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Volume 42, Number 6 | MARCH 1, 2016

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PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

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BIG FERTILITY PACKAGE PRODUCED BIG CANOLA YIELD Liquid fertilizer blends seemed to make a difference for this Saskatchewan farmer By Lee Hart

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lorian Hagmann threw everything he had into producing a quarter section of canola that topped 116 bushels per acre and averaged 111.3 bushels per acre last year. The Saskatchewan farmer, who farms near Birch Hills, northeast of Saskatoon says the input costs pushed his comfort zone, but the real point was to “push the limits” and “see just what this crop can do.” Hagmann, who recorded yields of 84 bushels per acre in a targeted 2013 canola field, says reaching the next yield level in 2015 was a combination of good seed, good moisture, a somewhat unique nutrient package, and perhaps some extra, unexpected help from Mother Nature. “We had excellent stand establishment — I figure about 80 per cent seed survival — and that was followed with not excessive, but some timely rains,” he says. “One thing I believed helped just as the crop was into flowering was a fairly heavy haze from forest fire smoke which hung over this part of Saskatchewan for about three weeks. I believe that haze saved the crop from being burned by the sun and prevented heat blast of the flowers. Some people have said even the smoke can carry some nutrients with it too. I believe that haze helped, but it is certainly something you can’t count on or control.”

Saskatchewan farmer Florian Hagmann credits several factors including good seed, decent moisture, and effective rates of liquid fertilizer products from Kugler Co. for helping him produce a field of a record-yielding 116 bushel canola crop in 2015. Above, Albert Cochet of Birch Hills who actually combined the field for Hagmann stands next to one of the fertilizer signs.

In This Issue

Wheat & Chaff .................. 2 Features . ........................... 5 Crop Advisor’s Casebook . 8 Columns ............................ 12 Machinery & Shop............. 21 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 27

running your own trials Lisa Guenther page 10

MANAGING YOUR MUSTARD

FarmLife ............................ 31

Ross McKenzie page 18

Cardale seeddepot.ca for free seed offer

Consistent Yields & Protein Less Sprouting* - Weathering Best Fusarium Performance Semi Dwarf Faster Harvest Speeds Easier Straw Management *Better Falling Numbers

Working Hard to Earn Your Trust

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Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE BY JERRY PALEN Leeann Minogue

“Wow,” I was thinking to myself. “This guy’s got a lot of nerve.” Not that having a lot of nerve is a bad thing.

Everybody’s wrong

“I don’t know what it is either. It just keeps falling out of the engine.”

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U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5568 or email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com If you have story ideas, call us. You can write the article and we’d pay you, or we can write it. Phone Leeann Minogue at 306-861-2678 Fax to 204-944-5416 Email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com Write to Grainews, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1

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was looking forward to Jeff Rubin’s keynote lunch presentation at CropSphere in Saskatoon this winter. Back in 2008, Jeff Rubin was the CIBC’s chief economist. That spring, oil was trading at US$118 a barrel, and Rubin predicted that the price would rise to US$225 by 2012. Higher oil prices, he explained, would put pressure on the Canadian economy, on our personal finances and on growth around the world. In July 2008, oil prices peaked at US$145 per barrel. Rubin’s powers of prediction were looking great, and he got a lot of publicity. His 2009 book, Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller was about how the rising price of oil would change our lives, mainly as a result of the increase in the costs of travelling and moving food and goods around the world. The book was a Canadian bestseller. In 2010, it won Canada’s National Business Book Award. In 2012, Rubin’s next book, The End of Growth, again focused on high oil prices, and how they would make economic growth a thing of the past. Between then and now, things have not exactly gone as expected. On the day Rubin was scheduled to speak at CropSphere, oil had plummeted to US$30.44 a barrel. Low gas prices made it cheaper for farmers to travel to Saskatoon for the conference. The world has definitely gotten smaller for laid-off oil workers in southeast Saskatchewan, waiting for EI cheques and looking for new jobs. So I was looking forward to Rubin’s presentation. I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn how someone with such a high profile behaves when they’ve been so spectacularly, publicly wrong. Would there be apologies? Would he start off by explaining why he was wrong or how his predictions had gone so far off track? Maybe he would talk about the perils of economic forecasting. Boy, was I wrong. Rubin strode out onto the stage like a rock star. There were three concert-style video screens projecting the video feed of his head in larger-than-life style. There was impressive green lighting. And Rubin didn’t even mention those oil forecasts. Instead, he started right in with a high-energy presentation about climate change. With all the confidence and enthusiasm of a guy who’s never been wrong in his life.

That’s the saying isn’t it? Get right back on the horse. And we all do it, all the time. I find it hard to believe there’s a Grainews reader who’s bought fertilizer at the lowest price every year. Lots of farmers sold their lentils before the price went up, or didn’t plant any at all last year. Hands up — who’s never had to wish they’d bought more crop insurance? Accurate forecasting is tough. Impossible, probably. And if you’re not going to have the guts to look past your past mis-forecasts and get right back in the cab of your combine after you’ve been wrong about something, you’re not going to last long in this business. So good on Jeff Rubin. I learned more than I thought I might from his CropSphere presentation.

Three positive things Since we’ve come this far, I’ll tell you more about the other things I learned from Jeff Rubin. After his talk about climate change, he also had three positive predictions for the Canadian farming community. 1. Interest rates. Rubin predicts lower interest rates than today, but, even more reassuring, no risk of a run on interest rates like the one that he described as “devastating” to the farm community in the early ’80s. 2. Lower Canadian dollar. Rubin expects that we’re going to see the Canadian dollar “fall below the 70 cent level,” and he doesn’t think the 65 cent range is “unreasonable.” 3. Lower fuel costs. Perhaps, to the extent that natural gas prices are tied to oil, he said, this might lead to lower fertilizer prices. With the possible exception of Grainews readers who own property in Arizona and are hoping to see the Canadian dollar back at par again, I’m sure we’re all hoping that Rubin is less wrong about these positive predictions than he was about the rising price of oil. If you’re interested in more about Jeff Rubin, find his blog online at www.jeffrubinssmallerworld.com, or read his 2015 book, The Carbon Bubble: What Happens to us When It Bursts? which deals with oil prices closer to the ones we’re seeing today. If you’re interested in more about “how to keep being a rock star after you’ve been wrong,” then look around you at every farmer in your neighbourhood. They’ve all been wrong, once or twice, and there they are — getting ready to seed another crop. † Leeann

Economist Jeff Rubin spoke at CropSphere in January in Saskatoon.

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Wheat & Chaff Farm safety

Create a parent/kid farm safety contract

contract is an essential business tool. Farmers sign agreements and contracts as a part of running the business. Rental contracts, supply management agreements and production contracts and some types of formal agreements that a farmer might sign in the daily running of the farming operation. Even when employing a farm hand, an agreement is set up. Rates of pay, benefits, hours of work and expectations are all detailed to protect both the employer and the employee. It’s always a good idea to get two parties to get an agreement in writing, and that holds true with parents and kids too. Farm kids are lucky to grow up on a farm. They learn the value of hard work and gain respect and love for the land. Of course, along with all of the positives of growing up on the farm, farm kids are also exposed to hazards and risks that can put their safety and health in jeopardy. So, instead of yelling and lecturing farm kids about safety, why not work together to write down the safety rules for your farm? A farm safety contract has all sorts of benefits. Not only does it instill the importance of safety, but

it gives the child a sense of control over something that affects them directly. Kids, just like adults, need reasons for rules. A lecture or a “because I said so” might make sense to a parent, but maybe not so much for a kid. Taking the time to explain why some areas are off limits on the farm or why there are rules around certain things can help children understand why it’s not safe. The contract requires problem-solving communication. Sometimes it’s not easy to have difficult discussions, using a contract can open up communication — it becomes a tool. Listening is just as important as talking when negotiating a contract. Parents may even learn something from their child just by taking the time to discuss and negotiate the safety rules for their farm! A contract is also something very meaningful to the parties that sign it. Just like signing a contract for a bank loan, signing a farm safety contract means something to each person that signs it. Even to a young person, a contract means something important and serious. Signing a contract with your child shows that you have respect for them and for the safety rules on your farm.

Lastly, a contract teaches kids the importance of commitments and obligations. A signature on that contract means they are committed to following the rules and decided with their parents. It is an everreminder that they promised something and this can help them make better choices to protect their safety. Conversations are as important that tips, rules or contracts. A farm safety contract is a conversation starter, and a way for kids to bring up things they may be worried about. It also demonstrates that parents are open to talking to their kids about safety. Encouraging your child to always feel ok about coming to you is always a good thing. For more information about Keeping Kids Safe and Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, visit agsafetyweek.ca. Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is a public awareness campaign focusing on the importance of farm safety. CASW takes place every year during the third week of March. In 2016, CASW takes place March 13 to 19. CASW 2016 is presented by Farm Credit Canada. For more information visit agsafetyweek.ca. † Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, www.casa-acsa.ca.

