March 15, 2019 broadcast

Weekly grains and oilseeds market summary

Errol Anderson of ProMarket Communications in Calgary provides an update on the grains and oilseeds markets.

Farmer Pesticide Certificate program

Harry Brook, crop specialist at the Ag-Info Centre, discusses why producers need the certificate and how they can renew their certificate. He says this is an excellent course to take for anyone who uses pesticides, but adds it is required for a couple of specific products. For more information, call the Ag-Info Centre at 310-3276.

Western Livestock Price Insurance Calf program

The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program provides support for producers by managing price, currency and basis risks. Cam Sinclair, product specialist for insurance with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) discusses the program and premium costs. For more information, contact your local AFSC branch or the Client Contact Centre at 1-877-899-2372.

March 14, 2019

CropChoice$ available for download

CropChoice$ 2019 has just been released by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) and is available to download. This crop planning and risk management software program is updated every year with current crop insurance information from Agriculture Financial Services Corporation and projected crop costs. Manglai, crops economist with AF dropped by the studio with more.

Check winter burn sites

Many farmers have burn piles on their property. Mike Tucker, wildfire prevention officer at the Lac La Biche Fire Centre, says it’s important to check on those winter burn sites on a regular basis. For more information, contact your local Alberta Agriculture and Forestry office.

AgSafe Alberta

As we recognize Agriculture Safety Week, we take a look at where to find resources and other information. AgSafe Alberta is an organization who’s goal is to help farm businesses take the next step in setting up practical farm safety programs to boost the development of a ‘safety culture’ to make it a fully-integrated part of the farm business.

March 13, 2019

Spring fertilizer requirements

Yesterday, Doon Pauly, Agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry talked about the importance of soil tests and nitrogen requirements when determining your spring fertilizer needs. Today, he takes a look at phosphorus, sulphur and potassium. Ag-Info line at 310-FARM (3276).

Spring termination of hay land

Producers should consider a number of factors before deciding whether to terminate their hay land in the spring, and then seed an annual crop. Mark Cutts, crop specialist at the Ag-Info Centre, says the ability to manage these factors will influence the success of seeding annual crops into spring terminated hay land. Cutts says seeding annual crops into spring terminated hay land poses a number of challenges and is a riskier option as compared to seeding into fall terminated hay stands. He adds in order to manage these risks producers need to recognize these challenges and adopt the appropriate crop management techniques.

Fatigue and farm-related injuries

Fatigue is a major factor in farm-related injuries. Kenda Lubeck, farm safety awareness coordinator with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, says it’s important producers recognize the signs of fatigue and also take steps to avoid fatigue in the first place.

March 12, 2019

Nitrogen losses

On yesterday’s program, Doon Pauly agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, talked about the importance of soil tests and what can be learned from analyzing the results. Pauly says he hears from producers who are concerned about nitrogen loss, adding producers need to consider their risk.

Make the most of being a host farm at Open Farm Days

If you have signed up for Open Farm Days, the Feeding Growth: Maximizing your Potential with Open Farm Days 2019 workshop is a great way to get the most out of the event and ensure it’s a success. With more, we’re joined on the line by Tannis Baker, a committee member for Open Farm Days.

Agriculture Safety Week

This is Canadian Agriculture Safety Week. Luree Williamson, CEO of Agriculture for Life, says it’s a good reminder that safety should be a year-round focus.

March 11, 2019

Weekly livestock market summary

Herb Lock of Farm$ense Marketing in Edmonton discusses what’s driving the livestock markets. Herb Lock can be reached at 780-466-3599.

Learning from soil tests

As we get closer to spring and seeding, soil fertility and fertilizer management will be on the minds of many producers. Doon Pauly, agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry what we can learn from soil test results.

Building safety on the farm

As spring approaches, it’s a great time to think about safety plans on the farm. Robert Gobeil, agricultural health and safety specialist with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, says one thing producers can do now is a thorough check of equipment and processes on the farm. And Gobeil says while you’re doing maintenance, don’t overlook safety equipment.

Contact

Connect with Call of the Land by email at calloftheland@gov.ab.ca