Better Farming publishes nine editions of its Prairies magazine each year. After publishing each edition, we share a feature article online. Each Better Farming Prairies magazine includes much more content – you won’t want to miss it. If you don’t receive the print edition of Better Farming Prairies, but you enjoy reading the articles below, be sure to subscribe to the magazine!
Major players in the seed industry discuss 2021’s impact when planning for next year
By Kristen Lutz
With harvest season ending, it’s time to reflect on the recent growing season. Although 2021 may have thrown everything it could at producers, experts say there are still lessons to learn that will perhaps act as guidance for what could be an equally challenging 2022.
Reflecting on 2021
“I feel like we can sum up the major challenges for 2021 in one word: drought,” says Rory Cranston, the North American technical development manager at Bayer Crop Science.
Rural Canada needs to catch up as government urges all to get fully vaccinated.
By Becky Dumais
Winter is coming and we’re still struggling through the fourth wave of COVID-19 and its new variants, yet some of the population remains either unvaccinated, or has had only their first dose of the vaccine. Many of these Canadians live on farms and in rural regions where it’s not so convenient to drop by the pharmacy and roll up your sleeve; other reasons include hesitancy or complacency.
Feed stores, cattle breeding herds, drought forecasting technology and climate change mitigation all come into play when considering the long-term impact of severe weather this growing season.
By Jackie Clark
Throughout the summer of 2021, rain refused to fall on many regions of the Prairies and some parts of Ontario, leading to wildfires and drought conditions worse than many young farmers may have seen in their lifetime.
Unlock your soil potential
By Patrick Lynch
SWAT stands for soil, water and topography. It is a soil mapping system for characterizing your fields.
Maps are made using a SWAT BOX mounted on a side by side or truck. This is driven over the field on 40-80 feet swaths. The maps are made using electrical conductivity measurements from the SWAT BOX and high-quality elevation data (LiDAR or RTK).
Shining a light on crops, crooks & cameras
By Geoff Geddes
Though there’s often a fine line between right and wrong, some distinctions are clear:
Recycling: Good.
Dumping your household trash in a farmer’s ditch: Bad.
Strolling through the park: Nice.
Stomping over someone’s crops: Not so much.
These documents can benefit employee welfare and your bottom line.
by Jackie Clark
For many industrial or manufacturing jobs, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are a valuable tool used to promote safety, efficiency and consistency, and to comply with standards or legislation. In agriculture, SOPs can be used to realize those same outcomes.
‘Mother Nature Always bats last.’
By Taryn Milton
Farmers in some areas of Western Canada experienced dry conditions in 2020, and in the spring of 2021, the southern parts of both Manitoba and Saskatchewan were very dry.
This Canadian Olympian uses lessons she learned on her family’s cattle ranch to help her compete at the highest level of track and field.
By Jackie Clark
Sage Watson is a fierce competitor on the track.
Before they become a problem.
By Michelle Jones
Insects are a pest that crop farmers deal with every year. And while pest varieties can change from year to year depending on a number of factors, the Prairies have some pests that farmers are almost always certain to deal with. Better Farming connects with some industry experts about the most common pests on the Prairies, how they affect crops and how they can be controlled.
Equipment reps share new advancements that will benefit operators and yields.
by Taryn Milton
Sprayers are an important piece of equipment in a farmer’s lineup of machinery. But they were not always considered as essential as they are now.