Agronomy tips… from the field

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Flea beetle scouting strategies

he one nice thing about striped and crucifer flea beetles is that they’re quite easy to tell apart. And based on previous years, you should already have a fairly good idea of whether you have one or the other species in your fields. Here are few key things to remember about striped and crucifer flea beetles: Crucifer flea beetles need warmer temperatures to emerge and feed, which means you can generally scout in the afternoon to determine whether or not they’re present. Striped flea beetles, on the other hand, can feed at much cooler temperatures — even when your canola isn’t actively growing. So when you’re planting into very cool soils early in the spring, you should be scouting early and aggressively until your canola reaches the three to four-leaf stage. Another key is to optimize your stand as much as possible; the Canola Council recommends seven to 10 plants per square foot. Also, make sure you’re not seeing more than 25 per cent damage to the cotyledon. Remember: if your seeding depth isn’t shallow enough (1/2-inch to one inch) and you have a frost event, there could be a high seedling mortality rate that leaves any surviving plants more vulnerable to feeding. But by seeding shallow, those plants will be able to come up more robust and give you a stronger stand against flea beetle feeding. †

This agronomy tip is brought to you by Ted Labun, seedcare technical lead with Syngenta Canada.

You might be from the Prairies if... By Carson Demmans and Jason

Natasha Lugtigheid from Chatham, Ontario sent us this photo. Natasha wrote, “I took this picture on November 5 in the oat field behind our house. I went four-wheeling after school and couldn’t help but look up and admire the gorgeous sky! It was a pretty shade of blue and the clouds were very unique. They reminded me of blowing sheets hung up on the clothes line to dry in the wind. It was the carefree sky of a breezy summer day, a snapshot reminder of summer blown into the middle of fall.” Thanks for the beautiful photo and great write-up! We’re sending you a cheque for $25. Send your best shot to leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com. 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 write-up 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

A band that had one top 40 hit 20 years ago is finally playing your home town next week.

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Cover Stories Crop production » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Big fertility package produced big canola yield Hagmann, along with family members, crops about 15,000 acres of grains, oilseeds and some corn at two locations. The main farm is at Birch Hills and the second is southeast of Saskatoon near Semans. This highyielding canola crop was at the Birch Hills farm, which has good black soil with six to seven per cent soil organic matter. He seeds in total between 5,000 and 5,500 acres of canola each year using varieties from Pioneer Hi-Bred, Bayer’s InVigor hybrids and some Dekalb canola as well. For the past few years he has participated in a Pioneer Hi-Bred Canola Yield Challenge and won it three out of the past four years. “Every year I take a few acres and try something new and push the limits,” says Hagmann. “I can’t afford to do it on the whole farm, but I usually plan on 500 to 600 acres and really give it that extra care.” In 2012 he won the challenge with a 57 bushel average yield, in 2013 he won again with an 84 bushel yield average, and in 2014 he applied the inputs, had a great-looking crop, but it was flooded out. In 2015 he binned the 111.3 bushels average on 147 acres of a quarter section.

Believes in liquid products While he starts with a soil test recommendation to plan the fertility package, for the past few years he has been working with a Nebraskabased fertilizer company to apply a unique package of liquid fertilizer at time of seeding as well as top dressings during the growing season. Kugler Co. makes all-liquid, low-salt macro and micro fertilizer blends says Jae Fielding who is with Kugler based in South Dakota. He has worked with Hagmann on fertility and agronomy for the past four years. Hagmann applies several specialty Kugler fertilizers at different times during the growing season. They include KQ-XRN a 28-0-0 slow release nitrogen. It can be soil applied at time of seeding or foliar applied in-crop. KQ342 is another liquid blend of N-K-S-Zn that can be side banded next to the seed row. Kugler’s ATS 12-0-0-26S (ammonium thiosul-

fate) is also applied at seeding — intended to improve nutrient use efficiency. While Kugler’s LS 624 (6-24-6) high-phosphate starter product is applied below the seed row at seeding. Kugler’s KS1022 (10-20-2) can either be used as a starter product or later in the season as a top dress, and KS2075 is a combination of quick and slow release nitrogen fertilizer “I like the liquid products and I like to see them applied as close to the seed row as possible so they are readily available to the crop,” says Kugler. He seeds the crop with a 76-foot wide Bourgault 3320 air drill at a five miles per hour. Bourgault even designed a new opener for Hagmann to try. The opener has a two liquid hoses — one for sidebanding fertilizer, the other for placing the starter product below the seed row. So for 2015, on these challenge fields he directed seeded, May 23, Pioneer 45H33 Roundup Ready canola into barley stubble at a rate of five pounds of seed per acre. The canola had a Lumiderm seed treatment. There was reasonable moisture, with seed placed at one-half to three-quarter inch deep into a moist, firm seed bed. The field had a pre-seeding glyphosate treatment with a half litre of Roundup Transorb, tank mixed with a half-gallon of the KQ-RXN slow release nitrogen product. Based on a soil test recommendation, targeting a higher yield, the nutrient package at time of seeding included the following dry and liquid products that went into or near the seed row: • 21.5 pounds of ESN 44-0-0 slow release fertilizer • 21.5 pounds of S15, a blend of 13-33-0-15 • 35 gallons of the KQ342 • 2 gallons of the ATS product • 14 gallons of KS 1022 • .11 gallons of KS Max micronutrients • .11 gallons of 20 per cent humic acid (it helps to buffer against salts) “We had excellent emergence and stand establishment,” says Hagmann. “At times during the growing season we were almost getting a bit dry, but we had timely rains.” Overall the crop got about 4.25 inches of rain.

IN-CROP TREATMENTS While there was a good fertility package at time of seeding, three more in-crop treatments were to come. June 16 at the three to four crop leaf stage, Hagmann applied another half-litre of Roundup

Transorb tank mixed with one gallon of KQ-RXN slow release product. Then again on July 2, pre-bud stage, he applied the third half-litre Roundup Transorb treatment, this time tank mixed with two gallons of KS2025 (fast- and slow-release product). July 22, after flowering, two more products were applied — 1.5 gallons of the KS1022 mixed with KQ XRN and 0.11 gallons of the KS Max micronutrient blend. That was the final fertilizer treatment. No fungicides were needed or applied to the crop. “It was a healthy vigorous stand for the full growing season,” says Hagmann. He swathed the crop Sept 5 and about three weeks later it was combined with a Claas 670 combine. The yield monitor showed a top yield of just over 116 bushels per acre and an official check with a DuPont Pioneer weigh wagon determined an average yield of 111.3 bushels over 147 acres. “I’m no smarter than anyone else, but I do like to try new things and just see how far this crop can go,” says Hagmann. “Over the rest of our canola crop, with a more average fertility we had some areas that went as high as 80 bushels per acre and some down around 40 bushels, but overall we averaged 50 to 55 bushels per acre. “It is nice to try all these nutrient products but right now I couldn’t afford to do the whole farm,” he says. “I still made money on those Challenge acres, but the risk is too high to do the whole farm.” Hagmann says the fertilizer for the Challenge fields themselves cost $270 per acre, plus seed and equipment costs. For the bulk of his canola acres fertilizer costs are more in the $200 to $210 per acre range. And he plans to test the limits again in 2016 to see if he can do a repeat or if there are still more bushels per acre to be had. “I will push a few acres again, although I am not exactly sure what the program will be,” he says. “Someday I may be confident to apply this program to the whole farm, but you have to walk before you run. This past year, everything went in favour of the crop. We had timely moisture, the weather co-operated, I believe that smoke haze helped the crop. I believe the key, no matter what you are growing is to provide balanced fertility. And I like top dressing nutrients, I believe it helps — I have been doing it with one product or another my whole farming life.” † Lee Hart is field editor for Grainews based in Calgary. Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

Grain transportation

Report shows mediocre movement By Lisa Guenther

verall, Canadian Pacific (CP) fulfilled 73 per cent of its hopper car orders the week of January 10 to 16, according to the Ag Transport Coalition’s latest report. That number contrasts to Canadian National’s 95 per cent order fulfillment for the same week. The Ag Transport Coalition reports that CP also started the year out much stronger, before dipping the week of January 3. CN’s order fulfillment has been relatively high throughout the year, according to the report. CP met 83 per cent of grain car orders in the Vancouver corridor, 96 per cent in Thunder Bay, and 72 per cent in other corridors the week of January 10. CN met 94 per cent or more of demand across the board for the same week. So what do those numbers mean? It depends who you talk to.

Comments from the Ag Transport Coalition Greg Northey is director of industry relations at Pulse Canada and is also part

of the Ag Transport Coalition. The Ag Transport Coalition has only been measuring the railways’ performances for two years, so it’s hard to know what the norm is, he said. “At this point in the grain year, in all corridors, CP’s performance on the timeliness of car delivery is better than last year,” Northey wrote via email. CN has also performed better than last year, he added. Northey sees several potential factors, including lower demand from other shippers, operational improvements, and a milder winter. CP’s dedicated train program “seems to function very well,” Northey said. He also noted that CP has “decent order fulfillment in bulk corridors,” but poor in other corridors, such as the U.S./Mexico and transload. He said that performance is similar to last year. “Certainly, it indicates a similar pattern to what we have heard qualitatively from shippers for many years,” said Northey. He speculated that CP’s decline, which started the week of January 3, could be related to weather or an internal decision to cut capacity. Any effect from CP’s layoffs would not have shown up until the following week, he noted.

