Russell Thompson is a sales agronomist with
Richardson Pioneer Ltd. in Dauphin, Man.
The lowest leaves were sloughing off.
Crop advisor’s solution
Common root rot and loose smut hurt durum
By Ashley Kelly
T
erry, a farmer with 3,500 acres of
durum wheat, canola, flax and
peas about 100 kilometres south
of Regina, Sask., called in late July
to tell me about a big problem with one
of his crops. His durum was looking very
unhealthy, with thin crop stands and large
swaths of small, sickly looking plants scattered throughout the fields.
When I arrived at an affected field to
have a look, I noted numerous symptoms.
In addition to stunting, the affected plants
had small heads (some of which were black
and sooty), brownish stained lower stems
and bottom leaves that were completely
yellow. In addition, the plants could be
pulled out of the ground very easily and
they contained virtually no root mass.
Terry informed me the same symptoms
could be found in all his durum fields, and
asked if weather could be a factor because
of all the rain he’d seen so far that year.
While the environmental stress of too
much moisture might have played a role in
making the symptoms look worse, I knew
it couldn’t be the main factor because there
were numerous durum fields at nearby
farms that looked completely healthy.
There were no red flags when Terry told
me about his crop protection program
and no issues with crop fertility either.
Like every year, Terry had applied the
necessary amount of nutrients that his
agronomist recommended. Drill issues
were also ruled out since this would have
caused discernable damage patterns in
the durum fields and none were evident,
and there hadn’t been any plugging or
rate monitor problems.
I had spotted a large amount of tan
spot on some affected plants during my
inspection but I knew there was much
more at work here than simply leaf disease. I suspected that at the heart of the
problem was poor seed. When I asked
Terry if his seed had been tested or if he
had treated his seed to protect it against
seed and soil-borne diseases prior to
sowing, he confirmed he hadn’t done
either one.
Clearly, Terry’s durum seed had been
poor quality and the lack of seed treatment
had compounded the problem. The reason
the crop looked so sickly was that it was
suffering from a severe case of common
root rot and loose smut.
Common root rot is carried on or in
the seed and infecting spores may also be
present in the top few centimetres of the
soil. They can remain dormant for several
years until they are triggered to germinate
by host plants. Infections can be prevented
through a systemic seed treatment as well
as seed testing for the presence of seedling
diseases like common root rot. If high
enough levels of disease are detected, new
seed sources may be warranted.
Loose smut can occur wherever durum
is grown. Because spores of loose smut are
usually dispersed before crops mature, the
disease typically doesn’t affect grain quality or yield. Loose smut is easily prevented
with a systemic seed treatment.
Sadly for Terry, there wasn’t anything
he could do bring the crop back at this
late stage of plant development. The damage was already done and the plants
were reaching maturity. The yields in the
affected durum fields ended up being 40
to 50 per cent less than the previous yields
for Terry’s durum crops.
Going forward, I recommended that
Terry have his seed source tested yearly. I
also urged him to always treat his seed to
protect it against seed and soil-borne diseases like common root rot and loose smut,
which if left unchecked, can have devastating consequences for a crop. †
Ashley Kelly is a sales agronomist with Richardson
Pioneer Ltd. in Corinne, Sask.
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
9
Features
Seeding
Price impacts soy seeding rates
Researchers say growers should evaluate input costs, plant survival rate
By Julienne Isaacs
A
some much-needed data for mak- seeding rates and plant populaing seeding decisions.
tions that will be concluded in
According to Karpinchick, the 2017,” he says.
seed is the most expensive input
But seeding decisions should
for farmers growing Roundup- always be made on a case-by-case
Ready soybeans, so determining basis, regardless of the data.
the most economical seeding rate
“There are many factors such as
is an imperative.
germination, cracked seed, weed
He says that, based on the data management, insects, pathogens,
collected for this study in east- and seed varieties etc. that can
ern Manitoba, in conjunction with affect seed survivability throughout
other soybean population research, the growing season,” Karpinchick
the MPGA is working on building says. “Thus, each grower has their
an app that will allow growers own target seeding rate depending
to input costs, plant population on these factors.”
counts, and soybean price/bushel
Growers interested in particito help determine if they have pating in future field-scale trials
achieved maximum profitability.
are invited to contact Tone Ag
And data collection will con- Consulting. †
tinue. “We are currently working Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance
on a similar project in western writer and editor. Contact her at julienne.
[email protected].
T:8.125”
Manitoba on determining optimal
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ccording to a recently
completed three-year
study into the effects
of lower seeding rates
on soybean yields, growers must
pay attention to both the cost of
seed and individual plant survival
rates when making seeding rate
decisions.
This is one of the conclusions in a study by Ron Tone,
Jordan Karpinchick and Elizabeth
Karpinchick of Tone Ag Consulting,
a St. Pierre Jolys, Man.-based independent agricultural consulting.
The results of the study were
included in a paper submitted
to the Manitoba Agronomists’
Conference at the University of
Manitoba in December, 2014.
The study, funded by the
Manitoba Pulse Growers
Association, took into account 26
on-farm population trials involving soybean growers in eastern
Manitoba. Each trial included
six strips planted with a higher
seeding rate, alternating with six
strips planted with a lower seeding rate. “The higher seeding rate
represented the farmer’s normal
seeding rate and we compared
it with a reduced seeding rate of
30,000 seeds per acre less than
their normal rate,” says Jordan
Karpinchick.
For the 2014 trials, three air
seeders and seven planters were
used. Fields were on average half
a mile long, and the strips varied in width between 40 and 80
feet, depending on the participating farmers’ ability to take a
“pure” combine swath. Trials
were scouted during each growing stage to monitor plant maturity and population, row closure
and ground cover, and incidence
of disease and insects, as well as
rainfall. In all three years, soybean
yields appeared to have little relationship with rainfall.
“Out of the 10 trials conducted
in 2014, four of them showed an
economic advantage for the high
seeding rate at a soybean price of
$10/bushel,” he says. “This shows
that the most profitable seeding
rate changes as the price of soybeans change.”
Data from the trial shows a 1.3
bushel/acre yield advantage to the
fields seeded with a higher rate in
2014, but with the current prices at
$10/bushel and the cost of 30,000
seeds at $13/acre, Karpinchick says
there is no economic advantage
for either the higher or the lower
seeding rate averages in 2014.
“Looking at the plant populations we counted over the threeyear study, the farmer needs to
have between 120,000 to 140,000
plants per acre at first trifoliate and between 100,000 and
120,000 plants per acre at preharvest to achieve the maximum
economic yield,” he explains.
“When prices for soybeans start
to drop, a reduction in seeding
rates may be needed in order to
maintain a profit.”
On the other hand, when prices
rise above $11/bushel, the data
from Karpinchick’s study illustrates that for planters, the higher
seeding rate average of 173,000
seeds/acre was more profitable
than the lower seeding rate average of 143,000 seeds/acre.
Case by case
Karpinchick says it’s up to growers to be aware both of the current
survival rate of individual plants
and of the price of seed in order to
make informed seeding rate decisions for soybeans.
“It is important for growers to
understand their input costs to
determine their most profitable
seeding rate based on the average
seed mortality rates that we found
in the three-year study,” he says.
Historically, Manitoba has seen
a wide disparity in soybean seeding rates, and Manitoba agronomists and consultants have traditionally based their recommendations on Ontario and North
Dakota guidelines. The study’s
results offer Manitoba growers
narrow-leaved hawk’s beard, kochia, cleavers,
fixweed, lamb’s-quarters, cow cockle,
volunteer canola
multiple modes of action from two groups
– Group 2 and Group 4.
As with all crop protection products, read and follow label instructions carefully.
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cereal crops
10
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Features
Crop production
Fertilizer needs in canola
Without enough nutrients, canola yields suffer. Try these tips for nutrition
By Melanie Epp
C
anola production relies
heavily on access to
adequate plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and
potassium. Since the nutritional
level of an individual plant will
affect its response to stress factors (including adverse weather
and disease pressure), poor nutrition could mean the difference
between profit and loss. It’s not
just about profit, though. A good
fertilizer management program
also helps to maintain the productivity of the soil in the long
term as well. It goes without saying, then that adequate plant
nutrition requires good soil fertility management. Here’s what you
need to know.
results. “Due to highly variable
sulphur levels within fields, composite soil tests may show sufficient levels even though large
parts of the field are deficient,”
says the site, which recommends
using ammonium sulphate to
address sulphur needs in the year
of application.
Remember, elemental sulphur
cannot usually be converted into
available sulphate in time for adequate crop uptake in the year of
application, at least not in sufficient quantities.
The Canola Council of Canada
recommends that ammonium sulphate (AS) be placed away from
the seed row. “Save the seed-row
location for phosphorus fertilizer,
as it provides a known early sea-
son benefit to stand establishment,” they suggest. “Adding AS
to the seed row in addition to
ammonium phosphate pushes the
nitrogen levels too high for seedling safety in many cases.”
Finally, if the crop shows signs
of deficiency, an in-crop application of sulphate fertilizer could
effectively rescue most of the
crop’s yield potential, but only if
fertilizer is applied early enough
to allow sufficient uptake by early
flowering at the latest.
4. Account for phosphorus
and potassium needs
Unlike nitrogen, soil test values for phosphorus and potassium are not the forms or
amounts taken up by plant, says
Heard, so they cannot be simply
mathematically subtracted from
the amounts required for certain
yield levels.
“They are an index of the
soil supply and their ranges
(very low, low, medium, high,
etc.) indicate whether there is a
high or low probability of yield
response to applied nutrient,”
Heard says. “So farmers and crop
advisors generally use soil lab
values as a starting place in
deciding on rate.”
Knowing
crop
removal
amounts can still be useful to
growers, though, particularly
those who are producing yields
that are higher than what the
original research achieved. In
cases where crop removal is
higher, soil depletion can occur.
“In order to maintain soil productivity, some accounting of
this extra removal is required,”
says Heard. “Some soil test recommendations take this into
account, others do not.”
“We observe this most commonly for phosphorus in Manitoba
soils where crop yields are high
and farmers’ placement and timing choices may limit their applications for crops such as canola,”
Heard continues. “Under such
situations we are seeing soil depletion and recognize that increased
fertility input is required to maintain soil fertility levels.” †
Melanie Epp is a freelance farm writer based
in Guelph, Ont.
1. Test the soil
Knowing what your crop needs
can mostly be determined by evaluating the results of a recent soil
test. In particular, look at nutrient
levels for nitrogen, phosphorus,
sulphur and potassium — as well
as macronutrients (see sidebar).
“The soil is a great supplier of
most of these nutrients,” says John
Heard, crop nutrition specialist
with Manitoba Agriculture, Food
and Rural Initiatives. “Hence, the
need for a soil test.”
Use soil
lab values
as a starting
point
2. Calculate
nitrogen needs
“The standard soil test for nitrogen measures a form of nitrogen
that can be taken up directly by
the plant (nitrate-N), so we can
sometimes do simple arithmetic
to decide how much more nitrogen needs to be supplied for a
certain yield level,” says Heard.
“This would be a starting place for
a fertility recommendation… the
determining rate.”
Other management aspects may
also have great impact on nutrient
levels, though, he says, mentioning timing, placement and the
source of nitrogen itself.
“These should be formulated
individually or with the help of
a crop adviser,” he says. “Further
sophistication means tailoring
nitrogen rates by the cost of the
fertilizer and the value of the crop.
Manitoba provides an N-rate calculator for such purposes.”
To use the calculator, visit:
www.mb.ca, and type “nitrogen
calculator” in the search box.
3. Remember
sulphur needs
Sulphur is very important for
meeting yield expectations, says
the Canola Council of Canada
website. Typically, experts recommend 10 to 20 punds of sulphur
per acre, regardless of soil test
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MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
11
Features
Ag researcH
Finding the ideal plot size
What happens in a small-scale trial doesn’t always work in the field.
Researcher Bill May is trying to find the most practial research plot size
By Andrea Hilderman
research allows a team to investigate numerous treatments in
one season at multiple locations.
After harvest, statistical analyses
are conducted to examine the
differences and further, determine which of those differences
are “real.” Usually, these studies
will be repeated over a number
of years to ensure that the environment in a particular year is
not causing the differences.
A
photo: leeann minogue
These are examples of small-sized research plots used to investigate new
chemical applications in 2014 at the IHARF research farm.
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gricultural researchers and farmers are
engaged in an ongoing
quest to learn how to
grow crops better or more successfully. They are also engaged
in a battle against legions of
changing and new pests and
diseases, as well as always looking to find ways to diversify the
farm business.
Research to answer some of
these questions has to be conducted on a smaller scale than
the farm for many reasons, not
least of which are cost and manpower. Small plot, replicated
Size does matter
Plot size is important. A plant
breeder dealing with tens of
thousands of varietal lines generally uses a small plot about three
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meters by one meter. A research
agronomist might use 1,000 foot
or longer strips in a field to
investigate fertilizer treatments.
While the plot size might seem
subjective, there are equipment
considerations that can make
certain sizes easier than others to
work with.
One of the considerations
William (Bill) May, crop management agronomist at Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada’s Indian
Head Research Farm at Indian
Head, has had to make is finding a plot size in which he can
observe the biological effect of
fungicide efficacy in canaryseed
to control septoria leaf disease.
“Our research in canaryseed has
required us to rethink the ideal
plot size in this case,” explains
May. ”We were getting a response
in the field to fungicide applications, but we were not seeing it
in the 13 by 35 foot small plots
we used.”
This led May and his take a
look at the ideal plot size they
would need to use to effectively
evaluate the fungicide treatments
they were investigating in canaryseed. They used two different
lengths, 35 and 70 feet and three
different widths, 13, 26 and 36
feet. The team wrapped up Year
2 in 2014 and while 2014 results
are not yet compiled, 2013 data
showed that the most consistent
results were obtained when the
plot width was increased from
13 to at least 26 feet or the plot
length was increased from 35 to
70 feet.
Working
with ideal
plot size
is important
“Part of the issue we have to
account for are the 50 foot pathways we are required to leave for
our seeder and sprayer,” says May.
“There are ramifications for onset
and progress of a disease like septoria when these pathways offering more airflow and drying and
less ideal disease promoting conditions, the so-called border effect.”
Working with the ideal plot
size is important in terms of
ensuring the plot represents
what is happening in field scale,
but also from the perspective of
land and resource management.
Additionally, if plots are too big,
they may become less uniform;
in that case, accurate assessments
are not possible.
Analysis of the data this year
and over the next few years will
provide the answers May is looking for. For farmers, this will
mean researchers will be better
able to provide the advice they
need when it comes to controlling diseases and other pests in
their crops. †
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Andrea Hilderman has her master’s degree
in weed science and is a member of the
Manitoba Institute of Agrologists. She writes
from Winnipeg, Man.
12
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Features
Farm management
Be a great board member
Lot of farm associations need farmers to serve as board members.
Here are 12 tips to getting on board and becoming a good one yourself
By Patty Milligan
W
e rely on boards to
ensure that organizations all around us
run smoothly and
effectively: the gas co-op, school
district, agricultural society, seedcleaning co-op, or producer association, just to name a few.
Throughout a farmer’s career,
he or she may be asked to serve
on any number of boards. Being a
board member can have its share
of difficulties — think endless
meetings, awkward conference
calls and roaring personality conflicts. In that case, serving on a
board can be irritating at best or
extremely stressful at worst.
On the other hand, Dave
Akister, the executive director of
the Saskatchewan Seed Growers
Association, observes that new
board members on the SSGA
board quickly realize how rewarding the experience is going to be.
When they finish their term, they
leave with a sense of pride and
accomplishment. They have contributed to the community and
they have developed transferrable
professional skills.
Make that experience positive
both for yourself, the board and
your industry or community by
keeping these pointers in mind.
1. Take a small step first.
Lisa Skierka, Manager at Alberta
Barley, encourages growers to
choose any level of involvement
they wish. It can be as simple as
attending a fall meeting in your
area. Greater involvement can
come gradually. Many of Alberta
Barley’s board members come up
through a delegate system so by
the time they reach the board,
their interest in and understanding of the provincial board is clear.
2. Know why you
want to serve
Does your purpose match up
that of the organization? People
join boards for different reasons.
Skierka believes the best board
members are interested and passionate about the industry. They
want to contribute.
3. Understand you have
something to give
Bill Ross, executive manager of
the Manitoba Canola Growers,
says board members all come with
different skills: “Some are financial
or marketing wizards. Some are
good organizers. Some know how
to work with people.”
Akister tells new board members,
“Be yourself. You were elected to the
board because of the qualities you
have.” A young farmer may feel too
inexperienced to sit on a board, but
Akister disagrees: “The way the seed
industry is moving to computerization, we need the young people —
the ones who don’t know what life
is like without technology.”
Transferring the knowledge
of running a farm operation —
which requires many different
skill sets — to a board of directors
is, Skierka says, “the lifeblood of
the system.”
4. Talk
When it comes to being
a board member, you need to
be “more than a warm body,”
says Cindy Bishop, organization development specialist with
Alberta Agriculture and Rural
Development. Participation is key
and that means expressing an
opinion.
A diversity of opinion is good
for a healthy board. On the
MCGA board, Ross wants “people to challenge other people.”
Akister agrees: “The last thing I
ever want to see is a collection of
yes people.” The decision that a
board reaches is often secondary
to the discussion itself. Skierka
believes “how the decision was
made is what’s important.”
5. Don’t talk too much
Ward Middleton, president of
the board of Organic Alberta feels
a good board member should
be willing to express opinions
“without being domineering.”
Participating on a board also
means listening. Akister emphasizes that for a meeting to be effective, there should be no sidebar
conversations.
6. Learn
8. Wear the right hat
Organizations take different approaches to getting their
board members up to speed.
For their part, board members
should soak up all the learning
they can, whether it’s through
a board package, delegate handbook, orientation, mentorship,
or professional development
seminars.
