Agriculture

Agriculture

I do understand that you're going to get some rain in winter, but it has definitely got worse. Even if you do manage to work for a day, it's punctuated by periods of an hour and a half of rain where you're sitting in your truck doing nothing. Before, I used to think, a day off, that's great. But now you think, oh, jeez, not another day off!

Welcome to the RealAg Issues Panel on RealAg Radio! On today's issues panel, host Shaun Haney is joined by Kelvin Heppner and Lyndsey Smith, both of RealAgriculture, to talk about trade, a bridge, combine sales, and so much more. Plus, hear a product spotlight with Ambrely Ralph of ADAMA Canada for a spotlight interview and don't miss the RealAg Radio podcast exclusive bonus segment of today's show with Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock Exchange for a Beef Market Update!

Most American dairy cows are milked by immigrants. On Dale Hemminger's farm in upstate New York, the cows are milked by robots. When a cow wants to be milked, it walks up to a machine that cleans its udder, attaches cups to its teats, draws the milk and dispenses a treat. In a barn that Hemminger plans to open this year, other robots will roam the floor like little automated pooper scoopers, picking up manure.

The most important macro factor for WEAT is precipitation timing across the central and southern Plains. Winter wheat crops are experiencing stress from extended cold spells and persistent dryness, according to recent analysis. While localized snow and rain provided some relief, the critical window is approaching. Late-winter and early-spring moisture will determine whether stressed crops recover or production estimates get slashed.

The more than 220-year-old tree was grown from a pip planted by Mary Anne Brailsford between 1809 and 1815. Its apples were discovered nearly 50 years later by local gardener Henry Merryweather in a garden owned by Matthew Bramley. Merryweather was given permission to take cuttings from the Bramley seedling as long as the apples he sold bore Bramley's name. Steven said her great-grandfather, Merryweather, believed in that apple, he commercialised it, he marketed it, he promoted it he called it the King of Covent Garden'.

Fortunately for me, roses happen to be edible. While technically the entire plant can be eaten, it's best to stick to the petals, buds and hips (as if I had to tell you not to chomp on their thorns and woody stems). Fresh or dried, rose petals can be used to make rosewater or rose syrup, as pretty garnishes for cakes, and to infuse into sweet treats such as ice-cream and panna cotta.

With a background spanning science, livestock leadership, and regulatory oversight, Chalack says the opportunity to bring crop and livestock sectors together under one research umbrella was a key motivator. "The producers have to get some advantage of it," he says, emphasizing that sustainability only holds if farms are profitable . Breaking down commodity silos and aligning research with on-farm return on investment has been central to RDAR's model.

Central to this window is the delivery of colostrum, which provides essential antibodies and energy. To ensure success, she recommends following a "two by four" rule. "...getting colostrum in within those first four hours is really critical to getting the best absorption," says Fowler, specifying that calves should receive two litres by four hours of age and an additional two litres by 12 hours. She points out that failure of passive transfer can lead to a 10-kilogram decrease in weaning weight.

Last week, hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants faced an uncertain future as the Trump administration fought in federal court to revoke their legal status and deport them. But despite these threats, the largely immigrant union workers at a JBS beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, many of them recent arrivals from Haiti, still voted on Wednesday by an overwhelming margin to strike over poor working conditions in what could become the first sanctioned walkout at a major meatpacking plant in decades.

February is technically midwinter in the Northern Hemisphere, when we reach the midpoint between winter and spring. Most places are still deeply immersed in the cold and snow that comes with the winter season, but that doesn't mean it's a bad time for growing vegetable seeds. February happens to be a perfect time for getting the seed starting station together, and for many farmers, it's a great time to start some of them.

K-Hart Industries is expanding its relationship with Rocky Mountain Equipment (RME) to broaden dealer representation across key agricultural regions in Alberta and Manitoba. The Canadian manufacturer of seeding and harvesting machinery, headquartered in Winnipeg, Man, says the expansion supports its dealer growth strategy by strengthening local sales and service support in both provinces. Farmers in these regions will be supported by Rocky Mountain Equipment's established sales and service teams, providing a stronger local presence and more responsive support for K-Hart equipment, says a company release.

Middleton owns and operates Manawan Mills, a feed mill operation that processes grain into complete livestock feeds for species ranging from poultry to cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. The mill sources most of its grain from nearby farms, often purchasing product that may be discounted at commercial elevators due to quality factors such as splits or lower test weight. Middleton says in this episode of Profitable Practices that those characteristics don't limit the grain's usefulness once it is processed.

Welcome and thanks for joining us for today's edition of RealAg Radio with your host Shaun Haney. On today's show, Haney is joined by: Darrell Bricker of IPSOS on income, productivity and domestic challenges; Chad Garrod of Corteva Canada for a spotlight interview for Corteva Luxe Chris Reynolds of Nutrien on Nutrien Ltd. unifying its wholesale and retail sales operations.

significant technical and legal shortcomings,

Speaking with RealAgriculture at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show at Saskatoon, Terry Siebert, regional product supervisor of CLAAS, says the company is expanding its portfolio by adding the Lexion 8500 as the new bottom-end machine. The updated lineup now includes the 8500, 8600, 8700, 8800, and 8900. Siebert says the new model broadens the range of options available heading into the 2026 season.

"I made a connection with some Black farmers out in Florida in December, and I drove there to pick up the watermelons," he said. "Just so people can continue their fruit fasts and stuff like that. People were telling me 'I'm 10 days deep into a fruit fast and you're saving my life right now.'"

Most recently, she served as the executive director of the South Central Ontario Regional (SCOR) Economic Development Commission, a regional organization representing the counties of Brant, Elgin, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Oxford. In this role, she oversaw strategic planning, board governance, stakeholder engagement, and the execution of high impact initiatives. In addition to her executive leadership, Earls teaches part-time at Fanshawe College and holds a Master of Public Administration from Western University.