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Canadian Pacific’s response I asked CP for a comment regarding CP’s apparent slip in performance, its dedicated train program, and whether there were other factors involved in its performance improvement from last year. Jeremy Berry, CP spokesperson, emailed me a statement. The Ag Transport Coalition reports on “cars ordered,” but CP doesn’t use orders for the majority of its grain movements, Berry wrote. “The AG Transport Coalition continues to present information that is misleading and irreconcilable with our own data, which detracts from the goal of enhancing transparency. This does little to improve supply chain performance, collaboration and daily execution,” he said. At press time, CP had moved 128,500 carloads of grain, which is 4.1 per cent greater than last year, Berry said. He added that is 19 per cent about their five-year average. Berry said the dedicated train program has been well-received by grain customers, and accounts for 70 per cent of CP’s grain traffic. The Ag Transport Coalition represents several agricultural associations, including Pulse Canada. It is funded through Growing Forward 2. You can sign up for the coalition’s weekly reports on grain movement at www. agtransportcoalition.com/† Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews.

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Features Crop varieties

The Canola Performance Trials Who pays for them? Why? Learn more about how to make the trials work for you By Dilia Narduzzi

o you depend on your provincial seed guides to help you make a choice about what varieties of canola you’re going to plant any given year? If so, you may be wondering, given that those great resources are available, why the Canola Performance Trials (CPT) are also important for making decisions for your particular acreage. The seed guides come out of the CPT directly, says Curtis Rempel, vice president, crop production for the Canola Council of Canada. The trials look at a wide variety of new canola varieties and test them — in different conditions — to see how well the different varieties perform. It’s important to know up front that the Canola Council of Canada is the arms-length organization that manages the trials. They make sure protocols are designed properly, they audit test sites to ensure consistency, and they organize the data and statistics. But, the Canola Council does not fund the trials, says Rempel. There are two funders: provincial farm organizations (Alberta Canola Producers Commission, Manitoba Canola Growers, SaskCanola and the B.C. Grain Producers Association) plus the life science companies (seed companies). Given the importance of these trials, what do farmers need to know about them? Interestingly, the seed companies register more varieties than they commercialize, and when varieties are through the registration process the initial trials on seeds (precommercial) are done without herbicides and without taking particular management styles into account. This is done so that the seeds can be initially tested solely on their genetic strength, says Rempel. In the post-management part of the process, herbicide is applied and farm management styles are taken into account. Canola varieties turn over every three to four years, says Rempel, so the trials look at new seeds that are just coming onto the market vs. commercially standard older seeds, which have historically had good results. They look at “running yield improvements,” says Rempel.

Using the results Online, farmers can look at the results of all the trials. What’s usually most helpful are results in the areas close to where you farm. For example, if your farm is in Saskatchewan, you can zoom in on the map on the Canola Performance Trials website and see the test sites in Saskatchewan. Clicking on sites close to your own farm may give some useful data based on the varieties that were tested near your location and their outputs. Another way farmers can use the trial results, says Rempel, is to search for desired yields for their area. For example, if you’re comfortable with 60 bushels per acre,

you can look to the map and the data to see which varieties gained those kinds of yields in your area or in areas with similar environmental conditions. You can take local environmental conditions for your own area into account as well. “No variety wins every trial,” says Rempel. “With some, the yield potential is lower but they are consistent, with others they have a high yield, but more intense management is needed.” The Canola Council of Canada doesn’t comment on which varieties are the most interesting or the “best” since the trials cover a variety of regions, conditions, management styles, and herbicide management. Rempel sug-

gests that farmers look at the data with their particular questions in mind: yield, yield stability, and how you want to split up your own acres. There are just no bad varieties these days, says Rempel. A lot of the choice comes down to what your management style on your own farm is because “farmers may not want to manage each acre the same way.”

New developments The newest development in this year’s trials is pod shatter management. “We’re on the cusp of this exploratory work this year, and it will be ongoing,” says Rempel.

There are a few varieties available on the market now, but there will be more and better representation from all the companies regarding pod shatter in the very near future. Pod shatter can lead to yield loss, so garnering new varieties that can protect against this is “good for growers.” Remember, varieties are rolling over very often and they’re always improving, says Rempel, and plant scientists are doing excellent work with canola, the “absolute acumen” is incredible. So take a look at http://www.canolaperformancetrials.ca to see what’s working where you farm. † Dilia Narduzzi is a freelance writer in Dundas, Ont.

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Features

Seeding plans

Pulse acres on the rise this spring High prices are driving higher interest in planting peas and lentils this season By Angela Lovell

he Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association (SPGA) predicts, in its January 2016 pulse outlook, that there will be a significant increase in pulse acres again this year, with lentils leading the charge. At least 4.46 million acres of lentils are expected to go in the ground this spring, with some market experts predicting it may go over five million acres if prices remain as strong for lentils as they have been over the past year. Pea and chickpea acres look set to top four million. “What is driving grower’s interest in growing pulses this year

is economics,” says Sherrilyn Phelps, SPGA’s Agronomy and Seed Program Manager. “Prices for lentils and peas are high which makes them very attractive right now. The fact that they don’t need a lot of fertilizer, which is an input cost, makes it even more attractive, and their nitrogen fixation capability is good for the soil, so pulses are a good rotational crop too.” Saskatchewan has more pulse acres than the rest of Western Canada, and SPGA funds many breeding and research programs. SPGA invested $11.8 million into pulse research and market development for 2015-16. Agronomic research and extension activities are looking at

issues with herbicide resistant weeds in pulse crops, diseases and the benefits of pulses in crop rotations. Other projects are looking at value-added opportunities for pulse ingredients such as starches, proteins and fibres, and to support potential health claims about human health and nutrition benefits. There are many priorities for pulse research and varietal development. “One of the main issues right now,” says Phelps, “is that we are coming out of four or five years of wetter conditions where diseases have been a concern.” Research into disease, both agronomic management and varietal development, is ongoing. “Aphanomyces root

rots are a big concern,” says Phelps, “and although 2014 was the worst year for those types of soil-borne pathogens, it’s still on people’s minds as they’re planning rotations and making crop choices.” Other research is looking at the benefit of pulses in crop rotations and implications for soil biology and following crops. Because pulses are a relatively small acre crop in North America compared to corn, soybeans, cereals and canola, there are fewer product options for weed control. “With limited products for use in pulses we have to do more work on integrated pest management when we’re looking at weeds,” says Phelps. “As

new product development for pulses is limited there is continued work screening already existing chemistries for tolerance in various pulse crops. This will continue for the future and herbicides will be part of an integrated strategy to combat weeds.” Pulse growers are also dealing with Group 2 resistance in some weeds, which is one of the few herbicide options available to them. “We have to look at other alternatives from the products that we have, as well as other agronomic methods, such as adjusting seeding rates or different management strategies, like controlling weed seeds after harvest,” says Phelps.

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Developing varieties that are adapted to grow in all areas of Saskatchewan, and other prairie provinces, is also a focus, especially in some of the newer pulse crops, like fababeans. “The Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan is working to develop fababean varieties that are more suited to drier areas of the province, or shorter growing seasons,” says Phelps. SPGA is also funding breeding and genetic improvement research at the CDC, which includes the sequencing of pea and lentil genomes, development of rapid generation technology and marker assisted breeding.

There’s money to be made Chickpea is a pulse crop that’s seeing renewed interest from growers. “We used to have around one million acres of chickpea in Saskatchewan, but growers ran into disease issues and had a hard time growing them, so they turned away from them,” says Phelps. “But now, with more interest in pulses, there are growers that are going back to chickpea and we need to be looking at how we can incorporate those in more areas of the province as well.” Although pulse yields this year were average, there were few issues in terms of production, adds Phelps. “Lentils and peas came off good, with good quality for the most part. Crops with delayed harvest due to fall rains were not as good quality with some germination issues being reported. Chickpea and dry bean production were also successful this year,” she says. “There’s money to be made in pulses and that’s really why growers are looking at them for this year.” † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist living and working in Manitoba. Find her online at www.angelalovell.ca.

MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Features

Ask the expert

Ask the experts about lentil plans Should you plant lentils this spring? Angela Lovell gets answers from two experts By Angela Lovell

his is the first instalment in a new Grainews feature. In “Ask the Expert,” Angela Lovell will take the questions farmers are asking straight to the most qualified experts, then bring their answers back to you. Should you plant lentils this spring? If you are looking at growing lentils from an economic standpoint the answer is probably, yes. Prices in 2015 reached record highs, driven by strong export demand, and they were off to a flying start this year. “Last year’s prices were already unusually good,” says Marlene Boersch, of Mercantile Consulting Venture in Winnipeg. “In January 2015 the price of No. 2 large green lentils, for example, was $35/cwt and the first two weeks of this year it was $71/cwt. That is not normal — these are extraordinary prices.” And as everyone knows the cure for high prices is high prices, so although Boersch says she doesn’t expect 2016 prices to stay at record highs, they should remain very good throughout 2016. “Farmers have lots of opportunity and I would advise them to try forward contracting some lentil production because there have been some forward contracting opportunities at very high prices,” she says. “This will help reduce price risk, but even if prices fall off the highs they should stay at respectable levels this calendar year.”