Akister believes, “It’s my job to
teach them the skills, whether it’s
mic presence, or reading a financial statement.” Not all boards
have the resources or the drive to
educate their board members. If
so, you can always educate yourself. Many organizations have
excellent online or hard copy
resources (see sidebar).
Board members may have competing interests. They run their
own farm plus they may serve on
several boards. Akister urges board
members to know what hat they’re
wearing when they come to the
table, otherwise “the board will get
dragged into everybody else’s issue.”
Board members need to ask
themselves, “Does this fit with
OUR mandate?”
7. Understand you’re
part of the whole
Skierka points out, “On your
farm, you’re the boss. On a board
of directors you’re one of the
bosses.” When a board starts fighting each other, Ross says, “you
have to get back in the right direction otherwise you don’t get things
done.” He also cautions, “Even
when you’re on the losing side of
the vote, you have to still take that
same message.”
A board speaks with one voice.
As a board member, you’re an
ambassador to the organization,
supporting the board, the president, and the staff.
Learning
about the job
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There are lots of excellent
resources for anyone who
wants to learn more about
being an effective board member. All of these organizations
have helpful information.
• Alberta Culture and
Tourism: At www.culture.
alberta.ca, choose “programs
and services,” then “board
development.”
• Saskatchewan Culture:
Under “programs”, choose
“Organizational Resources,”
then “Good Governance”
to find several documents
that will be helpful for board
members.
• Volunteer Manitoba: At
volunteerManitob.ca, choose
“Training and Development”
to find helpful information.
• Strive.com: Look for
Jim Brown’s useful book The
Imperfect Board Member.
If your education is entirely
in your own hands, at minimum, you’ll want a copy
of the bylaws, the board’s
strategic plan, and a copy
of “Robert’s Rules of Order.”
You can buy a copy of this
as a book (there are several
book versions, even a Robert’s
Rules for Dummies version), or
visit www.robertsrules.org for
a free copy of the 1915 version of the book. †
Patty Milligan
9. Be clear about
your role
The best board members understand their roles and responsibilities and, Akister says, “Where they
start and end. You can’t be the
quarterback and the receiver at
the same time.” Board members
responsibilities always include
avoiding conflict of interest and
maintaining confidentiality.
10. Stay out of the weeds
Strong boards have clear missions. But staying focused can be a
challenge. Bishop finds they often
want to “go into the weeds. Down
to the operational level. The smallest details.”
Boards must work to bring the
conversation back up: “What is
most relevant here? How can we
step back and do some really productive strategic thinking?” Boards
struggle to keep the bigger picture
in mind because they are constantly challenged with crises and
the operational everyday details.
A strong strategic plan and
a good set of bylaws are tools
that anchor board members and
employees, according to Ross.
“Without these, you just wander around. With them, even if
a board struggles, still goes forward.”
11. Pay attention
to financials
Money plays a large role in
the operation of any board so
board members have to understand it and feel comfortable
talking about it. Their job is to
ask questions about money coming in and money going out. If
you feel insecure, learning how
to read financial statements is a
good first step.
12. Cultivate good
relations with staff.
Make sure you have a great
staff that is reviewed honestly and
regularly. Their job is to move
the organization forward as per
purpose and bylaws. As Middleton
says, “While the board provides
strategic direction, they are the
ones who actually have their
hands in the dirt.”
Good board members help
build an effective organization
that can exert influence and create change. And that’s the point,
says Middleton: “There are enough
challenges in our industry — we
don’t need more challenges on the
board.” †
Patty Milligan is a freelance writer based at
Bon Accord, Alta.
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
Features
Farm products
Prairie-made combine parts
Harvest Services Limited offers a made-in-Saskatchewan solution
By Michael Flood
I
f there was ever a contest
held for the device that had
saved mankind the most
hours of labour and effort,
what machine would come out on
top? The boat, which made it possible to cross vast oceans to trade?
The automobile or airplane which
reduced the distance between cities and peoples to hours rather
than weeks or months? You might
nominate the digital computer
which handle so many tasks in
our modern world.
Those gadgets are all helpful but
for true labour saving, consider
the humble farm combine. As the
cornerstone of farm mechanization they’ve shrunk the need for
manual labour. Nothing comes
without a cost though — like all
other pieces of technology the convenience and labour saving of a
combine depend on the smooth
functioning of a range of specialized parts, all of them needing
regular maintenance and eventual
replacement.
Finding new parts is easier if
you have one of the newest combine models, but eventually, every
machine is going to need parts.
Some enterprising and
mechanically inclined farmers
have machine shops on their
land that they use to make their
own replacement parts. One
firm in Craig, Saskatchewan,
Harvest Services Limited, has
made it into their main lines of
business, selling refurbished and
newly manufactured parts for
a range of combine makes and
models. Amber Vibert, the company’s sales specialist, explained
their operation.
The firm has had a complex history. Originally a division of Wilfong, it was bought
by its employees in the 1960s.
In the 1990s those employees
were bought out by one of their
number, Carol Vibert, who ran
it with her family until the firm
became a division of Ralph McKay.
The company manufactures combine parts for a wide range of
makes and models, including John
Deere and Massey Ferguson.
The dozen employees, operating out of six vast buildings in
Craik, create all their parts on
site — from rotary concaves and
adjustable sieves to air foil chaffers and feeder chains. For small
orders they can often ship from
their present stocks, but they’re
prepared to fill orders of any size
with newly manufactured pieces.
They sell to thousands of farmers across North America both
directly and through a number of
dealers across the Canadian and
American Midwest.
As an additional helpful service
for farmers their website (www.
harvestservices.ca) offers Service
Bulletins for many of the parts
they manufacture. These provide
troubleshooting guides for common problems like grain bunching on chaffers and improperly
fitted cover plates, with diagrams
as well as suggested fixes you can
perform yourself. In addition,
the company is happy to take
calls or e-mails from their users.
This can be especially helpful
if you’ve got a tricky problem
you’re pretty sure you can fix but
aren’t quite sure how.
Next year they on adding a
wider range of parts for their current lines as well as expanding
the range of makes they cover
to include John Deere, Case IH,
New Holland, Massey Fergusson,
White, and Gleaner.
A new combine is a huge investment even for a large, prosperous
farm. Before you call the bank
about extending your credit to
replace your old combine you may
want to see if a secondary manufacturer like Harvest Services can
get you the parts you need. They
just might save you a bundle. †
Michael Flood (www.michael-flood.com) is a
business writer and columnist. You can reach
him at [email protected].
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14
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Features
Farm innovations
Integrity Post Structures
These new Perma-Columns raised the roof at the Agri-Trade Equipment Expo
By Michael Flood
E
very year the Agri-Trade
Equipment Expo holds
an exhibition of new and
innovative ideas in farm
equipment and supplies. They
also recognize key innovators in
the field with their Ag Innovations
Awards, selected by a committee
of independent local producers.
Among this years’ winners was
Okotoks, Alberta’s own Integrity
Post Structures, in recognition for
their new product, Perma-Columns.
photo: integrity post structures
Perma-columns are crafted from precast concrete. They keep the
wooden frame out of contact with the ground, protecting the frame from
rot and adding years of useful life to the structure.
Integrity post structures
Incorporated in 2008, Integrity
Post Structures specializes in the
building of post-frame buildings
for the agricultural and commercial market. A post-frame
building, as its name implies, is
built using wooden posts as a
frame unlike the more common
post-and-beam structures. Using
pre-fabricated wooden posts
allows for a diversity of layouts,
energy efficiency, and rapid construction times, all important to
agricultural producers in need
of structures to house livestock,
store grain, or keep farm machinery out of the weather. They can
also build very large structures
without the need for poured concrete foundations. Their services
are in high demand.
Al Williams, co-founder of
Integrity along with Jerry Myers,
says they build between 300 and
400 buildings a year. “We manage
17 crews here,” Williams says.
Part of the speed and economy
Integrity offers is due to the simplicity: “Our buildings are very,
very simple,” Williams says, “we
try to stick with basic structures.
We just focus on building the
buildings, not getting sidetracked
into floors or electrical or plumbing.” In Integrity’s experience
most farmers are able to handle
those features themselves or find
local contractors to do the work.
“A lot of times their struggle is
with building the building itself,”
Williams says. Those buildings can
be very large — up to 22 feet high
with the larger 290 pound columns — but few customers require
roofs that high.
One obstacle farmers often have
is a lack of construction services.
Concrete foundation contractors are
sparse out in rural areas, and even
when contractors can be found the
foundations can be prohibitively
expensive. This is where Integrity’s
Perma-Columns give them a major
lead over other contractors.
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Integrity is the licensed
Canadian manufacturer of PermaColumns. Crafted from precast
concrete, they keep the wooden
frame out of contact with the
ground. This protects the frame
from rot and adds years of useful life to the structure, without
greatly increasing cost or sacrificing the speed of building. It’s a
solid concrete foundation for the
building’s posts without the need
for a full poured one. “Once we
saw the product,” Williams says,
“we knew there was great potential for it in Canada.”
To every project Integrity brings
a wealth of industry knowledge
about the latest manufacturing
and building techniques. Because
of this they start each project by
asking customers to talk to them
about their needs rather than their
wants. In one instance a farmer
wanted a lean-to built onto an
existing structure but Integrity was
able to demonstrate that a whole
new building would be less expensive than an expansion. “No two
buildings are exactly the same,”
says Williams, “they can be customized to suit individual needs.
We’ve done this enough times that
we have good solutions for a wide
range of issues facing farmers.”
Of particular interest to grain
farmers is Integrity Post Structure’s
grain storage buildings. Built with
their Perma-Column, the buildings can be assembled quickly and
at low cost. They also come in a
wide range of sizes and options,
with insulated and uninsulated
doors of various sizes, perfect for
housing farm equipment likes
tractors and combines.
Perma-Columns combines the
economy of wooden post-frame
construction with the versatility
of a concrete foundation. Facing
high demand for their services,
Integrity is working on training
new construction crews to continue delivering prompt, high-quality
service to their customers. †
Michael Flood (www.michael-flood.com) is a
business writer and columnist. You can reach
him at [email protected].
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
15
Features
Ag research
Researching our daily bread
U.K. researchers are working to increase our global wheat yield and nutrition
By Lilian Schaer
W
heat provides one
fifth of human calories, but its yield
growth has been
on the decline since the 1980s.
Researchers in the United Kingdom
are trying to solve some of the
world’s food security challenges by
improving wheat productivity.
Their goal, says Dr. Malcolm
Hawkesford of leading British
institute Rothamsted Research, is
to increase wheat yield potential
to 20 tonnes per hectare in 20
years — the equivalent of approximately 486 bushels per acre.
The record wheat yield for the
U.K. sits at 14.3 tonnes per hectare,
set in 2013, and the world record of
15.6 tonnes per hectare was set by a
New Zealand farmer in 2010.
“The current average farm yield
for wheat in the U.K. is approximately 8.4 tonnes per hectare,”
said Dr. Hawkesford in a presentation at the International Federation
of Agricultural Journalists’ congress
held in the U.K. in September.
“Obviously our project has a U.K.
focus, but the outputs will be available widely. World wheat production is only about three tonnes per
hectare.”
To meet demands presented by
a burgeoning world population
expected to hit nine billion by
2050, the average annual increase
in global wheat yields must almost
double from its current level of
one per cent to 1.7 per cent.
Hawkesford stressed that his
team aren’t plant breeders or
focused on agronomy, but rather
are working on producing knowledge and tools, such as delivering
genetic markers for the improvement of wheat performance.
A key initiative is the 20:20
Wheat project, which is funded
through the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research
Council (BBSRC) and includes
four research clusters.
Cluster 1 is focused on maximizing yield through genetic
improvements, such as increasing
the crop’s photosynthesis capabilities and making it more efficient
at how it uses nutrients.
Cluster 2 is working to maintain
wheat’s yield potential by protecting it against pests and diseases
like fusarium, septoria leaf blotch
and “take-all”, three leading pathogens affecting wheat yield in the
U.K. and elsewhere. Conquering
them could boost average yields
by five to 10 per cent, estimate
Rothamsted researchers.
Cluster 3 is determining how
the soil and plant roots interact
and how that interaction affects
how the crop takes up the water
and essential nutrients its needs
to grow. This could increase yield
potentials by 10 to 18 per cent.
In the fourth cluster, researchers will be using crop models
to study complex wheat traits,
such as resource use efficiency,
and explore how wheat types may
perform under different climate
change scenarios.
A separate cluster of research at
Rothamsted is focused on working
to optimise the nutrient values of
wheat and brassica (crops like broccoli, cabbage, kale, turnip, Brussels
sprout and mustard) seeds.
Rothamsted researchers and
scientists from other institutions
to find new genetic variations by
performing experimental crosses
of wheat “parents,” such as
wild wheat, landraces and other
grasses.
They will use the results to
create new types of bread wheat
with better resistance against diseases and pests, more drought,
salt and heat tolerance, and
higher yields.
The resulting resources will be
made available to plant breeders
and farmers worldwide.
Canada’s contribution to the
wheat genome sequencing work
is an $8.5 million project called
Canadian Triticum Advancement
through Genomics, which is aimed
at developing genomic tools and
increasing genomic capacity in
wheat breeding programs.
In 2011, agriculture ministers
from the G20 countries, including
the U.K. and Canada, committed
to establishing an international
initiative to co-ordinate worldwide
research efforts in wheat genetics,
genomics, physiology, breeding
and agronomy.
The Wheat Initiative currently
includes public research and
funding organizations from 12
countries, as well as two international research centres and seven
private global wheat breeding
companies. †
Lilian Schaer is a profeesional farm and food
writer based in Guelph, Ontario. Follow her
blog at foodandfarmingcanada.com.
The campus at Rothamsted Research outside of London.
photo: lilian schaer
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16
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Features
Farm management
Lease financing: the facts
Finance specialist Cameron Charlton lays out the pros and cons of leasing
By Rebecca Hannam
L
ease financing is a popular way to pay for farm
purchases. But there are
many tax and financial
implications. Cameron Charlton,
equipment finance specialist with
RBC, answered questions about
lease financing. Here’s what he
had to say.
What financing options are available when purchasing equipment?
The traditional train of thought
is that when buying equipment,
you can either pay cash or utilize
loan financing. But farm business
owners often have the additional
option to lease equipment and
can experience significant longterm benefits by doing so.
The key to choosing the right
option is to separate the purchase
choice from the finance decision.
By first deciding what pieces of
equipment you need and where
you can get them at the best
prices, you can then involve your
financial consultants to determine the best financing approach
and make this an independent
second decision.
What does it mean to lease?
A lease is a written agreement
where a lessor or owner allows a
lessee to use their property for a
specific period of time and rent.
There are two types of leases
— capital and operating. Capital
leases are based over the expected
life of the equipment and include
a buy-back agreement where the
item can be purchased when the
terms expire. The purchase option
is an estimate of what the fair market value of the equipment will be
at the option date. Operating leases
provide financing for less than the
expected useful life and at expiry,
the equipment can be returned
without further obligation.
It is important to remember
that equipment lessees have the
same rights and obligations as
owners. If you lease a new combine, you manage, maintain and
insure it. In most cases, you will
own it when the rental payment
schedule has been completed.
What are the benefits of leasing
farm assets?
One of the most important benefits of leasing is the opportunity
to free up cash flow. Lease terms
can be very flexible and payment
schedules can be matched directly
to your income. Lease payments
can include a purchase option at
the end of the term which translates
into lower regular payments than
what a term loan would require.
The collateral security needed
for a lease is typically only the
piece of equipment being leased.
This means that other assets such
as other equipment and farmland
are not pledged as security and
are available for other financing
opportunities.
Leasing can also maximize your
ability to finance. For many pieces of farm equipment, buyers can
usually lease up to 100 per cent of
the purchase price.
The tax implications
If I decide to lease, what could the
tax implications be?
Lease payments are usually 100
per cent tax deductible which
means you can deduct the full payments (both principal and interest)
as a business expense. This differs
from purchase financing where
you can only deduct the interest
portion of the payments and an
annual depreciation charge called
capital cost allowance (CCA).
While I am not an accountant,
my experience with CCA categories and guidelines has shown that
leasing can mean a faster write-off
of equipment compared to paying
cash or using other financing.
As an example, these four
numbers demonstrate some key
differences between traditional
term, mortgage or cash financing
and leasing when purchasing a
grain bin.
• 6: CCA class 6 is the category
where you will find grain bins on
your balance sheet. Class 6 has a
CCA rate of 10 per cent but given
the half-year rule, you only have a
five per cent write-off in year one.
• 23: 23+ is the number of years
that you will be writing off the
Two crops,
two paths
B
ill Greuel, executive director of
Saskatchewan
Agriculture’s crops
and irrigation branch, spoke
about diversification at
CropSphere in Saskatoon in
January.
Greuel told an interesting
story about two “new” crops
that took two very different paths. Basic agronomy
for lentils, he said, was first
developed in the early 1970s.
By 1986, Saskatchewan farmers were growing 250,000
acres of lentils. In 2014,
there were more than two
million acres of lentils grown
in the province.
In contrast, the history
of growing camelina in
Saskatchewan also starts in
the early 1970s. Unlike lentils,
however, there was “not a lot
of good push and involvement by a strong producer
association,” Greuel said.
Most years, few or no acres
of camelina were grown at
all until 2007, when Great
Plains Sustainable Oils contracted acreage, and wanted
to expand its business to one
million acres in five years.
That didn’t work out, leaving
many producers disappointed. Now, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada and a company
called Linnaeus are looking at
camelina breeding opportunities. Another group of farmers
are growing small amounts of
camelina for sale as a gourmet
cooking oil under the brand
Three Farmers.
The developments of lentils and camelina have taken
very different paths. “New
crop development is driven
by grower innovation and
industry,” Greuel said. †
Leeann Minogue
bin when using traditional financing or paying cash. If minimizing
income tax is a motivation for
you, this is not an efficient tax
write-off strategy.