Yes, no or maybe? But if you look at growing lentils from the production side of things the answer might not be so clear cut. There is a temptation for sure for growers to cash in while they still can and plant new acres or expand existing production of lentils this year. But it really depends on how big they want to roll the dice, says Dr. Bert Vandenberg, lentil breeder based at University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre. Vandenberg says he is hearing a lot of horror stories about growers being tempted to plant lentils on marginal land. Lentils don’t yield well in soils that are rocky or uneven and prefer well-drained,

loam soils and don’t do well in excess moisture conditions. Lentils also have a high requirement for phosphorus. Growers in areas that tend to have wetter, humid conditions, which in recent years seems to be most of Saskatchewan and western Manitoba, will have to plant early. “Lentils don’t like that level of moisture,” says Vandenberg, “You can do practical things like sticking to lighter land or widening your row spacings, but you’ve got to let the canopy breath and only seed varieties that suit your area. In wetter areas, you need the earliest possible maturity because lentils tend to be indeterminate if you get too much moisture, and the critical thing is to seed very early.”

A major concern is disease. Lentils are susceptible to many of the same diseases as other pulse crops, canola, soybeans and sunflowers, so shouldn’t follow these crops too close in the rotation. In fact, agronomists recommend that growers plant lentils only once every four years on the same land to break the disease cycle. Despite the attractive prices, producers shouldn’t be tempted to shorten their rotation or plant lentil on lentil stubble, or they risk serious disease issues. “You can really compound your disease problem for years by growing lentils on lentil stubble,” says Vandenberg. “I encourage people that if they’re in a lentil growing area, and

they have neighbours that have never grown lentils, they should swap out land with them for a year. Let them grow their cereal crops on your last year’s lentil stubble and you stick with your regular rotation, but if you want to expand your production, grow it on your neighbour’s land. Even if you pay the neighbour some rent on some land that’s never had lentils on it, you know it will definitely be free of diseases.” Growers may have to get creative if they want to maximize the advantage of high lentil prices. † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist living and working in Manitoba. Find her online at www.angelalovell.ca.

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These are extraordinary prices Supplies are already tight going into the new crop year, and even with a projected increase in production — which could be up 27 per cent in Canada based on projected increases in acres — supplies should remain tight for the year ahead. Problems with drought in the biggest lentil producing countries like India over the past two years have increased exports to the region. Canada will export close to 1.2 million tonnes of lentils to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka this crop year, up from 300,000 tonnes five years earlier. The biggest question is when will Indian production get back to normal and reduce export demand. “It’s important to understand that if major lentil producing areas increase acres and/or yield performance the increase in exports will reverse a little bit, and prices will soften as a result,” she says. “I suspect that will probably be in 2017.”

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Features

Crop Advisor’s casebook

Patchy canola crop a mystery By Samantha Sentes

CASEBOOK WINNER The Grainews reader who sent in the winning Casebook solution for this issue was Art Pask, from Esterhazy, Sask. Art wrote, “I remember my mistakes. LOL.” Art, thanks for entering! We’re sending you a Grainews cap and renewing your subscription for one year. If you, too, would like to be a Casebook winner and win free stuff, tell me why you think Brad’s canola is patchy. Email leeann. minogue@fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-94495416.

photos: canola council of canada

rad, a farmer near Ituna, Sask. who grows canola, wheat, oats, barley and peas, called me one day in June to tell me about a problem he was looking for some help with — the canola in one of his fields was coming in a little patchy but one 30-acre area was exceptionally bad. Brad said the canola in those 30 acres appeared to be growing only in the low spots. The grower was baffled, as he’d never experienced this problem before. “It’s strange that the canola is perfectly fine and then there are no plants at all,” he said. When I arrived at Brad’s farm and began surveying the canola field, I could see that there was wheat stubble on it and that most plants were coming up fine in rows. When we went a bit further to the problem section, the first thing I noticed was that there was canola stubble on it. I also observed that hardly any canola was growing and the few plants that were there were all in low lying areas; these plants, however, looked fine and healthy. Brad wasn’t sure if there was some sort of chemical carryover, or if lack of moisture, was affecting the canola in this one small area a lot more than the rest of the field. My first hunch was that the canola in the problem area might not have germinated due to insufficient moisture — the spring had been unusually dry. We dug in the row to find a bunch of empty seed shells, which indicated the canola had originally germinated but then died from another cause. There had been a bad outbreak of flea beetles in the area that spring, so that was

Leeann Minogue

The canola in one of Brad’s fields was coming in a little patchy but one 30-acre area was exceptionally bad. The few plants that were growing in that area looked fine and healthy.

another possible explanation — but we didn’t see much in the way of damage in the rest of the field that could be explained by that particular pest. Getting to the source of the canola trouble was going to take a little more digging. If you think you know what’s going on in Brad’s field, send your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man., R3C 3K7; email leeann. minogue@fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-944-95416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. Best suggestions will be pooled and one winner will be drawn for a chance to win a Grainews cap and a one-year subscription to the magazine. The answer, along with reasoning that solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. †

Samantha Sentes is a sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Yorkton, Sask.

Crop advisor’s solution

Herbicide resistance lets wild mustard escape By Dan Friesen

ason contacted me during the third week of June about a serious weed problem in one of his canola fields on his 2,500-acre farm near Sanford, Man. He had applied a Group 2 herbicide to the Clearfield canola crop, but during his post-spray scouting Jason had spotted numerous patches where the weeds had escaped. He asked me to come out to the farm to have a look. When I walked through the problem field, it was clear that only a certain species of weed, wild mustard, had escaped being killed by the herbicide. I knew there were a number of factors that could result in weed escapes like this, but two possible causes weather and water quality were subsequently ruled out. I learned that there had been ideal weather

at the time the canola field had been sprayed, and testing showed Jason’s water source met all the parameters of spray water quality specs. After a closer look at the field history, I had a pretty good idea what was causing Jason’s weed trouble, and lab testing of some of the seed from the wild mustard escapes in the canola crop confirmed my suspicion. The results showed that the wild mustard I saw growing throughout the Clearfield canola field was resistant to Group 2 herbicides. After I gave Jason the news, we discussed some ways he could change his field management practices to prevent the problem from spreading on his farm or developing with other weeds and herbicide options. I explained why it was essential for farmers to rotate their use of herbicides

wisely and to identify problem fields with resistant weeds. I stressed the importance of considering field histories when determining both crop and herbicide rotations, and how consulting an agronomist can help determine the best plan for fields with persistent weed problems. I informed Jason that to effectively manage herbicide resistance in the problem field going forward, he could try rotating types of canola with varying herbicide trait systems and apply herbicides with different modes of action. For example, LibertyLink canola that’s sprayed with a Group 10 herbicide could be used in crop rotation with Roundup Ready canola that’s sprayed with glyphosate. In addition, I suggested he should use pre-seed and in-crop tank mix options with glyphosate and a tank-mix partner

wherever possible, or make sure that herbicides used on any cereal crops planted in rotation had a different mode of action that could effectively eliminate the Group 2 resistant wild mustard. Not surprisingly, the wild mustard infestation in Jason’s problem field resulted in a reduced canola yield and issues with contaminated harvest samples, but since then he has implemented changes that have greatly reduced wild mustard populations throughout his farm. Jason’s fields are now cleaner, and he has higher yields and higher profits due to lower grain sample dockages. His added focus on proper herbicide resistance management will ensure that his options remain as open as possible in the future. † Dan Friesen is a Sales Agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. in Starbuck, Man.

MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Features

Crop production

Real life on-farm trials in Alberta Farmers considering on-field trials can learn from this farmer who’s been there By Greg Stamp

uring the last growing season I was involved in a number of trials for grain, corn and silage. We found accurate results that I could trust and share with other farmers in the area. The corn trials inspired me to re-think our strategy with our trials regarding chemical products and the seed varieties we are selling on our farm and customers’ farms. I do not think we can get accurate data from half field trials, non-replicated trials or yield monitors. We have performed many trials on our farm. Some of the issues that we have encountered are: • Not planning out the trial on paper or digitally months ahead; • Not adequately informing the operators running the drill or sprayer; • Yield maps didn’t show the differences we expected, or it was difficult to see conclusive results; • Not replicating the trials accurately; • Not placing physical flags with labels on them in the field; and, • Not allowing enough time at harvest to weigh through our weigh wagon. In the future I would like to do cereal trials on our farm, just as they do corn trials. I hope to take the time to: • Plan the trial months ahead on paper or digitally; • Keep the machine operators involved in the planning; • Get product on farm ahead of season, and make sure rates are calculated; • Mark the locations out with labeled flags at time of application; • Replicate the plot; • Weigh the production in the grain cart; • Take samples for protein, moisture and grade from each plot; • Measure the results (harvest will be slower that day); and, • Remember that multiple seasons may be needed to get accurate data for some of these products. If you’re doing trials on your farm this season, take the time to weigh the results. Harvest down the middle of the seeding or application area and on each side. It is important to incorporate a few field trials into our season. It provides an opportunity to explain the results to ourselves, to our farm partners and to the public, and to make sure we know why we are using the products and genetics we are. But, trials won’t tell you everything. Only once have I done a trial and found that yield monitor maps showed a clear winner. †

Greg Stamp is a Southern Alberta farmer, seed grower and CCA. Follow him on Twitter at @ stampgreg or read more at stampseeds.com.