Lease terms can
be very flexible
• 66: 66 months is a common
lease structure for grain bins. This
lease term would be 60 months to
10 per cent. Looking at a $200,000
grain bin project, and using a 15.5
per cent corporate tax rate brings us
to the next number.
• 16,000: This figure represents
how many dollars will stay in your
pocket by year five if the bin is
leased. $16,000 for simply changing
the way you purchased this bin. It
really can pay off to engage financial and tax advisers before making
a purchase.
Credit crunch
If you are a farmer who typically
does not need to finance equipment purchases, consider the
financial crisis in 2008 where 79
per cent of credit vanished from
the U.S. market in one year. There
was a lot of uncertainty on both
sides of the border and this demonstrates why you should consider
holding your cash and financing
long-term assets. The opportunity to shorten financing terms to
reduce interest and other costs is
always available. I recommended
that you contact your accountant
or tax adviser to review your individual situation.
Farming is constantly changing
and there are many intangibles
and other soft costs that may be
required on your part — a down
payment on additional acres,
the hiring and training of new
employees, trips overseas to make
contacts and close contracts, etc. It
makes sense to keep cash available
to take advantage of these opportunities and remain competitive
in your market. We are experiencing 25-year historical lows when
it comes to rates of borrowing so
financing your hard assets in a tax
effective way such as leasing can
really be the way to go.
Ultimately, investing in new or
newer equipment can be a great
move for your farm’s productivity.
But keep in mind that easy does
not always mean better. By writing a cheque or choosing the first
financing offer you come across,
you could be leaving money and
other valuable cash flow and tax
benefits on the table. Taking the
time to research the options and
consider leasing can have a significant impact on your bottom line.
This article is reprinted from
“Ontario Grain Farmer,” August,
2014, with the permission of Grain
Farmers of Ontario. †
Rebecca Hannam is a freelance agricultural
writer based in Fergus, Ont. Follow her on
Twitter @rebeccahannam.
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
17
Columns
Financial markets: the basics
Reliable tools for investing
In this second in a series on the basics of financial investing, Andrew Allentuck
looks at different investment theories used by the pros
By Andrew Allentuck
W
hat works? In the
armory of investment theories,
almost everything
has predictive value, but reliable
tools are hard to find
If you read the daily press, especially the investment pages, you’ll
find “experts” predicting that, for
example, major U.S. markets must
go down because they have been
up for each of the last seven years
and none have gone eight years
without a big crash. Alternatively,
there are gurus saying that with
a U.S. presidential election in the
offing in 2016, 2015 will be a nice
run-up year with U.S. energy costs
falling and consumer spending rising. Who is right? Both are. Who
is wrong? Both are. How can this
be? It’s all in the way measurement and predictions are done.
There are said to be 100,000
index numbers published every
day. You can find an index of tallow and hides and map it against
the S&P 500 Composite or some
other index. It is guaranteed that
on any given day, week or year
or even five-year period, some of
those 100,000 index numbers will
go the same way. But correlation
is not causation. And that is where
intelligent judgment comes in.
which may be true — so every up
and down should have meaning.
But which up and down? Would
you want to find market or stock
direction in the minute-by-minute
moves of stock prices? That is
madness, for most of the minute-
Get reports
on a company’s
bonds
Schools of analysis
The process of predicting asset
prices, that is, what a stock or
bond, commodity or even option
to buy or sell some asset has
produced two broad schools of
analysis. So-called technical analysis looks at the wiggles of stock
prices on graph paper and seeks to
determine what past wiggles mean
for the future. This school asserts
that all information is priced into
stocks when they are traded —
by-minute or second-by-second
trading and pricing is statistical
noise, sometimes computer-driven
trading of hundreds of thousands
of shares a second. This is meaningless. How about hour-by-hour?
That is not much better. Day-byday or week-by-week? It gets more
meaningful.
TOUGHER
EASIER
Tandem™ is the one.
But if we extend the measuring period to 10 or 20 years and
use a moving average, every week
bumping up the 520 or 1,040
weeks by one week, patterns disappear and there is not much to talk
about. In the end, technical analysis, though occasionally useful in
visualizing the tracks of stocks or
other assets rocketing up or collapsing, is arbitrary. You see the
patterns you want to see.
Economists prefer to study markets on their fundamentals: corporate earnings, consumer debt
levels, currency flows, corporate
balance sheets, interest rate trends,
product cycles and much more.
You would think that these
basic forces would reflect corporate performance and therefore
stock prices. But it is not necessarily so. As Aswath Damodaran,
a highly respected professor of
finance at New York University
notes, Investment Philosophies:
Successful Strategies and the Investors
Who Made Them Work, published
in 2003 and still a fundamental
examination of predictive devices,
one can separate corporate CEOs
into one group of tall people and
another of short people and then
connect the profit trends or stock
prices to the two subsets. There
may well be a difference in outcomes, but so what? “If the average return on companies headed
by tall CEOs is higher, should we
rush out to buy stock in those
companies? Not quite yet, because
the differences often arise purely
from chance.”
That is not the only problem.
Most market prediction theories
work nicely when markets are rising. If the theory does not work
when markets are weak and contracting, it is not helpful. The
upmarket bias is crucial, for a rising market conceals risk.
There are market gurus who
advocate buying stocks that have
been beaten down, perhaps for
good reason, or buying bonds of
companies that have defaulted on
payments. Sometimes these disasters turn around and the stocks or
bonds rise by a hundred per cent
or more. But the gurus who advocate these theories neglect the risk
and, moreover, the psychological
problem of holding stocks that everyone else is selling. You could put
this in terms of tomatoes. When
they go on sale at 30 or 50 per cent
off, they may be a bargain. At 90
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“Have you me my peeps?”
per cent off, you are right to suspect they are rotten. But squeezing
tomatoes is a lot easier than distilling financial data.
Down to fundamentals
Let’s get down to fundamentals.
There are relatively few. First, there
is earnings per share. If a company
reports rising earnings per share
over a period of a few years or a
reversal in which a string of quarters or years of declining earnings
or stagnant earnings is broken
and earnings per share start to
rise, investors will pile in and
the stock price will rise. Investors
tend to pay less for cyclical stocks,
for their earnings rise and fall
with the business cycle or other
variables. And some investors are
leery of just trading on earnings
trends. Many firms buy back their
outstanding shares, thus spreading corporate earnings over fewer
shares and — presto! — making
earnings per share rise. So if you
want to trade on earnings, check
outstanding shares in any major
database or the company’s own
website and see what the effect of
buybacks, if any, are having.
What are earnings worth? There
is a scale of values which must
be understood. The market often
expresses earnings as a ratio. Thus
stocks are priced at X times current
or next year’s expected earnings.
Stocks priced below 10 times
earnings are seen as losers, though
they may turn around. Cyclical
mines are in this category. Stocks
priced at 10 to 20 times earnings are
often solid bets, such as chartered
banks. Over 20 to 30 shows investor confidence; today it’s retailers
on a roll. Over 30 and up to 80
show immense confidence. Stocks
priced over 100 times earnings may
have an expected turnaround or
just be momentum plays destined
for collapse. After all, given that
earnings are expressed by the year,
how many years worth of earnings
would you pay for its stock? For
me, it is no much more than 12 or
15. I can’t see the future, after all.
Next test: dividends. If a company has a history of raising dividends and has paid dividends
steadily over periods or ten or
twenty or more years, that’s a
sign of good management and —
this is vital — a floor of expected
income under the share price. You
can check the dividend history
at the company’s own website or
at www.sedar.com, which has the
financial reports for all Canadian
public companies, or at sec.gov/
edgar.shtml for U.S. stocks.
My own simple tests are to get
reports on a company’s bonds. Bond
rating agency DBRS publishes these
online at dbrs.com. If the bonds
have an investment grade rating of
B+ or better, if the company’s earnings are rising, dividends stable or
rising over time, and if the company’s ratio of share price to earnings
is 20 or less, I may be interested.
There are other tests, of course, but
these simple ones will eliminate the
hopeless or the overpriced. That’s a
lot of grief avoided. †
Andrew Allentuck is author of “When Can I
Retire? Planning Your Financial Future After
Work,” (Penguin, 2011).
18
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Columns
Off-farm investing
Buy right,
sell right
Andy Sirski’s five-legged stool
plan and portfolio update
ANDY
SIRSKI
The 24/7, all season nitrogen buffet.
A
s I write on February
18, there’s a lot going
on in the world. Greece
had a major turnover in
its election at the end of January
and now the new government is
finding that making promises is
a lot easier than keeping them.
Especially when lenders are asked
to forgive loans so the government can keep its promises. Not
so easy.
Still, day-by-day it sounds like
Greece will bend and make a deal
to keep money coming.
Also, the peace accord between
Russia and Ukraine and most of
the rest of the world is only a few
days old and we don’t really know
if it will hold or not.
Closer to home, a lot of people
have lost their jobs because oil
companies have cut their budgets
since the price of oil dropped in
half from its recent highs. To me
it shows the importance of having a few financial legs on one’s
over all financial plan. I call that
plan my five-legged stool. It’s has
been working for many readers
for years. Good times often lead
people to forget that they really
should have a back up skill and
plan in case the good times end.
They usually do.
Finally, big time investor
Warren Buffet, in his Berkshire
fund, sold 41 million shares of
Exxon late in 2014 and then sold
his shares of Conoco Phillips.
Berkshire owns Burlington Rail
which moves a lot of oil from
Canada to refineries in southern U S.
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Breakouts
Re-fracking is where oil drillers go back to existing wells and
refresh the innards of the well so
it brings up more oil or natural
gas. This drops the cost of oil to
about 25 per cent of the cost from
drilling a new well. Many expect
this strategy to kick in if the price
of oil stays down, but I wonder
why would drillers not go back
to existing wells as an overall
strategy.
The talking heads keep talking
the price of oil and some research
shows very few oil fields around
the world would lose money at
$40 oil. If re-fracking drops the
cost by 75 per cent then there
would be all kinds of incentives
to keep pumping oil.
Years ago I attended a seminar
where the guy was offering to
sell me a package that identified
stocks that were breaking out of
their base. He was asking $3,000
a year for the package.
Now we can get that information for free on Stockcharts.com.
Go to Stockcharts, click on free
charts, go to the right hand side
of the screen and find the words
“predefined scans”. Click on
there and look around. Towards
the bottom of the screen you will
find the words “point and figure.”
You will find at least three
groups of stocks that have broken
out. I look at those quite often.
If I see a stock I know and like or
would like to get to know I follow
up with some research on charts,
websites and Yahoo.
I also look for stocks that have
weekly calls because the premiums pay us about 40 per cent
of the monthly premium in one
week.
Three recent breakout stocks
include DOW Chemical Company
(DOW), Rona (RON.TO) and
Canadian Oil Sands (COS). DOW
is getting the benefit of cheap oil.
COS had a good dividend, cut it
and the stock went up partly from
the cut and partly from oil prices
leveling off and Rona has been
restructuring its business for the
past year or so.
I figured COS must have been a
pretty good stock to pay the dividend it was paying so I bought
1,000 shares and sold a monthly
call below the price of the day to
give me some downside protection. I sort of hope the shares get
exercised so I keep the $500 premium I collected. It might be a little early to own oil stocks. I could
sell a call at $10 to give me more
downside protection. We don’t
own shares in DOW or Rona.
Five-legged stool
Portfolio update
The five legs can be six or
seven but likely should not be
less than five. The five legs are:
your main job or business. I call it
the backbone. The next three, in
no particular order, is the proper
insurance coverage for one’s time
in life, a second skill and an
Since January 1, 2015 I have
done 18 trades. Fifteen made
money and three lost some. †
Oil and re-fracking
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Finally, learn how to make money
with stocks.
That should include learning
how to buy stocks right and even
more important learning how to
sell stocks right. Sadly there is
very little education on selling
right so over time a lot of would
be investors give back their profits and or lose money and stocks
get blamed, not the lack of selling skills.
In any business it’s easy to
blame losing money on the
weather, the wrong crop, a bad
bull and so on. With stocks,
making money and keeping it
rests on our shoulders and our
shoulders alone.
Andy is mostly retired. Besides playing with
grandchildren, traveling a bit with his wife,
he runs a tax business and publishes an
electronic newsletter called StocksTalk. You
can subscribe free of charge for a month by
sending an email to [email protected].
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
19
Columns
Soils and crops
The value of wheat straw
It can be tempting to burn wheat straw, but that nitrogen is valuable
les
henry
W
ith five irrigation
years in a row and
with current adequate nitrogen and
other fertilizer nutrients we have
grown some big wheat crops with
big straw left over. In 2014 some
folks had problems with proper
canola seed placement through
the straw load on the surface. We
might even hear the odd whisper
about looking for a match.
In the early days of continuous
cropping the physical aspects of
dealing with the straw of crops
like wheat was the issue. The old
straw choppers of the day did not
do the job. Tillage was excessive
in those days but without proper
combine choppers even tillage
was a challenge after a big crop.
Modern combines mostly make
“dust” of the straw on a dry day.
The other issue with incorporating large amounts of straw
was the “immobilization” of the
available nitrogen in the soil.
Wheat straw is generally quoted
as having 0.5 per cent nitrogen
or less. As soil organisms break
down the straw they use the
soil nitrogen as the source to
allow decomposition to proceed.
Nothing new here.
Soil test benchmarks for nitrogen were based on field experiments that included straw incorporation. But when big crops
came along adjustments were
made for the extra straw. The
“Rule of Thumb” on Page 39
of Henry’s Handbook concludes
that we should add an additional
20 pounds of nitrogen per acre
for each additional ton of wheat
straw. But we now leave the straw
on the surface so immobilization
is not the issue it once was.
The current situation
I reviewed data from our irrigation experiments with wheat and
large nitrogen rates. In wet years, as
grain yield goes up, the straw produced goes up even more. We can
easily be dealing with a few tonnes
per acre of straw and instead of
0.5 per cent nitrogen it can have
as much as one per cent nitrogen,
and occasionally even higher.
photo: les henry
Deep brown colored wheat straw like this can have as much as one
per cent nitrogen and a total of 25 to 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
Deep brown colored wheat
straw like the straw shown in the
picture can have as much as one
per cent nitrogen and a total of
25 to 50 pounds of nitrogen per
acre present in that straw.
This straw was in a slightly
lodged area — leaning but not
down. It was only a small part
of the field. The combine was
able to get all the heads but
left a lot of straw. It was passed
through a gyro mower prior to
anhydrous ammonia application. Then a regular tine harrow at seven mph on a very hot
day and it is ready for canola
seed, I hope!
In the early days of soil fertility
work in England they had a recipe for procuring a field suitable
to compare nitrogen fertilizers:
“take two white straw crops and
the field is sure to be nitrogen
deficient.” White straw means
low nitrogen in the straw.
It is an occupational hazard —
I still listen to reports that prove
nothing because the soil does not
need what is being studied.
That straw sitting on the surface with a high nitrogen con-
tent means that nitrogen tie up
(immobilization) by the straw is
a thing of the past. That nitrogen
will, over time, become useful for
future crops.
So, if in a weak moment we
think about using the match we
might as well burn a $50 bill for
every couple of acres that we burn.
There is a good correlation
between wheat grain protein and
straw nitrogen content. For CWRS
wheat a low protein of 10 per cent
likely means a low straw nitrogen
of 0.25 per cent — that is, a white
straw crop. A straw nitrogen of 0.5
per cent and higher likely means
a grain protein of 14 per cent or
higher. Many with good black
soils and a long history of high
nitrogen use could well have high
yield and high protein at the same
time. If so, the straw nitrogen will
be high and the rewards will be
reaped in future years. †
J.L.(Les) Henry is a former professor and
extension specialist at the University of
Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask.
He recently finished a second printing of
“Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water,” a book
that mixes the basics and practical aspects
of soil, fertilizer and farming. Les will cover
the shipping and GST for “Grainews” readers.
Send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives,
143 Tucker Cres, Saskatoon, Sask., S7H 3H7,
and he will dispatch a signed book.
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20
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Columns
Can’t take the farm from the boy
Not quite ready for coffee row
Toban Dyck is learning more about life on the farm and taking on new challenges
Toban
Dyck
T
hey meet every morning
at the same coffee shop
at, say, between 6:30 a.m.
and 7:30 a.m. They discuss life, farming, the weather,
sometimes veer off to other, less
farm-related topics. But it’s all
important. And, still, after two and
a bit years back on the farm, this
meeting intimidates me. I don’t
know enough to engage, I fear.
I feel I can be honest with you,
and have tried my best to be so
since this column began its run. It’s
challenging to be a professional in
one field while starting from near
scratch in another.
I can appreciate that the best
farmers would maintain one never
reaches comfortable levels of expertise; that there’s always more to
learn. I get that. I’d say the same
thing about writing. Levels of
expertise do exist, though. I’ve got
a long ways to go, but I’m reasonably confident as a writer. I bend,
sometimes break, rules. Some of
you have called me on it. Great. I
like that. I’m comfortable with the
rules I break, and I love that you
respect the language and its usage,
enough to let it bother you. This
is what I’m shooting for in farming. This is the level of expertise
I’m after.
ally nice people — but I’d feel like
one. Everyone should now know
what futures are, what a basis is,
and the full name — numbers
and all — of the seed they are
growing and have grown. They
should have a basic understanding
of implement and tractor names
and their respective numbers and
horsepowers. I don’t understand
futures or basis well enough to
converse and I couldn’t talk for
more than a minute or two about
seed varieties and implements. But
I’d like to, and need to; I’m renting
land this year, remember.
Buying crop insurance
Crop insurance and putting
together a detailed budget top my
current list of things to do and
learn about. Futures, basis, and
the other deficits I mentioned
will have to wait. I’m 35 now,
and there’s a finite and depleting
amount of space in my brain.