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1. This Chiffon Soft wheat wheat was grown in trials on the Stamp farm. The bunch on the right was treated with a plant growth regulator and a fungicide; the bunch on the left was untreated. 2. On the Stamp’s Select Seeds field day, Greg explained their trials map and the applications done in the field. Watching on the left is Harpinder Randhawa, senior wheat breeder at Agriculture Canada’s Prairie Spring Red wheat breeding program at Lethbridge. 3. This is a prescription seeding map. In the blocks you can see where there will be bumps in fertility for the trials. 4. One of the trials on the Stamp’s Select Seeds farm last summer took a look at plant growth regulators.

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Features

Crop production

8 tips to running your own trials Tired of adapting other people’s research results to your farm? Get your own By Lisa Guenther

very acre can be a research acre, Nicole Philp told farmers at Saskatoon’s CropSphere in January. Farmers interested in testing new products and practices can create powerful data sets with a little co-ordination, said Philp, a Canola Council of Canada agronomist. But how can you make sure you get good data out of your on-farm research trial? Here are eight tips to running a trial.

1. Keep it simple It might be tempting to run several trials at a time, given the flood

of new technology and products washing over the market. But when it comes to on-farm trials, it’s better to keep things simple. Murray Hartman, oilseed specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, said that farm trials with several treatments have many disadvantages: 1. Logistics of running several treatments. 2. Time commitment. 3. Risk — treatments could cost money and lower yield. 4. Complicated statistics. 5. Results are only specific to that field in that year. Unless farmers repeat each trial at several locations, the results may not apply to all their fields.

Hartman suggested running 10 paired strip comparisons of one treatment for two years. “That’s going to give me about 90 to 95 per cent confidence, whatever that answer is, it’s going to apply to my fields in the future. Unless you have a year like last year,” Hartman said. Small plot trials, typically run by universities and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, are better suited to testing several treatments, said Kristen Podolsky, agronomist with Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers. For example, researchers can try 10 different seeding rates in small plots. If two or three show promise, researchers can roll them into on-farm trials, she explained.

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2. Follow protocol

3. Pick the right fields

Podolsky said the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers, along with their research partners, set up protocols for their on-farm trials. For example, they wanted to see if soybeans needed a double inoculant if fields had a soybean history. When they looked for cooperating farmers, one condition was that the farmers’ fields had grown at least two soybean crops already. Once they’ve developed the protocol and signed up cooperating farmers, their research partners review that protocol with farmers, said Podolsky.

Farmers will want to pick fields that are uniform so they know any differences in results are due to the treatment, Philp said. She also recommended leaving a check strip in an area representative of the field, rather than the field’s edge or headlands. Hartman suggested placing paired strips beside each other, in an area where they’ll be covering similar variations. Topography and yield maps can help farmers pick areas to place the strips, he added.

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4. Don’t confound your data Farmers should make sure the only difference between the checks and treatments is the actual treatment, Hartman said. Otherwise they risk “confounding” the data, making it impossible to tell if differences are due to the treatment. For example, a farmer comparing two canola varieties might seed them both at five lbs. But say the thousand kernel weight for Variety A is four grams, and six grams for Variety B. The farmer would be planting 50 per cent fewer seeds of Variety B, Hartman explained. Hartman also warned against applying fungicide to treatments in boron trials, and skipping the fungicide treatment on the check. “Now you get a difference in results. What is it due to? Is it due to the boron or is it due to the fungicide? You can’t separate them,” he said.

5. Take notes Philp, Hartman, and Podolsky all recommended checking the trial through the growing season. “Don’t put it in the ground and come back at harvest,” said Hartman. Philp suggested physically marking the check strips and treatments. “GPS is great, but it’s nice to see where your treatments are in the field when you’re going out and taking your notes,” she said. Hartman suggested checking the trials at different crop stages, such as bolting and flowering. Hartman also said farmers should note whether conditions are fair By jonny hawkins

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Features

Soybeans and double inoculants Farmers in eastern Manitoba have been growing soybeans for a decade, begging the question whether a double inoculant was still needed. Kristen Podolsky, agronomist with Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers, shared some results from a three on-farm trial that posed that question. As mentioned, co-operating farmers needed to have fields with at least two previous soybean crops. Out of 25 sites, only three had a significant yield response to the additional granular inoculant, Podolsky said. All three of those responsive fields were in 2013. Field history, brand, formulation and rate didn’t correlate to those yield increases, she added. So should soybean growers skip that second inoculant in fields with at least two years of growing soybeans? “The previous crops must have been wellnodulated. And you can’t have any adverse conditions in that field,” Podolsky said. For example, flooding and drought can affect rhizobium populations in the field, she explained. †

6. Harvest the trial “In my experience, the most patience is needed at harvest. Especially when it’s a poorer year at harvest and you’re way behind,” said Hartman. Already hit your stress limit during harvest? Then you’d best skip the on-farm trials next year, Hartman said. Otherwise, you increase your chances of unraveling on family or hired hands during harvest, he said. Philp recommended harvesting the entire trial the same day. Try to harvest at the same speed throughout the trial, she added. All three suggested using a calibrated weigh wagon to measure yield. “We’re not quite confident enough in yield monitor technology yet,” said Philp.

7. Analyze those results Before doing any data analysis, farmers should make sure they

followed protocol at all trial sites. The Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers had to discard data from one site, Podolsky told growers. The co-operating farmer realized his field had only seen one soybean crop instead of the required two crops, she explained. That made a big difference, as the yield dropped, she said. The yield drop underlined the importance of double inoculation in new soybean fields, she added. Farmers looking at results will likely notice yields bouncing around within the same treatments, Hartman said. So how can growers figure out whether their results are due to the treatments or just flukes? That requires figuring out the statistical significance of results. Results that aren’t statistically significant could be due to chance rather than the treatment. Hartman recommended analyzing results from paired strips using a paired t-test. Farmers can

find t-test calculators online. Once they plug in the numbers, the software will calculate the probability of the differences between treatment and check being due to the treatment. Farmers can select a paired t-test at http://graphpad.com/ quickcalcs/ttest1.cfm. The calculator will state whether or not the results are statistically significant. Once farmers have chucked results from any sites that didn’t follow protocol, and determined the results are statistically significant, they can apply the economics, Podolsky said.

8. Share and collaborate It’s quite possible for many farmers to conduct their own trials these days. “But just remember, you don’t have time to make all the discoveries and the mistakes yourself,” said Hartman. “That’s why it’s so helpful to collaborate.”

Instead of doing 10 paired strips on one farm, two farms could split the workload, by doing five each, Hartman said. Farmers could also work together to trial different products and share results, he added. Hartman added extension people could “provide some useful discussion” during the planning and data analysis. He also likes to see on-farm trial results, to have in the back of his mind when looking at scientific stuff. Farmers can also check with their grower groups about getting involved with research projects. The Canola Council of Canada has been running field-scale trials through the Ultimate Canola Challenge. The Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers also runs field-scale trials with co-operating growers and other research partners. † 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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in all the strips — for example, are there drowned-out spots? All three recommended collecting in-season data, such as hail, frost, excessive heat, and humidity. Such information can explain yield increases or decreases, Podolsky said. The Canola Council of Canada has data collection sheets online, to record everything from seeding to scouting to harvest. The sheets also calculate the treatment’s profitability, “because at the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to, is using these products to add profitability to your farm,” said Philp. Farmers can download those data collection sheets from www. canolacouncil.org/crop-production/ultimate-canola-challenge. Hartman said farmers may also want to sort data based on criteria such as soil type. “If you have all that information, you can sort it out later and say, ‘Where is this response happening?’”

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Columns Hart Attacks

How to build a better conference If I can’t hear or understand the speaker then why am I at the conference at all? By Lee Hart

f there is one message I have for the organizers of Canadian farm conferences, workshops or information meetings — I need to be able to hear and understand the speaker. I may be getting fussier in old age, but I have been to enough conferences in my day to know what doesn’t work for me. The first part of this is mechanical: have a decent sound system and make sure the speaker uses a microphone. It is extremely frustrating to be at a speaker session where the speaker is speaking but, either because the sound system is poor, they aren’t using a microphone, or the microphone is poorly positioned — people just can’t hear. I hate it when speakers stand away from the mike and say “I hate these things, can you hear me?” Hey, the mike isn’t there for the speaker’s benefit, it is there for mine. Maybe what each speaker session needs is an appointed moderator standing at the back of the room listening to the presentation, and if the sound is off, they stop the proceedings until it is corrected. Most venues — hotel conference rooms or conference centres — have pretty good sound systems. But when planning an event it is one area where you don’t want to cut costs.