I expected the conversation to
go something like this:
“Hi there. I would like crop
insurance. How do I get it?”
“Hi. Here’s a pamphlet
outlining the process.”
“Thanks!”
“You’re welcome.
Have a great day.”
“You, too”
It didn’t happen this way. It’s
not at all similar to getting insurance for my car, it turns out. No,
I spent about an hour in the
Manitoba Agricultural Services
Corporation office in Carman,
Manitoba chatting about the
crop insurance application process. It was a great, eye-opening
chat. But quite scary, at the same
time. I’m not guaranteed to get
crop insurance, and the amount
of forms and information they
need from me, as a first-timer, is
intimidating.
I will need to put together a
budget for the year. I was going
to, regardless, but I guess now’s
the time. They want to see this.
I will also need to submit a
signed land-rental agreement,
an equipment-rental agreement, a storage-rental agreement, and a detailed cost of
production outlook.
I can talk around taking that
first step as a farmer for years,
apparently. But now, I need to
do it. If you sense fear in my
voice, great, ’cause there’s a ton.
I’ll make it to the coffee shop
this year, summoning all that’s
available to me in order to be confident in what I do and do not yet
know. And, hopefully, next time
we talk, I’ll have crop insurance.
Author’s note: I’d like to thank
all you “Grainews” readers who
have taken the time to send me
farming tips, helpful documents,
and general encouragement. I
don’t take such things lightly. I
feel well supported, and that is
largely thanks to you. †
Toban Dyck is a freelance writer and a new
farmer on an old farm. Follow him on Twitter
@tobandyck or email [email protected].
T:17.4”
I’ll make it to
the coffee shop
this year
There are always rules — you
name the topic or discipline —
and becoming comfortable taking
them at face value and implementing them without question
is important. But the real fun
begins when you don’t have to;
when you finally understand the
rules for what they are, what
they’re getting at, and where they
came from, and you start bending
them, balancing personal experience with a solid understanding
of the things/natural laws you
can’t control to create new ways
of doing things.
I’m a few levels and worlds away
from rescuing the princess, and
I need to remember this. I learn
something, and want that thing
so desperately to be the tidbit
that will tip my farming scales to
expert that I lose perspective and
fail to see and appreciate the slow,
uphill journey becoming a good,
solid farming is.
This will all take time. There
are stages in the learning-to-farm
process that I have skipped, deep
down believing myself incapable
of fully grasping them but on the
surface compensating for this insecurity by pretending they don’t
matter. “Fake it ’till you make it”
works, kind of, but such a foundation is difficult to build on.
They wouldn’t call me a charlatan — because the farmers that
meet there each morning are actu-
Ba
Alw
FS:8.45”
F:8.7”
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
21
Columns
Understanding market bulls and bears
Feeding the world’s masses
With a growing population, the world, and China, will need more food
Brian
wittal
C
T:17.4”
an we feed nine billion people in the next
50 years? This was
the question posed by
Dr. Lutz Goedde at FarmTech in
Edmonton in January. Some of
the statistics Geodde presented to
explain his answer were interesting to say the least.
In the next 50 years, the world is
going to have to cumulatively produce as much grain (volume-wise)
as we have in the past 10,000 years
put together.
The amount of arable farmland has increased dramatically
over the past 15 years with the
majority of the new land being
in South America through deforestation. The level of deforestation has dropped dramatically
the past couple of years due to
cheap grain values brought on by
export restrictions and tariffs that
governments have put in place in
those regions. The past two years
of bumper world production have
sent grain prices to five-year lows,
which will not encourage the
cleaning of any new land. So how
will we produce enough grain to
feed nine billion people in the
next 50 years if we don’t have
more land?
The first place to look at is
waste in our current food chain
worldwide. Across the globe,
we waste approximately 30 per
cent of our available food stuffs
every year.
In developed nations, we waste
the food at the consumptive end
of the food chain —throwing
away spoiled food, ordering too
much food at a restaurant and
buying bulk amounts that spoil
before we can consume them.
In developing nations the waste
happens much earlier in the food
chain, at the production and food
storage points in the process.
Countries in Eurasia and African
struggle with grain harvest and
storage due to inefficient harvest
practices, poor storage and their
hot, humid climate.
China’s involvement
After absorbing Goeddes’ comments and having read other relevant articles these are my thoughts
on what this could mean for world
grain markets.
China has for many years been
trying to become self-sufficient in
grain production but they have
been losing that battle — population growth is outpacing grain
production growth. To increase
grain production the Chinese government adopted policies such as
paying highly subsidized prices to
farmers to encourage more production to meet self-sufficiency targets.
The stocks the government buys
are stored in massive facilities and
later sold to domestic mills and
processors or strategically sold into
export markets. Some grain is held
to feed the people or to buffer
them from years of poor production. Millions of tonnes of grain
are stored for long periods of time,
which only increases the risk of
loss from spoilage.
Sinograin, the state stockpiler,
purchased a record 125 million tonnes of domestic grain
in 2014. With the recent drop
in world prices Chinese mills
and processors have been able
to import grains cheaper than
they could buy them from the
government. Stockpiles are now
at record levels and facilities are
full —they have no room to buy
or store new crop grains.
I believe these factors have
helped lead to this recent
announcement out of China. On
February 3, Reuters reported that
China would be giving the market
a bigger role in setting prices and
moving away from a “controversial
state stockpiling policy that has led
to bulging grain inventories and a
surge of cheap imports.”
The Chinese appear headed
towards changing their grain security strategy from one of storing and
hoarding massive inventories to a
more strategic plan of managing
production on lands they control.
Apparently the Chinese have figured out that it will be cheaper to
buy grain from the markets than to
pay subsidized prices, store massive
amounts and lose a big portion to
spoilage and theft every year. Just
the elimination of waste in storage
could equate to hundreds of millions of dollars in savings.
Could this
keep world
prices under
pressure?
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The Chinese do not want to be
at the mercy of the world grain
markets in a year when stocks are
tight and prices soar, which as I
see it is the main reason why over
the past several years they have
been investing heavily in agriculture lands around the world. They
want surety of supply at stable
prices and there is no better way to
get that than to grow more of their
own grain to avoid having to buy
in volatile markets.
How much grain the Chinese
have in storage has always been
a mystery to the outside world
and no doubt they will always
keep some in storage as protection
against the unknown.
This brings me to ask some
questions: How long will it take
them to reduce those inventories? Could this keep world prices
under pressure? For how long?
Will China’s becoming a more
hand-to-mouth buyer add volatility to world markets? Do any of
you have any answers The best I
can come up with is “it depends.”
To be continued. †
Brian Wittal has 30 years of grain industry
experience, and currently offers market
planning and marketing advice to farmers
through his company Pro Com Marketing Ltd.
(www.procommarketingltd.com).
F:8.7”
22
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Columns
Reporter’s Notebook
Raising kids down on the farm
It’s not all one long Disney movie, but there are also many lifestyle benefits
By Lisa Guenther
I
t’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché
because there’s some truth to
it. Farms are great places for
kids to build character.
I asked farmers on Twitter
what they thought about raising kids on farms. Work ethic
kept coming up. Terry James,
an Alberta farmer, said some
employers value former farm
kids for their work ethic and
machinery know-how.
This is why I think many farm
kids develop a good work ethic:
Children see their parents working hard, and learn that hard
work can be enjoyable and yield
benefits. Whether or not they
actually become farmers them-
selves, kids can carry this attitude
into future careers.
Easing kids into appropriate
chores also teaches them to take
pride in their work and themselves. And as they grow older and
more independent, they can take
on more complex tasks that test
their abilities.
Perhaps satellite TV, Internet
and video games have pulled some
farm kids indoors more than in the
past. But I suspect many farm kids
still spend a lot of time outdoors.
I got my first horse, a Shetland
pony named Babe, when I was
five, and I never looked back.
When I was 16, I rode from
Eastend, Sask. to somewhere west
of Manyberries, Alta., on an organized trail ride.
Spending a lot of time outside gives kids a front-row seat
to both spectacular and sublime
moments in nature. The smell of
grass and trees after a thunderstorm and glimpses of everything
from black bears to song birds
fall into the sublime.
But it’s not all a Disney movie.
Kids also see nature’s harsh side. For
example, did you know frogs shriek
while being eaten by garter snakes?
There’s a good chance your kids
have seen this first-hand if they’re
interested in frogs or snakes.
Farm kids have to wrap their
heads around this type of duality a
lot. The 4-H steer your kid cared for
all winter and halter broke is not
a pet — he’s tomorrow’s sirloin.
When I was a kid, I learned that
even my favourite cow (Angel)
would eventually be culled, which
meant death. I learned that one
week I might be feeding chickens,
the next week helping butcher
them and the week after eating
them. Some people see this as callous or inhumane. But it’s about
learning to respect and care for all
animals, even the ones that eventually land on our plates.
Ashley Glover, a southern Alberta
agronomist, said that farm kids are
given the freedom to fail. They get
to see the trial and error of raising livestock and growing crops,
she said, and learn to try again.
Learning to try things, even though
they might not work out perfectly,
is a big part of growing up.
I think urban parents have to
Work ethic
kept coming up.
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push a little harder to give their
kids the space they need to learn
on their own. For example, a couple in Maryland were recently
investigated by social services for
letting their two children walk
alone from the park home. The
walk was a mile. The kids were
aged six and 10. Yes, I’m rolling
my eyes, too.
In my rural community, I still
see kids wheeling around on bikes
all summer. Kids regularly play
unsupervised in the playground.
And I bet many kids are capable
of walking a mile or so without
an adult.
None of this is to say that all
farm kids grow up to be independent, hardworking citizens with a
deep respect for the environment.
But rural landscapes do offer opportunities that urban centres don’t.
Of course, raising kids on farms
and in rural areas has its drawbacks,
too. Martine Piebiak, who I used to
work with at Alberta Agriculture,
now farms near Eaglesham, Alta.
On Twitter, she noted some benefits
to rural life, but childcare options
are limited, she said. Saskatchewan
farmer Rob Stone said the farming
lifestyle’s great, but it can be tough
to find family time during seeding
and harvest.
Many farmers on Twitter
brought up farm safety as a
concern for kids. Jay Schulz, an
Alberta farmer, said it’s great to
share everything about farming
with kids. But making sure kids are
safe around machinery is front of
mind, he said.
There’s good reason to be cautious. On average, 13 children die
on the farm each year, according
to a 20-year study by Canadian
Agricultural Injury Reporting
(CAIR). Over 80 per cent of those
children were boys. In most cases,
those kids weren’t doing the work,
but were killed by someone else
working. Over 60 per cent of these
fatalities were machinery related.
There are some practical ways to
handle this. Carlton Fensky, who
farms near Pigeon Lake, said that
his parents outfitted the kids in
red ball caps so they were visible.
He was also warned to stand well
back from machinery, he said.
Alberta Agriculture has a farm
safety kids’ club for children
between four and 10 years old. Twice
a year they send out newsletters
with safety tips, quizzes and jokes
that, frankly, are funnier than most
jokes adults tell. Raelyn Peterson,
farm safety coordinator, sent me a
recent edition. It covered dog safety,
including family pets, strange dogs
and livestock guardians.
Alberta Agriculture also has a
Safety Wranglers club that sends out
newsletters geared towards older kids
— the winter edition talked about
reflective clothing and visibility. To
sign your kids up for either group,
email Raelyn raelyn.d.peterson@
gov.ab.ca. There’s plenty more farm
safety online at agriculture.alberta.
ca/farmsafety.
Both the country and the city
offer opportunities, hazards and
drawbacks. The trick is to take
advantage of those opportunities
and manage the risk, no matter
which environment you’re in. †
Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based
at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@
fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
23
Columns
Open field
Farmers in Asia, Part 2
In Seoul, on the 2nd leg of her trade and export mission
sarah
weigum
I
n my last column I covered
the Japan leg of a 10-day
trade mission in Asia. After
tasting the best ramen and
okonomoyaki (a cabbage pancake topped with meat) that
Osaka had to offer, we flew to
Seoul, South Korea.
We attended a briefing at the
Canadian embassy where we
learned that Koreans tend to be
brand conscious and price sensitive buyers. The embassy staff were
excited about the imminent ratification of the Canada-Korea Free
Trade Agreement. The agreement
eliminated 82 per cent of tariffs
immediately and 98 per cent of
tariffs will be reduced over time.
We learned some interesting
facts about Korean demographics
lifestyle. Twenty-five per cent of
Korean households have only one
person and by 2020, 16 per cent
of Koreans will be over 65 years
old. (In Canada’s 2011 Census,
14.8 per cent of the population
was found to be 65 or older.)
According to the embassy staff,
there is one restaurant in Seoul
for every 100 people. By comparison, in North America, there
is about one restaurant for every
300 people. We ate at just a handful of these many restaurants
during our time in Seoul. Some of
them only seat half a dozen people and sometimes there are four
in a row that look like they’re
serving the exact same thing. It
makes you wonder how customers choose one over the other and
how any of them make money.
The second day in Seoul was
our trade show. As in Japan, the
Alberta government provided
interpreters for each exporter.
Our interpreter that day was
Sunny, but before long, we were
calling in embassy staff to assist,
as there were so many interested
buyers at our booth.
In Japan, buyers would study
our booth from a reserved distance before they came up and
talked to us. In Korea, if the
interpreter and I were talking to
one buyer, that wouldn’t stop
another party from coming up
immediately initiating a conversation with Curtis.
Grain traders, feed buyers and
food processors expressed interest in flax (fortunately Korea
doesn’t have the same kind of
import restrictions as in Japan),
feed grains, oats, barley for tea
and pulses (apparently a Korean
pop-star recently blogged about
having lentils for breakfast).
Korean buyers
Throughout the years that our
company has exported rye seed
to Korea, we have received several visits to our farm and seed
plant from the Korean buyers.
They are deeply interested not
only in seeing our rye crops and
the facility where the seed is
cleaned, treated and bagged, but
in all of our crops and in the various machines we use to plant and
harvest it. Several buyers at the
Korean trade show also expressed
interest in visiting our farm.
One buyer said he was looking
to secure 50,000 metric tonnes
of feed barley, but he wanted “to
meet the farmer who grew it.”
When I said he might have to
meet a dozen farmers to supply
that kind of demand, he said
yes, “I will come to your farm
and you can organize the meeting.” The “farm to fork” movement is certainly alive and well
in South Korea.
Since returning home I have
been engaged in a number of email
In Korea, grain traders, feed buyers and food processors expressed
interest in flax, feed grains, oats, barley for tea and pulses.
conversations with buyers I met at
the trade show and some people
who received my contact information from the embassy. I have a
lot to learn as our previous export
business and freight forwarding
was handled by our broker.
If we make a deal, our grain
would be travelaling by shipping container. Freight is relatively cheap for containers going
from North America to Asia, since
many containers travel here from
Asia full of goods and have to
return empty. The expensive part
is actually the land transportation
of the container. It costs about
$30 per tonne to have a 40-foot
container make the 260 kilometre
round trip from Calgary to our
loading facility and back to the
rail yard. For a small shipper like
ourselves, it then costs about $140
per tonne to have that container
transported 8,600 kilometres from
Calgary to Busan, Korea.
Economies of scale are the
backbone of global shipping and
I’m sure my rate from the steamship company would be much
more favourable if I was shipping
hundreds or thousands of containers a month. And, price is not
the only factor. Availability is also
integral. A steamship company
might provide a good rate, but if
they seldom spot containers in
our area, we may be stymied.
At this point in the process,
shipping grain overseas seems
risky, confusing and a long way
from reality. I know it won’t happen overnight and it may require
some more overseas travel, but I
am enjoying the challenge. †
Sarah Weigum grows pedigreed seed and
writes at Three Hills, Alta. Follow her on
Twitter: @sweigum.
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/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Machinery & Shop
National Farm Machinery Show coverage
AGCO’s new pre-owned program
AGCO offers a warranty on selected used equipment from participating dealers
By Scott Garvey
W
ith a large volume
of late-model, used
equipment on the
Canadian and U.S.
market right now, some manufacturers have begun backing incentive programs to help dealers sell
machines before they grow roots
in dealership lots. AGCO has just
announced it has taken its limited
Certified Pre-owned Program to a
national level, as well as expanding it to cover a broader range
of equipment across most of the
company’s brands. The program
provides a one-year limited warranty on qualifying machines.
“We started back in 2013,”
explains Eric Lescourret, AGCO’s
North American director of commercial strategic initiatives, during
a conversation at the National Farm
Machinery Show in Louisville,
Kentucky. “We were looking at
what tools can we put in place to
do a better job and help our dealers
manage their used inventory.”
The Certified Pre-owned
Program began as an initiative
to help AGCO dealers grow their
market share and was based on
research the company did to find
out what’s important to dealers
and used-equipment customers.
“We interviewed a lot of our
used customers, about 200, and
we wanted to have an understanding of what’s important
when they go out and buy a
used machine,” adds Lescourret.
“We found there was a trend.
They were looking for peace of
mind when buying a piece of
In February AGCO announced the national roll out of its Certified Pre-owned program, warrantying used equipment from select dealers.
used equipment. So there was a
need for it (the program), based
on what we learned, even though
there was nothing like it (at the
time) in the marketplace.”
Now, the AGCO program covers
combines, balers and windrowers
up to three years old, along with
sprayers up to four years old and
tractors up to five years.
For any machine in those categories that qualifies, AGCO will
throw its weight behind a oneyear warranty to help give buyers that peace of mind Lescourret
mentioned. But don’t expect to
have to pay a fee for an extended
warranty the way you might at a
car dealership. Participating dealers may ask a higher purchase
price for a qualifying machine
because of the hours spent by the
service department inspecting and
refreshing it, but the Certified Pre-
owned Program comes without a
specific cost.
“For the dealer, he doesn’t necessarily make more money, but
because there are more options,
he can turn his inventory faster,”
Lescourret explains. “Typically
about two to four per cent of the
book value (is spent by the dealer)
in reconditioning costs. The customer will see the value in that.