And the “be understood” part is a little more delicate, but vitally important to a good conference — make sure the speaker can be clearly understood. I am not sure how conference organizers approach this, but there is no point in having a speaker at the microphone speaking English if no one can understand what they are saying. The fact is, there are many excellent agricultural researchers and experts, who don’t have English as their first language. I am sure they are top-notch in their field but they have such heavy accents that it can be difficult if not impossible to understand. Perhaps in a one-on-one conversation not so bad, but throw in a tinny or muffled sound system and forget it. I went through this at two recent conferences. I attended one session at an Edmonton conference that was an interesting agenda topic on a newer, less familiar area of science. So at the outset I was hoping the speaker would use small words so I could understand. I don’t doubt the ability or the knowledge of the speaker, but right from “hello” I knew I was in trouble. The speaker had a very heavy FrenchCanadian accent. Even though they referred to a PowerPoint presentation during their talk it was extremely difficult to follow. I was sitting in the front

row, so it was optimum for hearing, but I really struggled to understand. I saw a few people leave early and maybe they just needed to be somewhere, but I suspect it was because they couldn’t understand the speaker. And at another event in Calgary it was a double whammy. First, the speaker couldn’t be there in person because of weather problems in the U.S., so they had the speaker linked into the conference on a Skype-type call. This is where the speaker is connected to the conference over the internet. They can sit in front of their office computer camera — in this case in Iowa — and give their presentation, which is projected on a screen in Calgary. Visually it was great. I could see the speaker and their PowerPoint presentation on the screen, but I barely understood a word he said. I believe he had a bit of European accent. Again, in a one-on-one conversation I probably would have been fine, but the combination of the accent and limited sound system associated with a Skype call was deadly. To me it was like he was yelling a foreign language through a culvert. And it wasn’t just me. The presentation started and a pall fell over the room — I am sure everyone was thinking, “I can’t understand a word this guy is saying.” That hour presented an

opportunity for people to get caught up with emails on their cell phones. And it isn’t always about a language barrier. At another conference last fall, the speaker had a bit of a lighter voice, and then they spoke so fast it was really difficult to follow — whoa slow down, you’ve got 20 minutes you don’t have to wrap this up in 10. It is an important problem conference organizers need to address. And I don’t want to sound racist. I don’t care if the speaker is from New Delhi, or Prague, or Dublin, or Boston, or Dallas, or Winnipeg, or St. John’s Newfoundland — conference goers are spending time and money to be at these events. It is pretty basic they be able to understand the speaker without exceptional effort. I am not sure how conference organizers can screen for “understandability.” One saving grace, back in the day, you went to a conference and were handed a proceedings which included a pretty detailed report on each speaker’s presentation. Some conferences still provide proceedings but most are light in content. Serving decent coffee, a nice lunch with a great dessert table helps mitigate a few organizational shortcomings, but even apple pie can’t fix everything. † Lee Hart is a field editor with Grainews based in Calgary. Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

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MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Columns Crop production

Benefit from boards Serving on a board can bring personal gains By Lisa Guenther

his spring marks the end of my term as president of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation, and the end of my time on that board. The federation counts ag journalists and communications professionals among its ranks. The Federation offers several interesting professional development opportunities to members. It also has an annual awards program and financial support for members to attend relevant conferences and events. When you’re considering seeking a nomination to a board, you might be weighing the required commitment against what you can realistically contribute. But it’s also worth thinking about what you’ll personally gain from being on a board or council I’m not talking about a chance to favour your friends with contracts, or harass your hated neighbour through bylaws. Don’t do those things. Nepotism sucks. I’m talking about the knowledge and experience you can gain from being on a board, especially a high-functioning one.

a sense that how people treat each other is important. That culture allows people to disagree, or perhaps play devil’s advocate, without it becoming a personal attack. How we treat people is important for many reasons. But when I think back to that dysfunctional board I was asked to join, I wonder if they realized they were likely making terrible decisions because they couldn’t get along. Every board is going to face tough decisions. The best decision isn’t always going to be immediately obvious, and will require discussion. If you don’t trust your fellow board members, or you’re worried you’re going

to get screamed at for disagreeing, you might not bring up an important point. Respect and trust are vital to that process. How to run better meetings, the importance of every board member, how to discuss issues, how to think through the outcomes of a decision… none of this seems like rocket science. It borders on common sense. Yet it’s something we have to learn. I learned a good deal from my fellow board members at the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation, and for that I thank them. †

COMBINES IN ACTION John Chomiak of Chomiak Charolais sent in this photo, taken on October 1, 2015. This is an 860 1985 Massey Ferguson combine on a field of barley with 30 foot swaths. The yield was 105 bushels per acre. † Leeann Minogue

Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

photo: john chomiak

Reporter’s Notebook

What I learned The Farm Writers’ board was always well-prepared for meetings, and our Secretariat, which includes Hugh Maynard and Christina Franc, deserve a heap of credit in that regard. Lining up the ducks beforehand makes for a smoother meeting. Hugh has been the secretary-treasurer for several years. That experience and knowledge is a huge asset to the board, and to the organization. I inherited the presidency from Tamara Leigh, a communications professional from British Columbia. Tamara has a real talent for listening, and for making sure that everyone has a chance to be heard in a meeting. That’s important because everyone at any given meeting had something to contribute. It’s good to have robust discussions, to consider all the angles, to avoid group think. I think that’s something our board managed to do quite consistently. Of course, a robust discussion doesn’t mean a screaming match. Many years ago, I was invited to seek a position on a volunteer board that shall remain unnamed. I went to one meeting. During that meeting, one board member literally stood over the executive director, yelling at her and pointing his finger in her face. It was a heated meeting, to say the least. At the end, that same board member shook my hand and said something like, “Look forward to sparring with you.” “Nope,” I thought. I didn’t join. I’m not sure where boards like that start to go wrong. But I think with strong boards, there’s

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Columns BCS10421660_RaxilPROShield_Above_105.indd Can’t take the farm from the boy

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Grainews

Best the best results are only as good as the plans you implement to deal with them -Toban Dyck

omplete tasks as you think of them. I can’t stress this enough. You see, there’s this rock. It’s big. And it’s sitting along the western edge of the pastureland I broke last fall. I nicked it with the Wishek disc I rented in October to mince the sod. I should have dealt with it then. The backhoe was just there, digging out what the landowner and I thought were all the rocks that could possible interfere with tillage. It would have been a simple text to get the operator back to deal with it. Instead, this rock plagues me. I can’t deal with it now. Snow and frost are making sure of that. It’ll have to wait until spring. I went over the land twice with the disc, and I left it looking more like cropland than pasture. But, judged as cropland, it was rough when I put it to bed. It’s one thing to till pastureland, but it’s another thing

We moved the farm in entirely to have the results Cyan, of Magenta, Yellow, toBlack the soil tests you commissioned August, 2012. It’s been a steep waiting for you in your inbox, learning curve since then, and and in that brown package on now, with my own land to tend, your coffee table, and in the the lessons still have to do with the mechanics of actually getflash drive KR Crop Check sent. As if knowing I would avoid ting out there and farming, but the information, they sent it in with the added layer of soil every available medium. They science, soil health, and underwere right. I resisted opening that standing what conditions spepackage, email, folder, for a long cific plants need to reach their time, fearing that the money I full potential. It’s at this stage I had already spent on prepping the get nervous. This is the real stuff land in fall would be peanuts com- of agriculture. The advisor said that a soil pared to the amount of inputs the test is only as good as the plan soil would require to grow a crop. The crop advisor I dealt with behind it, so we came up with a on this project used satellite plan that began with considerimagery and provincial soil maps ing the land’s agricultural histo provide a brief, unofficial tory, then went on to included summary of the land, highlight- analysis of the soil taken from ing heavy texture areas, vari- various, geo-tagged locations in ous soil classes, clay loom areas, the various zones highlighted in areas requiring drainage work summary, so the company can and some sandy loom areas. take samples from the same locaIt was a place to start. For the tion in subsequent years. company, it provided a guide for Money is a factor. Rent, seed, the different areas they would tillage, and backhoe fees on land need to pull tests from in order that has yet to produce anything to understand the soil and its for me have tampered with my nutrient needs over the entire 120 budget. That’s to be expected, acres. The summary also provided and I’m not looking for a shoulme with a list of terms to research. der. Some good news would be nice, though. That’s how we learn, right?

---

-I opened the PDF, passed -it among smarter farmers than myself, and waiting for their responses. “Wow. This is much better than I expected,” said one. Others had similar responses. After sitting as pastureland for more than two decades, on the 40-acre field, 10 pounds per acre of broadcasted sulphur is recommended to reach a soybean yield goal of 50 bushels per acres. And on the 80-acre patch, 58 lbs. of potassium/acre, broadcast, is recommended to reach the yield goal. The results were comprehensive. It was an impressive snapshot of the land I will be farming. Salinity was a fear going into this. While working the land, large areas of newly turned up soil were covered in white spots. We took that to be salt deposits, hoping of course it wasn’t, but unable to imagine what else it could be. It’s calcium, it turns out. I also spoke with the crop advisor about the other 110 acres I rent, asking him specifically if it could go without fertilizer for one year. I’m guessing

he’d hesitate to go on record as saying yes, and he didn’t say a definitive yes. But he did provide me with interesting historical information about the nutrient store land in that area likely has. Pick an analogy — tank of gas or glass of water. Fall or spring fertilization is routine for many farmers. If you want to grow that, this is what you do, always and forever. Did you know that in many cases, your soil will have plenty of what’s needed to grow the crops you want to grow? Not always. We can all think of contrasting examples, but in some cases, the things we put into the ground every year is merely topping up a nearly full tank or glass. The rock continues to taunt me. I should have dealt with it months ago, and I should have looked at the soil results immediately. The soil looks good, there was nothing to fear there, and I’m telling myself the rock won’t be a boulder and it won’t be a big deal to dig out. † Toban Dyck is a freelance writer and a new farmer on an old farm. Follow him on Twitter @tobandyck or email tobandyck@ gmail.com.

MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Columns Understanding market bulls and bears

Think twice before expanding Bigger or better? Sometimes it makes more sense to stay the size you are Brian wittal

ttending or speaking at conferences, meetings and seminars over the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to have numerous discussions with producers on a multitude of topics. Most of the discussions centered around what is going to happen in grain markets, what should they seed and when should they price their grain. As a market analyst and advisor in this current world of uncertainty I tried my best to be as vague as possible with my answers! There are too many variables to consider before answering without more in depth discussion around their specific farm operations and we were only on a 15 minute break. Another conversation I had was about renting more farmland and how much they should they pay. I asked for more details about their farm,

and why they think taking on more land makes sense. What I wanted to know what: are they looking to grow the farm because they have the extra horsepower to take on additional acres? How old is their current equipment and how much life is left in it? Do they have the help to take on the additional acres or are they taking it on themselves? Are they looking to expand the farm because a family member wants to farm full time and they need more acres to be viable? Is the rental land close to their other land? Might there be a chance to purchase the land in the future or is it strictly a rental scenario?

Renting two more quarters? One fellow was farming 1,500 acres and was considering taking on two quarters of land across the fence from his farm. He wanted to be more viable and felt he could do the work himself with the equip-

ment he had. His line of equipment was getting a little long in the tooth but in good shape, so he felt he could get another two or three years out of it. His family is young — his oldest son is 12. It sounded like he had thought this out pretty well so I decided to approach the situation from a different perspective. With him being the primary operator, taking on more land means more hours on the seat of a tractor, sprayer, truck or combine. I asked him if he would benefit more by spending that time tweaking management practices, fertility program or spraying regime on his current land to improve yields and overall profitability. This would also save him from adding extra hours of work and wear on his older equipment. This farmer was the first to admit he could do better on some of those aspects on his existing acres so we talked about what per acre profit he hoped to make on this rented B:11.5” land, based on an average year on his existing T:11” farm. Could he make theS:10.25” same amount of

profit or more on his existing acres by tweaking his current management practices? He thought about that for a little bit and said that he would have to do some math to see which way would make for the best potential increase in return for his farm. We parted ways as the seminar was about to continue again. At lunch he sat at the table with me and told me he had been doing some quick math during the last two hours at the seminar and came to the conclusion that if he were to focus on improving his production practices he would get a better return for his time and money, plus extend the life of his equipment by not running it over an extra 320 acres every year. With better management practices he could look at changing out his equipment over the next few years and ramp up his horsepower with the future objective of taking on more land if it comes available at a later date. In another three years his son would be 15, and able to help more on the farm, giving

them the manpower to take on more land. We hadn’t really discussed the cost of the rent for the land so when he mentioned the high rental price of the land he was considering, he admitted he was afraid that paying that kind of a price for rent would put him in a tough spot. There wouldn’t be much room for error and he could end up losing money on the rented land instead of making money. Now, he feels that if he can improve his management practices first over the next three or four years. In the future, when he looks to rent or buy land he has a better chance of being able to be profitable because he focused on the right things first. I once heard a conference speaker say that it’s more profitable to get better at what you are doing before getting bigger at what you are doing! Then, as you grow your success will be exponential! † 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).

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Columns Soils and crops

Trying tile drainage on your farm There’s information out there. Do your homework before starting tile drainage les henry

am not an engineer and will not give recipes for pipe size, spacing or equipment. Rather, I’ll look at the principles and steps a farmer should take before investing big bucks in tiles. Tile drainage is not a new technology. Many of the better soils of the world are on flat, low lying, high organic matter land that is subject to excess water from time to time. The Mecca of soil science, Broadbalk Field (continuous wheat since 1840) at Rothamsted Research in the U.K., was tile drained early in the plot history. Clay tiles were dug in by hand — that is how “tiling spade” was named. Much of the farmland in the Great Lakes basin of Ontario is not considered valuable crop land until it is tile drained. In the U.S. Midwest, tiles have been in place since the 1860s. As needed the original clay tiles are replaced and plastic pipe has been used since the 1950s. My first experience with tile drains had nothing to do with

farming. In 1961 I was a pipe layer for a contractor installing sewer systems in Cupar, Sask. Our tiles were running water by the time we got a few blocks. They move groundwater as well as sewage. In towns with saline soils the lagoons can be very salty. Across the world, most tile drains are used for water table control, usually at depths of about four feet. Spacing depends on soil texture: sandy lands 75 feet or more, clay loam soils 50 feet or less. In many cases in rolling land in Saskatchewan I think the targeted design would fit the bill. Often, it is not so much the acres involved as the inefficiency those few problem acres cause with big farming equipment. A recent project at Melfort, Sask., was completed as a parallel system and is functioning well. In hindsight, it was my idea that the same amount of pipe installed on a targeted basis would have reclaimed more acres for the same money.

watch the costs Much of the cost is in the tile drain pipe itself. Now it is all imported from the U.S. we’ll face the impact of the U.S. dollar. There’s no need for me to

tell farmers what that means in terms of price. Back in the 1980s I recall touring a drain pipe manufacture plant in southern Alberta (Taber?) using recycled plastic. The plant is no longer there. I think there could well be a business opportunity here. If my facts are wrong, I am sure a reader will let us know.

Saline Soil Reclamation Tile drainage is only one part of the equation for saline soil reclamation. The other part is leaching, which in many areas means irrigation. (See my column in the February 2, 2016 issue of Grainews for more detail on that topic.) Drainage and leaching is the only reclamation for salty ground. In the 1970s, soil salinity was raging, as it is now, farmers were making money and much money was wasted putting expensive tile in the ground that never ran any water and never reclaimed anything. Let us not repeat that mistake. In the 1970s and ’80s there were only a few drain tile contractors, some using trenchers, but many using laser controlled

This graphic, from a University of Minnesota Extension Bulletin, shows some common designs for tile drainage.

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Columns drain plows with D8 Cat tractors. Today there are very simple (but expensive) drain plows that can have depth control using technology that many smart young farmers can easily handle. And, the huge four wheel drive tractors are already on many farms. I am convinced that many will pick the right drain plan and make it work on their farm.

First things first Before tiling be sure to check out the wealth of information available with a mouse click. Both

Manitoba and Minnesota Ag websites have a lot of info. Detailed land elevation contours are needed and many farms already have that from GPS equipment they are already using. What is not as high tech, but just as important, is knowing where the water table is and how it fluctuates over time. Shallow observation wells (about 10 feet deep) can be simply and cheaply installed by anyone. I can do it, so anyone can. See my column in the October 20, 2015 issue of Grainews for instructions. The real game stopper can

be not so much getting rid of the water, but where that water is going and who or what is going to be negatively impacted. Permits are required in most places so do be careful and think of others before barging ahead. † 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. Simply send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres, Saskatoon, Sask., S7H 3H7, and he will T:10.25” dispatch a signed book.

WATCH THE VIDEO

recently ran into Franck Groeneweg, a farmer from Edgeley, Sask. (northeast of Regina), and a board member of the Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association (www.saskfsa.ca). He quizzed me about soil salinity. We exchanged emails and I sent him a bit of information about crops and coping with salinity. Then he sent me the following YouTube link: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=cSRgPmGSTTw Check it out. I found it fascinating. Still not sure why that MFWD tractor did not sink out of sight. As is often the case, when farmers come to me for information I walk away the winner and get more than I give. a†

Les Henry

T:11.375”

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Columns Agronomy management

Managing mustard on the Prairies In Part 1 of a 4-Part series on growing mustard, Ross McKenzie looks at basic agronomy Ross McKenzie

ustard is one of my favourite crops to grow on dry land in the drier regions of the Prairies. It is a great oilseed crop to include in a diverse crop rotation, which helps to disrupt pest cycles, increase moisture use efficiency and increase farm income. Canada is a world leader in condiment mustard seed production and accounts for 70 to 80 per cent of global exports, annually. The largest markets for Canadian mustard seed is the United States, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and Japan.

Mustard types The three types of mustard commonly grown in Western Canada are: 1. Yellow mustard (Sinapis alba): grown for the North American food processing and condiment industry. Yellow mustard is used as a binding agent and protein extender in prepared meats. It is also used for hot dog mustard, mayonnaise and salad dressings. 2. Brown mustard (Brssica juncea): grown for European markets for condiment specialty mustards such as Dijon mustard. 3. Oriental mustard (Brassica juncea): grown for the Japanese market and for condiment use. It is also used as spicy cooking oil in some Asian markets. All of these types of mustard are broad-leaved, yellow-flowered, annual, cool-season crop that requires a relatively short growing season. Typically, yellow mustard needs about 1,520 to 1,625 growing degree days (GDD), calculated with a base of 0 C, to reach full maturity for harvest. Brown and oriental mustards need about 1,540 and 1,610 GDD to reach full maturity, respectively. Mustard seedlings are relatively more tolerant to late spring frosts than canola. Mustard is generally considered to be more tolerant to drought and heat than canola and is well suited to production in the drier brown and dark brown soil zones of Western Canada. To optimize production, mustard growers must plant the newest varieties with a careful focus on agronomic practices including crop rotations, seeding dates, seeding rates, fertilizer management and pest management to ensure seed production will meet industry quality standards.