Right now we have some dealers
using that to really differentiate
themselves in the market.”
And AGCO makes dealers qualify before they can participate in
the warranty program. Only those
who have proven they have an
up-to-date service department and
can do the kind of inspection and
reconditioning work required get
the brand’s backing.
“We have a very robust process
our dealers have to go through,”
Lescourret adds. “On tractors
we have a 120-point inspection.
Tractors that would qualify for this
are up to five years or 3,000 hours.
So it’s giving us a lot of options.”
Brand executives believe taking
the risk out of used equipment
purchases will give participating
dealers an edge in the marketplace, and create happy customers.
“From a customer’s perspective,
it’s giving them an option they
didn’t have before at that price
point,” he says. “They (customers) said we’d like to see a check
list of what you’ve done to that
piece of equipment and know
the history of it and have a good
warranty on it, something backed
by the manufacturer. The salesman now is able to is able to tell
a story.” †
Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.
Contact him at [email protected].
photo: agco
photo: scott garvey
Eric Lescourret explained the
program details during the National
Farm Machinery Show in Louisville,
Kentucky.
Deere adds sprayers to its Certified Pre-owned Equipment Program
L
ast August John Deere announced its Certified Pre-owned
Equipment Program, which offered a manufacturer-backed
warranty for 8 and 9 Series tractors along with combines.
In February, it added used sprayers.
John Deere self-propelled sprayers up to two years old with 1,000
engine hours or less, are now included in the program. Eligible
models include the 4630, 4730, 4830, 4940, R4030, R4038, and
R4045. These sprayers will go through an inspection program and
fluid scan analysis before being approved for warranty. Buyers will
also receive a one year subscription to the brand’s telematics system JDLink.
Equipment in the Certified Pre-Owned Program is covered by
Deere’s PowerGard Protection Plan. All main components are warrantied, including engine, transmission, final drives, hubs, steering
components, electronics, hydraulics, cab, and air conditioning. †
Scott Garvey
John Deere is adding sprayers to its Certified Pre-owned Equipment Program.
photo: john deere
FEED THE WORLD
Westeel Grain Storage
When storing and managing grain, fertilizer and petroleum products, look to a name you trust. Westeel supplies
a full line of farm management products and accessories, all manufactured to the same industry leading standards
our bins are famous for. See everything we can bring to your farm. Talk to your Westeel dealer today.
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
25
Machinery & Shop
New seed
National Farm Machinery Show coverage
John Deere upgrades its
digital product offerings
Seed of
the year
Y
The brand’s online Operations Centre gets enhancements
to expand functions and make it more user friendly
By Scott Garvey
I
n February John Deere
announced some improvements to its suite of digital
products. Among those were
a software update for GreenStar 3
2630 monitors that provides a 20
per cent boost in processing speed.
And the Machine Sync application gets expanded functionality,
allowing two machines working
in the same field to better share
prescription map information.
Deere’s online cloud-based
Operations Center, which was
introduced last fall and accessed
through MyJohnDeere.com, sees
some changes as well.
“This year we’ve added a lot of
(Operations Center) functionality
that’s going to help users analyze
their data in a more user-friendly
experience,” explained John
Deere’s Laura Donaldson during
an interview at the National Farm
Machinery Show in Louisville,
Kentucky, in February. “We’ve really
thought about what is the most
intuitive way to find information
about your field. So we’ve done
some user interface enhancements.”
The MyJohnDeere operations
centre is an online portal that
allows customers to store and
access both their machine and
agronomic information in one
place. Producers can use the centre
to keep track of their fleet through
features like location history as
well as see some machine diagnostic information.
“The operations centre takes all
those files, processes them and puts
them into the boundaries on a
screen so they (farmers) can see
yield information, see a weather
overlay, and analyze that yield
information,” Donaldson continued. “The same goes for planting
information. They can see their asapplied rates and use that information to make actionable decisions.”
If you use the operations centre
to co-ordinate and store your data,
you can now share that information with your agronomist, who
doesn’t need to be a John Deere
customer to access the centre. He
or she can set up an account at the
operations centre and look at any
data you allow them to.
photo: scott garvey
Laura Donaldson, product specialist at John Deere, explained some of the recently announced updates to the
MyJohnDeere Operations Center.
“You can also partner share,”
Donaldson said. “Let’s say you
have an ag service provider you
want to partner with, or your John
Deere dealership, you can partner
with them on the operations centre and create that virtual relationship so you can file share without
having to run USB drives across
the county.”
To get information uploaded
to the operations centre, farmers
have a couple of choices.
“You could use wireless data
transfer,” said Donaldson. “You
could upload through a USB drive
or through the MyJohnDeere data
management tool.”
Using the operations centre is
currently free; however, if producers want to transfer information wirelessly from a machine
through JDLink Connect, there
is a subscription fee for that.
“The MyJohnDeere operations centre is currently free
of charge, there is a subscription cost for JDLink Connect,
but you don’t need JDLink to
utilize the operations centre,”
Donaldson said. “It just brings
that data into the operations
center wirelessly.” †
Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.
Contact him at [email protected].
photo: john deere
John Deere has announced several upgrades to its digital products
for 2015.
FUEL YOUR
ENGINES
Westeel Petroleum Storage
ou’ve been waiting.
Now it’s official.
AC Andrew has
been declared the
“Seed of the Year West.”
AC Andrew was developed
by Dr. Sadash Sadasivaiah
at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Lethbridge
Research Centre and was
supported for registration
in 2000.
“AC Andrew was a major
breakthrough in terms of
grain yield in the soft white
spring wheat,” said Dr.
Harpinder S. Randhawa in
a press release. Randhawa is
a soft white breeder at AAFC
Lethbridge and the nominator of AC Andrew.
AC Andrew has a reputation for high yield in both
high and low-input cropping systems — in 2006 it
became the key variety for
ethanol feedstock. It can
offer as much as 20 per cent
higher yield and greater
ethanol yield per volume
of grain compared to other
wheat varieties.
This “seed of the year” is
not just a flash in the pan
variety. The press release
says the award “is designed
to provide recognition to
publicly-developed varieties
that have made a significant
contribution to the economy, agriculture, and the
Canadian public in general.
Although the name, Seed
of the Year, indicates the
contribution in a particular
year, the program is much
broader reaching and considers total lifetime achievement and contribution.
Seed of the Year believes it
is important to recognize
the value of our public plant
breeding programs, as well
as encourage the entry of
new plant breeders to the
industry.”
Seed of the Year West’s
sponsors are: Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada, Alberta
Barley Commission, Canterra
Seeds, Cargill, Canadian
Seed Growers Association,
FP Genetics, CPS Canada,
Richardson International,
SeCan and Western Grains
Research Foundation. †
Leeann Minogue
CONTROL YOUR
OPERATION
Westeel Fertilizer & Seed Storage
888-WESTEEL (937-8335)
[email protected]
westeel.com
26
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Machinery & Shop
National Farm Machinery Show coverage
Case IH updates the Maxxum
and Farmall 100A Series tractors
Appealing to livestock producers, these two tractor lines in the 110
to 145 horsepower class are designed to work well with loaders
By Scott Garvey
W
ith livestock producers now enjoying the kind of
commodity price
surge grain and oilseed growers
experienced from 2008 to 2013
(although BSE once again looms as
a threat to that for Canadian cattlemen), it’s no surprise the major
brands are ramping up the profile
of tractors and equipment that are
best suited to stock farms to take
advantage of that market potential.
Case IH marketing staff were eager
to show off their updated Maxxum
and Farmall 100A Series models
at the National Farm Machinery
Show in Louisville, Kentucky in
mid February. This was one of the
first public appearances for these
tractors since they were introduced
about a week prior to the event.
Both lines occupy the high end
of the utility horsepower segment,
spanning nearly identical power
ranges. The Maxxum line includes
five models from 115 to 145 engine
horsepower.
Updated versions of Case IH Farmall 100A Series tractors with engine horsepower ratings from 110 to 140 debuted in February.
BKT Tires (Canada) Inc.
www.kaltire.com/ag
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photo: case ih
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
27
Machinery & Shop
“The line-up consists of four,
four-cylinder models, a 115,
125, 135 and a 145,” says Dave
Bogan, marketing manager for
the Maxxum line. “And we will
have one six-cylinder model
within the family that is also at
145 rated engine horsepower, but
we’re calling it the 150, because
we’re going to give you those two
extra cylinders.”
Instead of the two different
chassis with different wheelbases
that carried the previous Maxxum
models, all the tractors in the
line now get the same wheelbase,
along with engines that meet Tier
4B emissions regulations.
“(The new wheelbase) is one
inch longer than the (longest)
wheelbase from the Tier 4A models,” Bogan adds. “We also have a
better turning radius.”
And these tractors are also the
first in the brand to get some subtle body style changes that will
eventually sweep across all Case
IH tractor lines.
“There’s dramatic new styling,”
he adds. “A bold new look with a
new hood design.”
To put behind the Tier 4B
engines, buyers can choose one
of two transmission options in
the four-cylinder models, a CVT
or semi-powershift. In the sixcylinder 150 model, the semipowershift is your only alternative. These tractors can be
ordered with an auto-guidanceready package and a Pro 700
monitor. Up front, a new heavier axle is available to make the
Maxxums more durable when
fitted with a loader.
“We realized we were pushing
the axles to the limit, so we we
needed to upgrade the type of
steel that we put in these hubs to
avoid any major failures,” adds
Bogan.
The tractors can be ordered
with a “CLR” (Complete Loader
Ready) package. Adding a loader
is then just a matter of making
the final connections.
photo: case ih
photo: case ih
photo: scott garvey
Left: Engineers relocated the first two
hydraulic remotes to the left side of
the Maxxum tractors for convenient
access when exiting the cab. Top
Right: The “economy” Farmall 100A
tractors get a completely updated
cab that now includes a buddy seat
option. Bottom Right: Maxxum
tractors get a subtle body style
change, which will eventually be
included on all Case IH tractors.
Put it on your account.
JOHN DEERE FARMSIGHT™ SERVICES
AG MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
PARTS
ATTACHMENTS
Farmall 100A series
The new Farmall 100A Series
includes four models from 110 to
140 engine horsepower, offering
the same muscle as the Maxxums,
but at a budget price and with
some lower-spec tractor features.
“Going back to Tier 3 (versions), we had a value (Maxxum)
model. We dropped that. That’s
where the Farmall 100A fits in
the product offering,” Bogan
explains.
“We offer this as an economy
level tractor, it’s a basic workhorse, whereas the Maxxum is
more of a premium-level tractor,” adds Dennis Stroo, marketing manager for the Farmall
line. “Depending on your application, basically how many
hours a day you’re spending
inside that cab and what price
you want to be at, we can offer
two levels of tractors.”
The Farmall 100As get the
same new hood styling as the
Maxxums and a redesigned cab.
“The controls are nicely laid
out,” says Stroo. “We have a couple of new options our customers
really like, one being the highvisibility roof panel. It makes
it really easy to look at, say, a
round bale on the loader at the
highest lift point.”
For a video look, go to grainews.
ca and click on the e-quipTV listings under the “videos” link. †
Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.
Contact him at [email protected].
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CR3210941 (15-2)
28
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Machinery & Shop
National Farm Machinery Show coverage
AGCO wins award for Gleaner design
The new cascade cleaning pan design built into 2015 model year
Gleaner combines recently netted the company an engineering award
By Scott Garvey
S
photo: agco
Crop falls onto the front of the new, larger and redesigned shoe through
forced air, which helps prevent bridging and losses, particularly in highmoisture crop conditions.
tanding at the centre of
AGCO’s display at the
National Farm Machinery
Show in aLouisville,
Kentucky, in February, Kevin Bien,
Gleaner marketing manager, was
passionate as he described the
redesigned, perforated cascade
pan that engineers have placed at
the front of the cleaning shoe on
Gleaner Super 8 Series combines.
But, of course, every time I’ve
spoken with Kevin about Gleaner
combines, he’s been enthusiastic
about the brand he’s been with for
over three decades.
This time he was able to point
to an ASABE 50 engineering award
the company had just won the previous day for that cleaning shoe.
ASABE (The American Society
of Agricultural and Biological
Engineers) selects up to 50 new
engineering designs each year for
recognition.
“Cleaning is everything to
a combine,” Bien said. “It’s all
about putting the best grain sample (in the tank) and handling the
higher (crop) yields.”
The new perforated cascade pan
at the front of the cleaning shoe is
slanted at a six-degree angle, and
the shoe has an additional 992
square inches of pneumatic cleaning area. The company claims this
provides 10 per cent additional
cleaning capacity in tough conditions, because it allows highmoisture crops to fall through
sooner after coming through the
Kevin Bien, marketing manager
for the Gleaner brand, accepted an
AE50 award for the new cleaning
shoe design during an event in
Louisville in February.
accelerator rolls, reaching the
sieve and clean-grain cross auger
much faster.
“That gives us the capability to
avoid that bridging that normally
occurs in high-moisture crops (in
all combine brands),” Bien said.
“You get so much build up it wants
to walk itself right out the back of
the combine, because it can’t get
through the chaffer and sieve area
and into the cross auger.”
To further improve cleaning,
the forced air duct was moved
forward 1-1/2 inches, redirecting air flow. The entire cleaning
shoe area is now pneumatic, and
the additional 12.8 per cent size
increase brings the Gleaners’ total
cleaning area to 8,721 square
inches. This applies to all three
models, which span the Class 6
through 8 range.
“For the very first time, in 2015,
Gleaner is totally pneumatic on
our cleaning shoe,” Bien added.
“That means we don’t have any
area of our shoe that isn’t functional as far as giving us more
capacity and more cleaning capability. This means a lot in highmoisture corn and high-density
crops, because it gives us the
capability to get more air to the
crop. This cleaning shoe right
now is about as large as some
Class 9 cleaning shoes on the
market with some competitors
out there.”
AGCO claims this cleaning
shoe design also lowers losses during side-hill operation.
Said Bien, “We’re really trying to figure out how we can
give greater capacity to combines without adding weight
to the machine and sacrificing some of the things that are
most important to farmers, and
that’s reduced compaction and
increased fuel economy, and,
more importantly, efficiency of
the overall machine.”
For a video look at the new
cleaning shoe and interview with
Kevin Bien go online to grainews.
ca and watch the e-QuipTV episode under the “videos” link. †
Scott.Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.
Contact him at [email protected].
ACCESS YOUR FIELDS
AT ALL TIMES
ST-032
ST-1000
TM
www.soucy-track.com
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
29
Machinery & Shop
National Farm Machinery Show coverage
John Deere’s “nimble” sprayer
A new, smaller model joins the green brand’s 4 Series sprayer family
By Scott Garvey
P
roducers have become
pretty used to seeing
ag equipment brands
introduce consistently
larger machines over the past
few years. In February, however,
John Deere announced a new,
smaller and “nimble” self-propelled sprayer.
The new R4023 fits in at the
low end of the brand’s redesigned 4 Series models, and it
replaces the older 4623. This little brother to the other existing
models in the line gets a 4.5 litre,
173 horsepower diesel engine
that meets Tier 4 Final emissions
standards.
“It has a boost of 180 horsepower,” says Dave Mulder, product line manager at John Deere.
“It’ll get you through those
tough, challenging conditions,
but it’s also very economical.”
The R4023 carries a 600-gallon
poly tank and applies product
out of an 80-foot boom that can
be folded down to a reduced
working width of 60 feet, making it suitable for lower-acreage
farms or custom operators looking for a machine to handle
smaller jobs.
Up front, Mulder says Deere
hasn’t scrimped on operator
comfort, making some high-end
interior cab options available.
“We also have a premium
cab option, with features such
as leather,” Mulder adds. “The
armrest has been laid out a little differently. We also have a
new corner post display unit;
you can monitor all your critical functions such as speed and
RPM at a quick glance.”
And in keeping with Deere’s
focus on technology, the R4023
can be fitted out with any of
the brand’s digital products. It is
also compatible with the JDLink
telematics system that enables
remote display and wireless data
transfer.
“It’s packed with our full integrated technology,” Mulder confirms. “With this machine you
can get autosteer, John Deere
Section Control. You can also get
automated boom height with our
BoomTrac Pro option.”
For more on the R4023 go
online to grainews.ca and watch
the e-QuipTV episode under the
“videos” link. †
photos: john deere
The new R4023, which offers a smaller, 600 gallon tank, joins Deere’s 4 Series line of sprayers.
ALL NEW PRECISION
Auto Steer Solutions
Drive
As a pioneer of the agricultural autosteer industry,
Outback Guidance® latest eDriveXC™ takes automated
steering and eTurns™ autoturn to the next level.
Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.
Contact him at [email protected].
Outback MAX™ with ISO
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When combined with Outback MAX™ or Outback STX™, the eDriveXC system
provides an accurate and affordable steering platform that meets today’s
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Phone: (204) 888-4472
Toll Free: (866) 888-4472
Fax: (204) 888-0991
www.OutbackGuidance.com
Interior options include a premium
package that includes a leather seat.
OB-230B.indd 1
1/29/15 1:51 PM
30
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Machinery & Shop
Shop class
How to identify blade fuses
Blade-type automotive fuses have been an industry standard since 1981.
We take a look at the different types and how to identify the one you need
By Scott Garvey
Y
ou’ll have to look
pretty hard to find
a new vehicle or
farm machine that
still uses glass-tube electrical
fuses, although there are still
many older working machines
equipped with them; and some
other electrical gadgets still use
them. New vehicles and farm
machines now almost exclusively use blade style, also
known as plug-in, fuses.
Many people are used to
looking for the Amp rating
stamped into the nickel-plated
ends of glass-tube fuses. On
blade fuses, the Amp rating is
shown on the top of the plastic body. Depending on the
manufacturer, that rating may
be embossed into the plastic or
only printed on. And if it’s just
printed, the number can wear
off over time, which can leave
you wondering what rating a
blown blade fuse had when
you need to replace it.
Fortunately, blade fuses are
also colour coded. So even
if the Amp rating number is
illegible, you can still deter-
mine the fuse rating by its
standardized body color (see
the chart).
There are three common
Blade fuse sizes: the small
minis (ATM), mid-sized regular (ATC/ATO) and the large
maxis (APX). There is also
a low profile version of the
mini, the APS, which uses the
same universal Amp colour
coding system.
The regular-sized ATC fuse is
more common than the ATO.
The ATC has a fuse element
that is closed (hence the “C”
in the code) inside the plastic
housing, sealing it from the
environment to prevent corrosion from developing. The
ATO fuse is open on the bottom, exposing the fuse element between the blades. ATC
fuses are the best choice for
use on machinery where they
could be exposed to the weather. The high probability of corrosion build up could eventually interfere with current flow
on an ATO type exposed to
moisture. †
Scott Garvey is machinery editor for
Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@
fbcpublishing.com.
COLOUR CODING CHART
Colour
Amps
Mini
Reg
Maxi
Black
1
X
Gray
2
X
X
Violet
3
X
X
Pink
4
X
X
Tan
5
X
X
Brown
7.5
X
X
Red
10
X
X
Blue
15
X
X
Yellow
20
X
X
X
Clear
25
X
X
Gray
Green
30
X
X
X
BlueGreen
35
X
X
Brown
Orange
40
X
X
X
Red
50
X
Blue
60
X
Amber/Tan
70
X
Clear
80
X
Violet
100
.
.
X
Purple
120
.
.
X
This chart shows how colour coding relates to the Amp rating of each
fuse. Cut this chart out and keep it handy in your workshop.
Modern blade fuses have replaced
older glass-tube fuses on vehicles
and machinery. Blade fuses come in
three size: (left to right) low profile
mini, mini, regular and maxi. Larger
types have higher Amp ratings.
fielding life’s needs.
At OK Tire, we know there’s more to life than your fields. That’s why we service what we sell, and offer a
full range of tires for tractors, combines, wagons, implements, even ATV’s. We keep you moving, leaving
you more time to enjoy the other important parts of your life.
For the latest specials, visit your local OK Tire or oktire.com
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
31
Cattleman’s Corner
LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT
Assess herd in March
for lice control needs
Don’t mix treated and untreated cattle, and apply
products at the proper dosage and at the proper timing
heather
smith
thomas
L
ice are a common winter problem in cattle,
especially in northern
climates with cold weather and short winter days. Their
life cycle speeds up and numbers increase dramatically when
weather is cold and they have
long winter hair to hide in.
Doug Colwell, a livestock parasitologist with Agriculture Canada
in Lethbridge, Alta., says sucking
and chewing lice can both be a
problem for cattle.
“We ran a serological survey in
Western Canada (southern Alberta,
Saskatchewan and a few herds
from Manitoba) for several years,
checking for lice, and found 75 to
80 per cent of beef calves coming
off range in the fall tested positive
for sucking lice,” he says. “This is
consistent with results we found
a few years earlier, checking calves
coming into a feedlot that time of
year — prior to the time that they
would be treated for lice.”
Calves pick up lice from their
mothers or herdmates, and most
have lice by end of summer.
Many cattle also have chewing/
biting lice, but it’s harder to test for
these. “We don’t have a serological
test for them,” says Colwell. Many
cattle harbour both types.
He did studies on lice populations, using a counting technique
to determine typical numbers
from January through May on
untreated cows.
“By May we couldn’t find lice on
the animals using this method,”
says Colwell. “There may be a few
in areas on the animal where they
can hide, such as between the
hind legs, but otherwise the animal is relatively free of lice during
summer. By mid-October we start
seeing lice again.”
TREATMENT IS COMMON
TREATMENT OPTIONS
Most ranchers in northern climates treat for lice in late fall or
early winter.
“Our basic treatment program
is to knock the top off the population growth curve so that by
January we don’t have a massive
outbreak,” says Colwell.
Today, chewing lice may be
more common than biting lice.
“There is some indication the
products we’re using are not as
effective as they once were,” he
says. “Also the macrocyclic lactones used as injectables only kill
sucking lice.” The chewing lice
aren’t sucking blood and therefore
are not affected by a systemic
product.
The pour-ons have more effect
on chewing lice, especially if the
products get distributed fairly well
over the body. For a while after
treatment, this will reduce chewing lice population on the animal.
“We don’t know how effectively
these products spread over the
body, or whether there may be
locations the drug never reaches
such as between the hind legs
and up around the armpit area
of the front legs. These may be
areas lice can retreat into and
survive,” Colwell explains. This
residual population could proliferate and eventually cover the body
again after the drug no longer has
an effect.
Many herds experience a resurgence in lice before spring — cattle
start rubbing and itching again
by February or March, and may
need another treatment. “There
are also some thought that drug
resistance may have developed,”
says Colwell.
Effective lice control depends
on timing. “If you treat too early
in the fall, this gives hiding lice
a chance to rebuild populations
and come back in large numbers,”
he says. “If you wait until early
winter, there’s less opportunity for
them to rebuild.”
The macrocyclic lactones (which include Ivomec,
Dectomax, Cydectin and now
the generics) do a good job
when applied at the right time,
Colwell says. October/November
is a good period for treatment,
if weather is already cold, but
not any earlier. If ranchers are
preg-checking and vaccinating
in early fall they often apply a
delousing product, especially if
they won’t have the cattle in
again until spring. Then they
may have serious lice problems
in February. Winter-long control
can be obtained only if cattle are
treated late in the season when
lice are starting to build up.
“When macrocyclic lactone
products first came on the market, some drug companies gave
a guarantee, saying one treatment would last through winter
and if you found lice on any of
your animals they would pay
for retreatment,” says Colwell.
“We learned that you can’t mix
treated and untreated cattle, use
improper dosage, or treat too
early. “
It’s usually not necessary to
re-treat for lice if a few show
up in late March or early April,
because lice populations won’t
proliferate at that late date.
“Lice don’t survive in heat,” says
Colwell. “If the cow is standing
in bright sunlight in summer,
temperature on her skin may go
up above the thermal tolerance
of a louse or a louse egg. Adult
lice are dying and not reproducing, so the population crashes
when weather warms up.”
Colwell says no matter what
you are using, never underdose.
Always treat at the maximum
level. If you don’t kill all the lice
on an animal, that animal serves
as a source of lice to spread to
the rest of the herd. Then you
may see high levels of lice again
before winter is over.
photo: heather smith thomas
Lynn Thomas treats cows in the alleyway with a pour-on insecticide
WORTH THE EXPENSE
Colwell recommends retreating later in winter, like February
and early March, if lice become a
problem. It used to be relatively
inexpensive to do this, using a
topical oil-based pyrethroid such
as Cylence or Boss. These products spread through the hair coat
and have enough residual activity to last awhile and get through
to spring. Unfortunately they
are now more expensive than
some of the generic macrocyclic
lactones. “I still think they are
the best type of follow-up treatment,” he says.
Other methods are useful,
such as insecticides on backrubbers that allow animals to
self-treat. “Self-grooming —
licking, rubbing and scratching
— helps keep lice populations
down,” says Colwell. “But long
winter hair reduces effectiveness
of the tongue to pull lice off.
The tongue is a great grooming device, but with a thick
hair coat it can’t get to the
lice that are right down on the
skin. Insecticide back-rubbers
and other structures for cattle to
scratch on can be a help.”
This also minimizes damage to
facilities if cattle rub on these
instead of fences.
By March, days are getting
longer with more intense sunlight,
and most lice populations start
dwindling — and retreat to cooler
places on the animal.
“Some animals act as carriers;
lice don’t leave them during summer. The most effective lice control is culling the carriers. Any
animal that is chronically infested
will keep spreading lice to the others. There are a few animals in the
herd that are highly susceptible to
certain parasites. This may be due
to ineffectiveness of their immune
response, and their genetics.
“You probably shouldn’t make
your entire culling decision based
on louse populations, but it
should be a factor to consider,”
says Colwell.
Lack of immune response may
be genetic. Some animals have
stronger immune systems than
others. Carriers usually have some
deficiency in their immune system
that makes them more susceptible
to heavy lice infestation, since cattle normally develop some resistance to lice after exposure. †
Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her
husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact
her at 208-756-2841.
FEED MANAGEMENT
N.A.G. Bags limit feed waste
Netted material comes in a range of sizes to hold enough
feed for just a few hours or even to a large round bale
BY LISA GUENTHER
A
n Edmonton area-based
company is marketing
a netted bag system for
limit feeding horses and
other types of livestock.
The N.A.G. Bags which can be
stuffed with hay, or stretched over a
full round bale of hay are marketed
by Alex Von Hauff of Strathcona
Ventures in Sherwood Park, Alta.,
which carries a wide range of feeders and other livestock products.
Von Hauff, a long-timer in the
shavings and bedding business,
became an entrepreneur when he
decided to sell good-quality shav-
ings for animal bedding at a cheap
rate, with the goal of knocking
other shaving companies off kilter.
He says shavings had become so
expensive he couldn’t afford to
bed his own animals.
Von Hauff also sells N.A.G. Bags,
which were created by his in-laws
in Armstrong, B.C. The bags can’t
be used alone for shod horses, so
Von Hauff also offers a poly ring
feeder. The largest ring, which is
seven feet, only weights 77 lbs.
Von Hauff says the ring can be
flipped up and over the bale.
The plastic for the ring was
tested in Yellowknife with draft
horses, says Von Hauff. “Once we
were sufficiently happy that the
plastic would hold up to Canadian
winters, we brought it to market.”
Strathcona Ventures and N.A.G
Bags have sold between 700 and
800 feeders, Von Hauff says, with
no returns or complaints.
N.A.G. bags are netted material
made from UV-treated polypropylene. The netted bags come in a
range of sizes, from hanging bags,
to horse trailer bags, to day bags
that can lay on the ground, to bags
that fit small square bales and bags
that fit over a large round bale.
They are available with a choice
photos courtesy n.a.g. bag
» continued on page 32
This is the larger N.A.G. bag that fits over a large round bale of hay, while
smaller bags are available to hold enough hay for a day or two.
32
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Cattleman’s Corner
If there’s a fire
Anyone Can Start Farming
O
Pay attention to
the risk of barn fires
A few simple precautions and change in practices
can help prevent a disaster
Debbie
Chikousky
B
arn fires are to be
respected. The financial,
emotional and physical
damage that barn fires
cause is massive.
According to the National Fire
Prevention Association (their
standards have been adopted in
Ontario), defective or improperly
used heating equipment is the
No. 1 cause of barn and stable
fires. During cold winter months,
livestock producers may rely on
any number of space heaters,
heated buckets, portable water
heaters, and other similar devices.
And any one of these heaters, if
defective or improperly used, can
present an increased fire risk.
A fellow goat breeder in
Ontario just suffered one of these
devastating fires. It was caused
by defrosting water pipes with a
hair dryer. The heat ignited some
older straw bales in the loft area,
and the fire quickly spread, causing the loss of the whole barn.
Thankfully they didn’t lose
all their livestock or get injured
themselves but now they have
to face the future. Thankfully
they were able to take immediate
action to remove their 100 angora
goats from harm along with most
of the rest of their other livestock.
This tragedy started some
research for our farm to learn
how we could work to avoid this
kind of tragedy at home. For starters we will be much more careful
about where combustible objects
are in relation to the heat source
when our water lines freeze.
» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
N.A.G. bags
limit feed waste
of one-inch, inch-and-a-half, and
two-inch openings in the nets. Von
Hauff says the nets hold up as
long as the horses have a bit of
loose feed available when they’re
introduced to the bag. Horse owners should also make sure equines
have some loose feed nearby when
putting out a new bale.
“An analogy I always use is a situation where you’ve gone out yourself to bale hay,” says Von Hauff.
“You haven’t had breakfast. You
haven’t had lunch. You haven’t had
supper. You get home and somebody put a net over your fridge.
You’re just going to cut it open.”
It’s a similar principle with hungry horses. Make sure they have
easy access to a bit of loose hay
first and then they will find their
way to the net-wrapped hay. He’s
been using the poly ring feeder
with a N.A.G. bag for four years,
and has only had one small hole
in the netting, he says.
Heat lamps, generally defined,
are portable hanging fixtures
with bulbs in them (usually
150-250 watts). The volunteer
firemen in our area have fought
many fires caused by these
lamps. Research shows that the
brooders for chicks are less often
the cause of barn fires because
their usage is planned. Most producers have time to safely install
and prepare for brooder usage
unlike other situations when
they suddenly find themselves
trying to quickly supply heat to
a cold animal.
Heat lamps are always dangerous but when they are used in
emergency situations things are
usually worse. This is when fire
safety is overlooked. With freezing temperatures and a newborn
lamb or kid to protect, the heat
lamps are quickly set up dangling by extension cords and
baling twine, over a stall full
of fresh bedding. In other cases
they are needed to warm a calf
with pneumonia or some other
recumbent animal that needs a
bit of tender loving care. This
is when we run a risk of having
a fire.
USE COATS INSTEAD
In another situation a cattle
producer with no calf-warming
box uses a heat lamp for a surprise calf that is nearly hypothermic. The calf needs to be
separated from its mother. The
cow bashes through a panel to
get to her calf and knocks the
heat lamp into the bedding. We
had friends that nearly lost their
barn this way.
Instead of using heat lamps/
bulbs we have adopted the use
of coats for our animals that
photos: debbie chikousky
The top photo shows how the sleeve of an old sweat shirt can be
marked up for cutting and then used as a coat for a lamb. Bottom
Photo shows how two-week old Cecelia is quite comfortable in her
coat, without the need for a heat lamp.
are chilled. We have used calf
ear warmers too but took the
advice of wise Grainews readers
and moved our calving date to
when it is warmer outside. The
only time now these warmers
are required is when an animal is sick. It is simply amazing how much cold a 10-pound
lamb with a belly full of milk
can cheerfully live in. There has
also been occasion when we had
a two-pound baby goat in June
that just couldn’t regulate its
temperature and needed a coat
for quite some time. We have
also used this idea on adult goats
that have been ill. †
Debbie Chikousky farms with her family at
Narcisse, Manitoba. Visitors are always
welcome. Contact Debbie at debbie@
chikouskyfarms.co.
Among his other agricultural
products, Von Hauff also sells an
environmentally-friendly dustcontrol product for arenas, developed by the University of Alberta
and an Alberta research company.
And he also sells Aegis, a spray
that kills microbes by piercing
their membranes. The product
can be used to disinfect a wide
range of surfaces around the farm
including stalls, stall mats and stall
mattress systems, isles, washracks,
tie stalls, tack, saddles, pads, bits,
leather, cloth, boots, clothing,
buckets, feed bins, troughs, auto
waters, and trucks and trailers.
The Dow Corning product keeps
surfaces free from bacteria, viruses,
mould and yeast for a year after
application, he says.
“Our key clients for that product
include swine and cattle haulers,”
he says.
For more information on products carried by Strathcona Ventures
visit their website at www.strathconaanimalbedding.ca. or call (780)
464-0485 or (780) 221-1625. †
photos courtesy n.a.g. bag
Lisa Guenther is a Grainews field editor based
in Saskatchewan. She can be reached at lisa.
[email protected].
This horse is feeding from what is called a “day bag.” It can be
stuffed with hay and hung up, placed in a tub or left on the ground
allowing the horse to pick away at feed during the day.
ther preventative
measures include keeping all smoking away
from barns, ensuring
all feed is dry when stored, being
aware that grain dust is extremely
combustible (another reason to
keep heat lamps out of barns) and
keeping flammable liquids out of
the barn.
But sadly, no matter how careful
a farmer is fires do happen. When
they do the fire departments safety
protocol is as follows:
• Immediately call 911 or your
local emergency services.
• Do not enter the barn if it is
already engulfed in flames.
• If it is safe for you to enter the
barn, evacuate animals one at a
time, starting with the most accessible ones.
• Never let animals loose in an
area where they are able to return
to the barn.
• Put a halter and lead rope
on each animal if possible and
lead them away from the area. Be
aware that animals tend to run
back into burning barns out of
fear and confusion.
• Blindfold only if absolutely
necessary. Many animals will balk
at a blindfold, making evacuation
more difficult and time consuming.
• Move them to paddocks
close enough to reach quickly
but far enough from the barn
that they won’t be affected by
the fire and smoke.
• Be sure to have all livestock
checked by a veterinarian after the
fire. Smoke inhalation can cause
serious lung damage and respiratory complications.
Our hope is that no one has
to experience the loss of a barn.
Our friends in Ontario are slowly
rebuilding their lives with the outpouring of generosity from neighbours and friends. Be safe. †
How to make
a no-sew
lamb/kid coat
Supplies:
Ruler, Scissors, old sweatshirt or
other item of warm clothing
M
easure the animal
from the middle of
the neck to where the
tail meets the body,
add one inch for growth. For smaller
animals, the sleeve of the garment
can be made into a coat. Starting
where the cuff meets the sleeve
cut the sleeve the length measured
along the back of the animal. The
cuff can then be folded like a turtleneck for added warmth. To make
the holes for the front legs we measure about one-hand length from the
cuff and while folded made a one
inch cut through all the layers. To
accommodate for the navel/penis
area open up the sleeve from the tail
to where the rib cage ends. It is best
to cut a “U” shaped piece out so
the jacket keeps as dry as possible.
Once the coat gets wet it needs to
be changed or it only serves to make
the patient colder.
FOR LARGER ANIMALS
A sweatshirt without the sleeves
works best for calves or adult goats.
They also do well when dressed
in a child’s winter coat with the
sleeves and belts removed. We
found the sleeves and belts just got
tangled up and caused distress for
the animal. †
BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF
The hidden profit in beef biosecurity
Why it pays to keep disease off the farm
Biosecurity. It’s a term beef producers hear a
lot more of these days, but not associated with
more profit.
Saskatchewan producer Les Johnston has a
lifetime of experience in the beef industry. He
is also a trained presenter, with many hours
of experience running producer workshops
across his province, some on biosecurity.
Ask cow-calf producers about biosecurity
and you get familiar responses, he says. They’ll
tell you biosecurity is important in intensive
livestock production such as poultry or pork.
They may say it’s expensive or cumbersome
to implement. Or they’ll ask how they get paid
for their efforts.
Johnston understands and respects all of
those questions. His answer is essentially
the same. Biosecurity is one of the simplest
ways to boost the profitability of any cattle
operation.
What is biosecurity?
“We are sort of spoiled in Canada because we
market our wide-open spaces, clean air and
water and that gets ingrained in our thinking,”
says Johnston.
Canada’s beef health status isn’t something
to be taken for granted. It is earned and the
first step in that process is to have an understanding of what is meant by biosecurity.
“I have a layman’s interpretation,” he says.
“Biosecurity is a process or procedure that
does three things. It keeps disease or other
health problems out of your herd. It prevents
disease from cross-contaminating your herd
if it’s introduced. And, if disease does get into
your herd, it prevents infection of other herds
and potentially destroying your industry.”
What it means for profits
Producers understand the role of biosecurity
with major disease outbreaks such as hoofand-mouth or BSE. What they don’t understand is that often the things that are costing
Les Johnston of Fillmore, Sask. says producers need to think about potential disease
transfer before letting visitors into cattle pens.
are diseases such as scours, IBR BVD, PI3 or
cryptosporidia.
“Low levels of disease in your herd can be
the cause of all those little management things
that drive you nuts. Scours, unthrifty calves,
poor rate of gain.”
Healthy cattle pay big dividends in rate of
gain, feed efficiency and especially in carcass
quality. A sick steer may not eat for several
days and feeders tell us it may take up to 30
days for them to fully get back on track.
“We have tracked our steers through to
carcass quality since the mid-’90s and we
know that sick animals often won’t grade as
well as their healthy penmates. That’s a huge
endorsement for herd health and proper vaccinations. I believe as ability to track animals
increases, buyers will start looking for these
healthy cattle.”
Find the risk
Many producers feel if they aren’t getting foreign visitors they don’t need to worry. But the
biggest problems come from trusted sources
— cattle buyer, veterinarian, trucker, brand
inspector or neighbour.
“You can walk through any high-traffic livestock area or places such as community pastures where cattle commingle and bring back
on your boots diseases such as scours or IBR
BVD that could decimate your herd.”
Biosecurity can be as simple as cutting the
side out of a couple of plastic jugs, and filling
with a bleach solution as a footwear scrub. Or
being diligent about farm traffic.
“When I have people come to my place at
calving, I meet them at the gate. When I go to
the vet clinic, I wear different boots than what
I wear to the barn.”
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34
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Cattleman’s Corner
REPORT FROM DOWN UNDER
Australian cow-calf producers
enjoying a market frenzy
BY KIM NIELSEN
H
photo: kim nielsen
Kim Nielsen found a good price when he bought these heifers for $.65
per pound. Now he has to consider his marketing options.
aving returned last
fall to the spring season in the Western
District of Victoria, it
was astonishing and perplexing
to see such a great disparity in
cattle prices between Canada and
Australia, considering our exports
go to the same markets. A 550lb. weaned steer sold in Alberta
fetched roughly $3 per lb. whereas
a similar steer here at the same time
would give smiles to farmers bringing just $0.86 per lb. (Australian
and Canadian dollars are currently
about equal).
The old adage of supply and
demand holds true after some further scrutiny. Demand is very strong
on the heels of Australia just signing
off on the third significant free trade
agreement in the last 12 months,
this time with China, following
earlier agreements with Japan and
South Korea. However other factors
have robbed producers of extra dollars from trickle-down effect.
There is a significant livestock
industry here in Victoria and cattle have recently gained at the
expense of the historic sheep production. The cattle enterprise is
primarily cow-calf relying on grass
or feedlot finishing elsewhere,
typically in the northern states of
New South Wales and Queensland
IT PAYS TO LISTEN
FOR BLOCKAGE.
The Wireless Blockage and Flow Monitor from Intelligent
Ag uses patent-pending acoustic sensors to instantly
detect blockages or reduced flow, anywhere in your air
seeder, fertilizer applicator or box drill. Easy to install and
simple to use, this system utilizes Wi-Fi technology and
robust rubber tubing to take wire problems out of play,
and your iPad functions as its versatile in-cab monitor.
Keep your ears open, and never turn a blind eye to a
blocked implement. You’ll put more in the ground, and get
more profit out of it.
DROUGHT IS OVER
N e w S o u t h Wa l e s a n d
Queensland farmers have finally
broken a three-year drought that
crippled many cattle operations,
resulting in dramatic destocking.
This resulted in an oversupply of
cattle, holding prices much below
what they in reality should have
brought, with the packing industry
left to profit. A good example can
be seen in the Meat and Livestock
Australia’s figures of the 2014
export of Australian beef to China
coming in at 154,000 tonnes, up
from only 12,000 tonnes in 2011.
On our own place here in
Dunkeld we are in the process of
converting from grain to livestock
and seeded a small piece to perennial pasture in April of 2014,
just before winter. This pasture
was ready for grazing last fall as I
returned from 4-Clover Ranch up
in West Central Alberta. It gave us
our first experience buying stockers or “store cattle” as they are
called here.
Some Angus heifers caught our eye
at the Hamilton Livestock Market in
early November as they were heavily discounted over steers. One of
the driest springs in the Western
District in over 100 years, combined
with the ongoing drought up north
saw some very low prices, which we
of course didn’t mind. The heifers
weighed 660 lbs. and we got them
for $0.65 per lb.
Steers selling in October for
$0.86/lb., early in 2015 were bringing $1.10 — farmers are happy.
MARKETING OPTIONS
Our heifers are gaining well considering initially the new seeding
they are on was parched from
the dry spring and hot Australian
summer. It is not often that heavier calves sell at a price increase
per pound further complementing
the bottom line from the weight
gains. At the moment we are seeing heifers selling for $0.90/lb. We
are considering our options — sell
in April into the grass-fed finished
beef market or further feedlot fattening, or breed the heifers and
delay sale until July. The latter
would allow us to add value a bit
more from an increase in demand
for bred heifers — at the moment
bringing $1,250.
It is a darn attractive picture
considering the initial outlay of
$429 per heifer when we bought
them in October. Whether $3 or
$1.10 per pound, the disparity
boils down to the reality of net
return. My Danish roots remind
me of Hjalmar Havelund, a well
known humourist and author,
who in his usual strong Funen
dialect said: “I don’t so much
care about the gross return;
I just as soon have a bit of
profit”. The Victorian cow-calf
producers are rejoicing at the
moment. †
To find a dealer near you, visit IntelligentAg.com or call:
306-978-0872 (N. SK, AB, BC)
306-546-2497 (S. SK, MB, ON)
Grainews_022515.indd 1
or in the higher-rainfall areas of
Gippsland in eastern Victoria.
Kim Juul Nielsen, retired manager of
agricultural service, Clearwater County,
Alta. is a summertime resident of Alcheringa,
Dunkeld, Victoria, Australia and is Canadian
summertime grazier of 4-Clover Ranch, Rocky
Mountain House, Alta.
2/25/15 8:38 AM
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
35
Home Quarter Farm Life
SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
A warning to the over-80 farmer
Time to shift your mindset from controlling the farm to creating a harmonious legacy
ample personal wealth to live out
their days on this earth with style
and dignity. They are happy to
shift ownership of the business
with a warm hand, not a cold
one. These folks grew up in times
of the Depression and great financial strife, but they are not going
to let their “money scripts” tie up
the growth and passions of their
grandchildren. They also will not
be bullied into helping keep all of
their own children economically
equal because they know that is a
foolish approach to fairness.
The plan also involves finances
for assisted living or long-term
care, should the over-80 parents
need that kind of care. Wills
are updated, enduring powers of
attorney in place, and a healthcare directive is signed and ready
to go.
The next piece of the plan is
for the “sandwiched” late-50,
early-60 couple. For 25 to 30
years now they have scrimped
and deferred gratification in
order to grow equity outside
the grasp of Grandpa. They
have also created, and expanded
Granddad’s wealth by farming
his assets, and providing him a
handsome income. Only trouble is, they are tired, want a
new chapter of life, and are in a
quandary as to how to help set
up the next generation when
Elaine
Froese
A
s the farming population of boomers ages,
so does the over-80
crowd. These aging
patriarchs and matriarchs are still
ruling farms, some with a heavy
hand. This is not a happy situation for the 20-something grandchildren who are dreaming of
establishing their farming careers
after college. It is also the cause of
many sleepless nights and marital strife for the couple caught
in the middle between a stubborn farming father, and growing
adult children who want to know
what “THE PLAN” is.
Let’s define “the plan.”
It is knowing when Granddad
is going to transfer ownership
of assets. The lawyers may have
cautioned him about not “ruling
from the grave,” but he is keen
on tying up his assets for as long
as possible and not transferring
title to land or moving shares. Is
this due to fear of loss of wealth,
avoidance of conflict, or just stubborness to keep a tight fist of control till death?
Gracious grandparents have
they are still stuck with debt and
not enough assets they can call
their own. Oh, and sometimes
there is an unresolved divorce
at this age that is causing huge
uncertainty. The 50s/60s couple
needs a personal financial snapshot. If they are going to stay in
their current housing they just
saved $400K that is not needed
for a new home in town. If
they continue to travel for short
periods and live simply enjoying grandchildren, things look
pretty sweet. The part of the certainty of the plan that escapes
them is the date that they will
inherit the grandparents’ assets,
and how much of those assets
will be going to non-farm siblings. Ouch. Wouldn’t it be nice
if the assets were all transferred
before death, so that each person could get on with their
business growth? Or a least have
a greater share of the farm’s net
income going to the folks who
are slaving away in the fields
and the barn?
Then the plan extends to the
grandchildren who are the fresh
new labour and energy of the farm.
They are future business heirs and
partners. They will work much
harder when they actually own
something and have what is called
“skin in the game.” Debt servicing
has a way of making the youngest
generation pay attention to costs,
market returns, and cash flow.
They learn to crunch numbers and
work smarter, not just harder. They
are also marrying at this stage and
having babies, which calls for family time. All work and no play is
the perfect setup for early divorce
and grumpy people.
So what is my warning?
Stop the procrastination on
your farm now. Have a joint
meeting with your key advisers and the 80-year-olds on
your farm. You can no longer
be a slave to a system that is
not fair. Accountants can plan
for tax efficiency. Lawyers can
draw up new share agreements,
wills, and powers of attorney.
Financial planners can give the
80-year-olds financial certainty
and security with their pensions
and personal wealth kept for
their needs. Coaches can facilitate the courageous conversations where each generation
talks about needs, wants, and
the timeline to get things done.
Counsellors can deal with grief,
loss and divorce healing.
Aging parents may suffer
from unwise decision-making
when their minds start to fail
and dementia becomes a reality. Boomers die from heart
and stroke disease, cancer, and
accidents, which can leave the
remaining spouse in a difficult
situation if there is no contingency plan to follow except fighting with the in-laws for control
of business assets. The young
farmers can’t stand the “pain of
not knowing the plan” and being
in limbo. They are wired to have
action, and to have results.
Wise farm families are always
talking, listening, and making
adjustment as necessary to the
business plan, succession timeline, and the estate concerns.
This is not a one-time event, but
a journey.
Unfortunately, this winter I
have encountered far too many
over-80 men and women who
are wielding undeserved control
over the future of the farm. Please
embrace change as a good process, and ask for help in making
the changes needed to preserve a
happy farm family legacy, not a
war of words and battle for power
and control.
Act your age. It is time to shift
your mindset from control of the
business, to creating a harmonious legacy.
Life is short. Death is certain.
Make a new plan now! †
Elaine Froese, CAFA, CHICoach, CSP,
respects seniors, so don’t send nasty letters.
Please do send news that you have acted
and have a PLAN in place. Visit www.
elainefroese.com. Call 1-866-848-8311 to
order her books in CDN dollars.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES
Weather Forecast for the period of March 8 to April 4, 2015
Southern Alberta
Peace River Region
March 8 - 14
Look for changeable conditions
this week as sunny, pleasant days
alternate with occasional rain or
snow. Chance of heavy
precipitation. Seasonal to mild.
March 8 - 14
Look for changeable conditions
this week as sunny, pleasant
days alternate with occasional
rain or snow. Chance of heavy
precipitation. Seasonal to mild.
March 15 - 21
Mild to cool temperatures with
several windy days. Sunshine
mixes with occasional heavy
snow and rain.
March 15 - 21
Mild to cool temperatures with
several windy days. Sunshine
mixes with occasional heavy
snow and rain.
March 22 - 28
Temperatures vary through the
thaw/freeze cycle. Fair apart from
rain or snow on 2 or 3 days,
chance of heavy in places.
March 22 - 28
Temperatures vary through the
thaw/freeze cycle. Fair apart
from rain or snow on 2 or 3 days,
chance of heavy in places.
March 29 - April 4
Generally sunny and seasonal to
cool. Expect a few days with a mix
of sun and cloud or overcast
skies, along with snowy conditions.
March 29 - April 4
Sunny and seasonal to mild, but
on cooler, windy days expect rain
or locally heavy snow.
-12 / 0
Grande Prairie
18.6 mms
March 15 - 21
Seasonal to cold with thawing in the
south and west. Sunny on many
days, but expect some heavier
snow. Risk of rain in south. Windy.
-11 / 0
Edmonton
17.0 mms
15.7 mms
-8 / 4
21.5 mms
March 8 - 14
Temperatures lean toward the cold
side, but some melting in southern
areas. Sunny days alternate with
periodic snow, and possible rain in
the south.
March 15 - 21
Temperatures vary from thawing
to sub zero lows. Windy. Sunshine
alternates with heavier snow or
rain in south. Snow and cold north.
March 22 - 28
Fair with thawing, but a couple of
cooler, frosty, windy days bring
rain or heavy snow.
March 22 - 28
Mild, blustery, thawing. Some rain
or snow on 2 or 3 days. A weather
system threatens heavy
precipitation.
March 29 - April 4
Unsettled on a few days as
sunshine alternates with rain or
snow. Variable temperatures.
At times windy.
March 29 - April 4
Thaw/freeze cycle and often
windy. Fair, but expect rain or
heavier snow on a couple of
days this week.
-12 / -2
North Battleford
-11 / 1
Red Deer
16.5 mms
-15 / -2
Prince Albert
18.2 mms
17.3 mms
-12 / -2
Saskatoon
16.0 mms
-16 / -4
The Pas
23.6 mms
NEAR
NORMAL
-14 / -2
-14 / -3
Yorkton Dauphin
-16 / -3
-13 / -2 25.6 mms 25.7 mms
-11
/
0
Gimli
Regina
-8 / 3
22.6 mms
-11 / -1 Moose Jaw 16.5 mms
Calgary
Swift 18.1 mms
-12 / -1
14.7 mms
-13 / -2 Portage -12 / -2
-7 / 5
Current
-11 / -1
Medicine Hat
Brandon 26.3 mms Winnipeg
19.5 mms
Weyburn
19mms
cms
20.5 mms
Lethbridge 16.0
23.1 mms
NEAR
16.8 mms -11 / -1
26.0 mms
-14 / -1
26 cms
Melita
-7 / 5
NORMAL
Estevan
Banff
Forecasts should be 80%
accurate, but expect
variations by a day or two
because of changeable
speed of weather systems.
March 8 - 14
Temperatures vary with some highs
well above zero in the south but
with sub zero lows. Sunshine
interchanges with heavy snow. Risk
of rain in south. Windy. Cold in east
and north.
Manitoba
Precipitation Forecast
NEAR
NORMAL
-7 / 4
Jasper
Saskatchewan
19.9 mms
25.0 mms
Precipitation Outlook
For March
Much Above Normal Below Much
above normal
normal below
normal
normal
Temperatures are normals
for March 15th averaged
over 30 years.
Precipitation
(water equivalent)
normals for March in mms.
©2015 WeatherTec Services
www.weathertec.mb.ca
36
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Home Quarter Farm Life
Providing a local shopping opportunity
With everything from basics to home décor, store has something for everyone
BY CHRISTALEE FROESE
W
hen Christine FitzGerald started a
department store
in her hometown,
it wasn’t strictly about making
money, it was about providing local people with shopping
opportunities.
“You couldn’t even buy a pair of
socks or a pair of underwear here,”
said FitzGerald.
The 40-year-old former petroleum
land administrator didn’t have any
retail experience when she started
CR Trenz in Grenfell, Sask., but
what she did have was enthusiasm.
“It was a spontaneous thing
when I saw that there was an
empty building sitting there. I just
thought, ‘Why don’t we open a
store?… It can’t be that hard,”
laughs FitzGerald.
Buying the former Thomlinson’s
Clothing Store building in downtown Grenfell in 2013, FitzGerald
then took several months to renovate and stock it. With the retail
world being new to her, the fledgling entrepreneur came home from
her first buying show in Winnipeg,
Man. with enough stock to fill a
building twice the size.
“When I realized how much
stock I had ordered, I started to
cry and I had a bit of a breakdown
because we only had 4,000 square
feet and I ordered for a building
that was more like 8,000 square
feet,” FitzGerald said.
Fortunately, the community
response to the store was very
positive so the excess stock
moved quickly. Since the store
opened in September 2013,
FitzGerald said she has a better
handle on how much to buy and
what to order.
CR Trenz has clothing for all
ages and desires, from swimsuits
and coveralls to neckties and
snowsuits. With lines like Alia,
Bench and Silver Jeans, the store
truly caters to the whole family. While FitzGerald knew she
wanted to carry clothing of every
kind, including undergarments
and footwear, her interest in
home decorating has resulted in a
large selection of artwork, pillows,
dishes, kitchen accessories, towels,
curtains, comforters and giftware.
“I try to stay away from what our
local stores already have so I try
to bring in unique stuff so people
can get everything they want in
Grenfell without having to drive.”
To that end, CR Trenz sells everything from soup to nuts (literally), to stationery, fabric, yarn,
work gloves, designer boots, tea
towels and pencil crayons.
While FitzGerald has met her
goal of offering a little bit of everything in her store, she said her
ultimate goal is to offer a place
that people from both Grenfell and
outlying communities are comfortable in.
Having lost her husband five
years ago, FitzGerald said her attitude has turned toward having
fun and doing what she enjoys
rather than to making her life all
about money.
“It really changes your perspective. The best days for me now are
when people are coming in for
some fun. I don’t care if they buy,
I want them to buy, but it’s when
they’re in little groups and they’re
just here to enjoy themselves.”
Shirley Theisen is a Grenfell resi-
photos: christalee froese
Christine FitzGerald in her store.
dent who can’t say enough about
what CR Trenz has meant to the
community.
“It means the world to us, personally, and for the town it’s just so
great. I can’t even let my husband
go in there by himself because he
comes home with all of this stuff.”
Theisen said the store has been
embraced by members of the community who no longer have to
travel to Regina for what they
need and also by those who just
want something trendy and modern to take home.
“We like her stuff because she
has such good taste in things,”
said Theisen.
For more information on CR
Trendz, visit www.crtrenz.ca. †
Christalee Froese writes from Montmartre, Sask.
The store is stocked with a wide variety of goods.
Prairie heritage
in miniature
Woman recreates some Sask.
homesteads and hamlets in stoneware
BY EDNA MANNING
P
reserving our Prairie
heritage has been Myrna
Gehl’s primary motivation in recreating some
of Saskatchewan’s homesteads
and hamlets in stoneware miniatures. She also captures the
beauty of the Prairies and the
special moments in the lives of
families in porcelain art.
“Prairie has always been
home to me. There is beauty
everywhere. I wish I could
paint every day! To keep those
freshly fallen snowflakes; that
exquisite sunset; a baby’s smile;
the green, yellow, blue and
gold of the fields; the fledglings being fed on a branch.
Everything!”
Growing up in a large family in southern Saskatchewan,
Gehl and her siblings learned to
appreciate the wide-open spaces,
the freedom to explore, and the
opportunity to work and enjoy
their accomplishments.
After graduation she attended
the University of Saskatchewan
in Saskatoon for one year, followed by a year at the training
school in Moose Jaw as a student psychiatric nurse.
In 1958 Myrna married Walt
Gehl, and farming and family
became the top priorities.
Gehl and her sister enrolled
in their first ceramics class
in Gravelbourg in 1977. “We
became addicted and went on to
earn our Instructor’s Certificates.
Over the years I’ve taken additional workshops and seminars, and also attended painting and sketching sessions. I
taught ceramics classes in my
basement studio for about seven
years until the children graduated. Farming, weddings, and
grandchildren kept us busy for
another couple of decades,” she
says.
Myrna Gehl with her replica of the town of Bateman.
When her brother Alan passed
away, Gehl attempted to make
a clay model of him in a flatbottomed boat he had built as a
youngster, but it was her father’s
struggle with Alzheimer’s that
prompted her to start constructing the miniature stoneware
homesteads and hamlets.
“Dad and I often drove to
Bateman, the small town where
he had gone to school. I decided
to build Bateman for him with
the garages, rink, church, theatre, a millinery, and all the
buildings he was so familiar
with and which held so many
wonderful memories for him.”
The replica Gehl created was
a great success not only for her
parents but others from the area
and inspired her to continue
building.
A great deal of research, time,
careful work, and patience goes
into making the clay miniatures. Something like a heritage barn, that will be about
5x3-1/2x2-1/2 inches high, will
take about three days to create,
followed by a week of detailing,
cleaning and drying before the
photo: courtesy myrna gehl
day of firing. Painting can be
completed in a day.
Her family’s support has
been invaluable in many ways.
“Because they like what I do, I like
it more. Because they are interested to see my pieces displayed
at an art show, I have become
more comfortable in that venue.
Because they help when needed,
I am very grateful.”
For more information, visit
Myrna Gehl’s website at www.
clayinwithmemories.com. †
Edna Manning writes from Saskatoon, Sask.
MARCH 10, 2015 grainews.ca /
37
Home Quarter Farm Life
POSTCARDS FROM THE PRAIRIES
If you could make one wish for
your children, what would it be?
Janita
VAN DE VELDE
W
ell friends, this
is it for me. This
is my last article,
and I promise
never to bother you ever again.
(And by ever I mean until next
time I feel the urge to share
something and shamelessly beg
the editors at Grainews to print
it.) But as for a regular column,
this is it. Everything in life has a
season — an ending and a beginning — and the time has come
for me to move on.
I leave you with this legend
of Pandora’s Box as I recall it.
A young girl was given a gift
from her brother — a beautiful box she was told never to
open, for its contents were a
secret. But who gave it to you,
and where did it come from?
she asked him. That’s a secret
too, he said. Let’s forget about it,
and go outside and play. In their
world, everyone was a child. No
one needed parents to take care
of them because everyone had
exactly what they needed. No
one ever quarrelled, there was
no greed, jealousy or fits of rage,
no danger or sorrow — nothing
but pure joy. One morning when
her brother had stepped outside,
Pandora turned towards the box
yet again. She had been thinking
about it incessantly, wondering
what lay inside and curious of
that which lay beyond her reach.
When one has been given everything, one expects nothing to
be held back. So she opened it,
even though she was told never
to do such a thing. As Pandora
raised the lid, a swarm of winged
creatures brushed past her, taking flight out of the box. She
let out a scream and dropped
the lid. In that very moment,
all at once, she felt all troubles
of the world descend upon her
— sorrow, disease, hunger and
pain. She ached with it; it was
almost unbearable, also because
it was the first real pain she had
ever felt. She lay there sobbing,
unable to see through the darkness. Then she heard a tap, and
a sweet little voice. Open the
box again, said the voice, and let
me out. Go away, said Pandora,
enough bad has happened. The
sweet voice came again. You had
better let me out, it said. The
world needs me. So with her
brother’s help, she pushed open
the lid, for this time the weight
of it was more than she could
bear. And out flew a creature so
beautiful and shiny and bright
that it cast a light wherever it
went. My name is Hope, it said.
I was packed into that box to
make up for everything else. Will
you stay with us forever and
ever? asked the girl. As long
as you need me, said Hope. I
promise to never ever leave you.
There may be times now and
then when you will think that
I have vanished. But I promise
you this, when your dreams no
longer include me, and you can
no longer feel that I am there,
that’s when you shall see the
glimmer of my wings and know
that I am with you.
Why am I sharing this? This
past November, I had the privilege of going back to El Salvador
for the second year in a row, on
another Habitat for Humanity
build. The images that will forever be seared upon my soul
are those of the families we
were helping — the joy in their
smiles, that light in their eyes
— and yes, I do believe that
light was the glimmer of hope.
They radiated from knowing
that someone didn’t think they
were worthless, that someone
felt they were worthy of help.
Hope is a powerful thing, and
something that no one wants
to let go of. I like to think that
it’s hope that carries us through
our darkest hours — the burning light of faith, and the belief
that you’ll get through whatever
has been thrown your way. It’s
always looking for — and finding — the good, and knowing
that kindness and compassion
will always make your heart feel
full. And when you’re called
upon to be that hope for others, there’s a certain dignity that
comes when you strip yourself of
all possessions and break down
all the walls you’ve built around
your heart. It’s a return to innocence, and it’s there that we
learn how to walk again. For it’s
easy to sit with the great, but it’s
how we walk with the broken
that matters.
In my last question I posed to
you, I asked: If you could make
just one wish for your children,
what would it be? You wished
them happiness, health, good
fortune, and love. I couldn’t
agree more. And above all else,
I wish them hope. I imagine the
world of Pandora’s Box, where
everyone lived in perfect harmony because they had everything they needed — there was
no suffering, fighting, hunger or
grief. That’s the world I wish for
my children — and what a world
it would be.
Until then, I wish them
hope. †
Janita Van de Velde grew up on a farm near
Mariapolis, Man. She holds a bachelor of
science degree in agricultural economics
from the University of Manitoba, and has
worked for a financial institution since
graduating. She lives in Regina, Sask., with
her husband Roddy and their children Jack,
Isla and James. Her first novel, Postcards
Never Written, was the recipient of the
Saskatchewan Reader’s Choice Award and
also listed by CBC as one of the top funny
books in 2009. She donates a portion of
proceeds from the sale of her book to World
Vision to help those less fortunate. For more
information, or to order her book, visit her
website at www.janita.ca.
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38
/ grainews.ca MARCH 10, 2015
Home Quarter Farm Life
SINGING GARDENER
Info on savory and thyme
Plus, celebrate the year of soil and also, fight pests with homemade oil spray
ted
meseyton
S
avory is herb of the year for
2015. This is also international year of the soil, and
mulching with untreated
wood chips is what I have in mind
to try. Plus let’s whip up a batch
of dormant oil formula to spray
on fruit trees before blossoms and
leaves burst forth.
There’s a brand of coffee boasting it’s good to the last drop. Well
this is Ted the Singing Gardener’s
brand of reading that’s good to the
last word. You know a tip of my
hat always means welcome.
and edging, but also has multiple
medicinal and culinary uses.
The twigs of green or dried
Summer Savory are useful against
a number of health problems. A
tablespoon of the herb steeped
as tea in a cup of hot water for
10 minutes relieves indigestion,
intestinal cramps, gastric disorders
and promotes an appetite. Strong
Summer Savory tea is also useful
as an antiseptic for gargling and
relieves throat irritation.
In some cultures, both savories
are useful as traditional sex medications. Summer Savory is taken as
an aphrodisiac to enhance sperm
mobility and improve the outcome for couples desiring a family. Winter Savory is said to be the
opposite (anaphrodisia). It lessens
desire and decreases sexual performance and outcome.
GOOD MEDICINE
SAVOUR THE MOMENT
WITH SAVORY
This year let’s grow Summer
Savory, a semi-hardy annual and
also get to know its cousin Winter
Savory (Satureja montana) a tender perennial. Each possesses distinct qualities and both have a
long history of usage.
Mild and delicately flavoured
Summer Savory is the ideal and
preferred choice for culinary purposes. A few fresh harvested leaves
and young shoots make a splendid addition to any salad; full of
fibre and loaded with antioxidant
properties. This easy-to-grow garden herb is known for its ability
to reduce stomach gas and combines well with other herbs such as
thyme, marjoram and basil.
Winter Savory possesses a
stronger, more potent flavour and
is preferred for decorative growing as a mini shrub in borders
Isn’t it time we recognized that
every garden is a medicine chest
filled with health-promoting goodies? Savory has long been noted as
a longevity tonic that contributes
to well-being. In generations past,
savory tea has treated many common ailments such as headaches,
coughs and disorders affecting the
urinary system. A poultice made
with savory leaves often brings
quick relief from insect bites and
stings.
An ailing person suffering from
the flu can help fight it off by
drinking a tea combining savory
and black currant. Most health
food stores sell black currant tea
bags, or buy black currant concentrated juice with no sugar added
and stir in a bit. According to
a longtime practising herbalist,
“persons who drink this combo
of savory and black currant tea
will notice their coughing subside
sooner, rather than later.”
Here are further reasons to partner with savory. Leaves possess
antibacterial properties that help
fight fungal infections. If that
weren’t enough, savory may also
improve the ability to think and
assist handling stress better. For
breathing problems, herbalists recommend taking a savory bath to
help open up the airways.
THYME IS VERSATILE
From an air freshener to repelling insects is just the tip of it
all. Thyme is one plant with
ancient and envious culinary,
medicinal and health-boosting
history. Various forms of thyme
have been around for thousands
of years. There are hundreds of
related members in this family
of edible and ornamental species
ranging from the common garden
variety and citrus groups to spicy
and wild thymes.
English Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is an indispensable and popular variety widely used in cooking. There’s almost no stew, soup,
stuffing, fish, meat dish, baked or
sautéed vegetable and casserole
dish that won’t benefit from adding thyme whether fresh minced
or dried. In my “Weather Song”
mosquitoes are mentioned during
the lyrics, resulting in my great
appreciation for thyme. Some varieties are known as a mosquito
repellent, disinfectant and air
freshener. Most any kind of thyme
can be planted in pots and placed
near doorways and on the patio
or close to the barbecuing area to
help shoo away mosquitoes. As
well, rub thyme leaves between
your hands and fingers, plus on
the skin. You may notice a decline
of mosquitoes hanging around
your face, neck and arms. Dried
thyme leaves can also be used
in potpourris and moth-repelling
sachets to place in chest drawers
and closets. Buy a bottle of thyme
essential oil at your health food
store. Mix a few drops with some
olive or coconut oil and gently
apply on the skin to keep ‘skeeters’
at bay. Thyme plants are tender
perennials and related to the mint
family. Some will overwinter and
other varieties may not, so they’re
often grown as annuals in Prairie
gardens. Thyme also makes a great
companion plant when grown in
short rows near potatoes, cabbage,
cauliflower and broccoli to help
deter potato and flea beetles and
other pests. Compact thyme is
small in stature making it ideally
suited to crevices, rock gardens
and containers.
OTHER ATTRIBUTES OF THYME
… include antibacterial elements capable of helping clear
up acne and other skin problems
by adding some thyme tea to
bathwater and applying poultices.
What with so many flu cases
this past winter, gardeners need
a strong immune system. That’s
where thyme tea comes in handy
to ward off an oncoming cold,
suppress coughing and ease bronchial chest symptoms. Immuneboosting elements packed in
thyme include vitamins A and C
plus trace minerals such as manganese, copper and iron. The tea
has a warm tangy flavour, somewhat like camphor and can be
sipped throughout the day.
Try misting a fine spray of thyme
tea throughout the house. This
acts as an air freshener and mild
disinfectant. Combine thyme tea
with rose petal water made from
homegrown roses. A few dabs on
a handkerchief or a mist into the
air imparts a sweet-smelling aroma
that helps reverse melancholy.
In medieval times, thyme was
regarded as a plant that bestowed
courage and vigour. Dried thyme
leaves can be ground into a fine
powder and used as a salt substitute
to help lower high blood pressure.
THIS IS INTERNATIONAL
YEAR OF THE SOIL
As we garden in 2015, let us
be conscious that we should
strive to leave the soil in better
health and condition than when
we started. Across Canada and
worldwide, more and more of
our fresh produce is grown in
home backyards and small farms.
As gardeners, we have a duty
photo: courtesy www.westcoastseeds.com
photo: courtesy www.dominion-seed-house.com
Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis) is known as the bean herb. It’s often
ignored yet has a long history of usage both as a spice and medicine.
Does anyone out there burp or belch a lot? Summer Savory has ability
to reduce flatulence, wind or gas originating in the stomach and exiting
by way of the mouth.
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serphyllum) is really attractive when in flower
and a great bee plant that’s well loved by honeybees and pollinating
insects. It’s among the most fragrant and pleasant of any greenery. This
mat-forming ornamental that blooms May through August is ideally
suited to outdoor crevices, rock gardens, as a ground cover and edgings.
Check out West Coast Seeds website or phone 1-888-804-8820.
to learn, motivate, inspire, and
encourage each other with such
concepts as crop rotation, composting, cover cropping, companion planting, worthy foliar
sprays and organic pest controls.
To celebrate IYS, I’m experimenting with no tilling and no
planting for a season in a section of the garden. Here’s how.
The chosen soil site receives a
four-inch application of natural
untreated wood chips as a ground
cover. Coarse-ground corncobs
and cornstalks can be used as
an alternate. The principal aim is
to not disturb beneficial microbes
and organisms in earth’s intestine
that are beneath the wood chips
blanket. The longer the covering remains and the more that’s
applied; so proportionately richer
and deeper does topsoil underneath it become. The following
year (2016) or whenever, wood
chips are raked off to the side in
a pile. The enriched garden area
is ready to be planted. Most any
home gardener can do this.
HOMEMADE
DORMANT OIL SPRAY
Apply in early spring on apple
and other fruit trees before buds
swell and prior to sap flowing. It’s
effective at disposing of overwintered pests including aphids, mites
and scales and smothers most
insect eggs so they don’t hatch.
Select a warm day when the temperature remains above freezing
(over 0 C) for 24 hours. Make sure
that the trunk, limbs and branches
are all completely covered.
The simplest recipe is 2 tablespoons of light-grade vegetable
oil such as canola or sunflower,
1 tablespoonful of baking soda,
1 tablespoonful of mild dish
soap OR castile soap and 6 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide
(H202). These ingredients can be
premixed first and then stirred
into 4 litres of water. Shrubs and
rose canes that are still dormant
may also be sprayed. Once buds
begin swelling there could be
some burn on emerging growth,
but it’s less likely to happen
if you make sure to use lightgrade vegetable or horticultural
oil, as pointed out earlier. This
spray helps control overwintering pests and reduces incidence
of foliar diseases. Proper sanitation around fruit trees during
growing season and into fall is
also essential. †
This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener
and Grow-It Poet from Portage la Prairie,
Man. Here’s a quote attributed to the founder
of homeopathy. Samuel Hahnemann, who
lived during the period from 1755 to 1844,
is credited with saying: “The highest ideal
of cure is the speedy, gentle, and enduring
restoration of health by the most trustworthy
and least harmful way.” My email address is
[email protected].
See the lAteSt
in the FielD
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BayerCropScience.ca/Velocitym3
BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.
Always read and follow label directions. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
C-60-01/15-10303662-E