Varieties and rotations Mustard growers must consider marketing and contracting factors when selecting the mustard type and variety to be grown. Growers should select the variety to be grown based on yield potential and the agronomic characteristics most suitable for their agro-ecological area. The Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission lists

mustard types and varieties in its Mustard Growers Manual. The first step to optimize mustard production is field selection based on previous crop and residue conditions. Using diverse crop rotations that include three or four different crops is generally the most desirable. Previous crops will affect residue conditions in fields, soil moisture conditions and weed and disease pressure. Ideally, mustard should follow a cereal crop. A break of several years between canola and mustard is needed to minimize volunteers that would contaminate seed and lower grade. Generally, mustard is not subject to the same level of insect or disease pressures as canola. Mustard should not follow pulse or oilseed crops. Under good production conditions, mustard is susceptible to the disease sclerotinia, which also affects most pulse and oilseed crops. To minimize sclerotinia problems, growers should interrupt the frequency of susceptible crops with cereal crops in the rotation with mustard. Fortunately, sclerotinia is usually not a serious problem in dryland mustard production areas. Mustard yields are greatly influenced by water availability. A study we conducted with yellow mustard at 20 sites in southern Alberta (brown and dark brown soil zones), found the average water use efficiency (the amount of grain produced per inch of water) averaged over 180 pounds/ acre/inch above a minimum of 3.6 inches of water.

uniform seedbed moisture and crop emergence. Poorly spread residue can result in patchy mustard emergence as a result of variable seed bed soil moisture and soil temperatures in high versus low residue areas. Emergence problems are always greater in heavy trash areas. Our mustard research in southern Alberta generally showed that earlier seeding in spring resulted in a strong yield advantage due to capitalizing on early spring moisture, greater potential to capture more sunlight energy and often slightly cooler temperatures during flowering before the hottest part of the summer. Therefore, moisture use is optimized and temperature stress is minimized, resulting in higher mustard yields. The highest yields of mustard are generally produced from rows spaced six to nine inches apart. Weed growth tends to be more abundant in rows spaced more

than nine inches apart than in narrower rows. When mustard is swathed, stubble to support the swath can be a problem as row width is increased. Seed openers that do not place the seed in rows, but scatter the seed in a two-, threeor four-inch wide band usually have good yield potential and have the advantage that higher safe amounts of fertilizer can be seed-placed, provided there is good on-row packing.

Seeding depth and rate Mustard seed is very small and must be seeded shallow at 0.5 to 1.0 inch into firm, moist soil. If surface soil conditions are dry, seeding depth could be increased to 2.0 inches, but this approach will reduce crop emergence and plant stand. Yellow mustard seed is larger than the other mustard types with approximately 100,000 seeds per

Mustard establishment Direct seeding mustard into standing stubble in early spring is ideal. Standing stubble helps to reduce wind velocity and reduce moisture loss from the seedbed. Uniform residue will help ensure

Growing degree days Agronomists use a formula to calculate Growing Degree Days (GDD). The GDD for each day is calculated, then the results for each day over the growing season are added together. For each day, the formula is: (Maximum Temperature + Minimum Temperature)/2 less the Base Temperature. If the answer is negative, count it as zero. Generally, for cereals use a base temperature of 0 C; for canola use a base temperature of 5 C. For mustard, the base temperature is 0 C. So, for example, if the maximum temperature on a July day is 28 C and the minimum temperature is 15 C, the GDD formula for that day is (29 + 15)/2 less 0. The GDD for the day is 22. †

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pound and is normally seeded at a rate of approximately eight to 10 lbs./acre. Brown and oriental mustards have approximately 200,000 seeds/lb and are normally seeded at a rate of five to seven lbs.a/ acre. Due to a larger seed size, yellow mustard has a slightly higher emergence percentage than the other types. Seeding at higher rates should be used with soils that tend to crust, land that has emergence concerns or on productive soils with a higher yield potential. Ideally, seeding mustard at a higher rate results in a denser crop stand, which is more competitive with weeds, assists with cultural weed control and ultimately, increase potential yield. In the next three issues of Grainews, I will discuss muster fertilizer and pest management. † Ross H. McKenzie, PhD, P. Ag., is a former agronomy research scientist. He conducted soil, crop and irrigation research with Alberta Agriculture for 38 years. He has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Lethbridge since 1993.

MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Columns Guarding wealth

Learn to read the market signs Two distinct schools of stock market price prediction are taken on faith By Andrew Allentuck

t is said that the future is written in the past. For investors, that means looking backward to see where the future lies. On the one hand, it seems silly. After all, if you are driving down the road, looking backward is downright hazardous. But if you are an investor, you have to look to the past to see what you may buy or sell. Any other technique is sheer gambling. There are several ways to read the past. Some investors like to examine the income a company may earn. That means looking at sales, costs of production, profit margins, competitors’ products, industry trends, ratios of price to earnings, price to sales, etc. This is the fundamental analysis most often practiced by investment analysts. It gets a lot of respect. Another form of fundamental analysis ignores sales and

costs and instead looks at the balance sheet of a company to determine its present worth. The basic measure is share price to book value with variations that include price to various measures of assets and debt to equity ratios. Ben Graham, the founder of fundamental analysis and the teacher of famed investor Warren Buffet, focused on balance sheet analysis to show what an investor would get for his or her money. An alternative school of investing is so-called technical analysis. Its practitioners claim that everything that is known about a stock or bond is already contained in the stock price. They plot daily prices and look for patterns such as “head and shoulders” to identify trends. Academic analysis of technical analysis has found that it gives useful trading signals. However trading costs wipe out the small advantage, studies show.

The problem in each of these three schools of investment analysis is to identify the right measurement period. Where you set the start and stop markers predetermines much of the gain or loss. In fundamental analysis, analysts tend to look at quarters of a year and years. In technical analysis, analysts use daily price moves to find trend lines. A daily plot that rises over a longerterm average is seen as a buy signal. If the plot goes below the moving average, it’s sell signal. Persistence of trend is supposed to rule out randomness. The problem with each school is to find the true trend. Let me illustrate the point. If one studies stock prices minute by minute, statistical noise obscures direction. Hourly data has the same problem. Just as a matter of interest, many investors like to look at daily moves. It means little. Weekly and monthly and quarterly data is also interest-

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ing. It means more. The longer the period, the smoother the data becomes. If you use a moving average such as 52 weeks to that each successive week you divide share price by the price average of the preceding 52 weeks (the sum of 52 average weekly prices divided by 52) to smooth out the wobbles, noise and clutter disappear and the trend becomes evident. If you carry the smoothing process out to 10 years, 520 weeks, or 20 years, 1,040 weeks, all that is left is a straight, upward sloping line. A price above or below the line will be sucked into the trend or, if an outlier, ignored. History takes over and shortterm trading signals from fundamental or technical analysis no longer matter.

Long-run returns Using long run returns, Wharton School of Finance Professor Jeremy Siegel has shown in his book, Stocks for the Long Run (McGraw-Hill; 5th ed.; 2014), that in the period 1926 to 2012, U.S. stocks had a 6.4 per cent average annual return after inflation. In the same period, bonds had an average annual real return after inflation of 2.6 per cent. In periods shorter than these 86 years, returns deviated from the long run average. In the period 2000 to 2012, starting from before the dot com bubble broke to a time during the recovery from the 2008 recession, stocks had a real return of just 0.3 per cent and bonds of an astounding 6.5 per cent. If we move to still shorter periods, there will be more deviation from long run values. It comes down to trying to beat the averages and that takes more than an MBA. The largest gains and losses happen when investors are unprepared for an event or a change of trend. Very few people predicted the 2008 crisis driven by a meltdown of the U.S. subprime mortgage market. Almost no one would have predicted the extraordinary and unprecedented period of bond price gains that started in 1983 and is still running. There has not been such a bond bull market since the end of the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. It follows that looking backBy jonny hawkins

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ward at lines traced by wobbly stock or bond prices or trying to divine from income statements what the future will bring is not enough to predict the future. Sure, some trends do emerge when you see a stock’s price line swan diving toward zero or, the reverse case, a stock price rocketing upward without any apparent limit. The investor who wants to avoid risk will not jump onto a stock that seems near death at a zero value. It could deserve to die Nor will the risk-avoiding investor buy into stocks trading on momentum on the theory that what goes up continues to go up. If it did, the company would own the world one day. Yet there are exceptions such as Apple Inc., the most valuable company in the S&P 500 Composite. And a few companies periodically have near death experiences and then recover, especially in mining. Teck Resources Inc. was at $50 in 2011 and is trading near $5 today. Beaten is not dead and this coal and copper miner will probably rise again. But it’s risky and owning it is no way to get a good night’s sleep. It comes down to a problem of observing volatility and then having the fortitude to do nothing. French geophysicist Didier Sornette, whose book, Why Stock Markets Crash (Princeton University Press, 2004) made major contributions to understanding investment trends, points out that huge selloffs in stocks that should happen once in a hundred thousand years if they are viewed merely as statistical probabilities actually happen a few times a decade. Major market corrections occurred Oct. 19, 1987 when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 22.6 per cent in a day. Other big corrections happened in 1991 when interest rates spiked, 1998 when hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management failed threatening to wipe out a few investment banks, 2000 when the dot com mania collapsed, 2001 when the twin towers were destroyed, and 2008 in the subprime mortgage meltdown. The words “stock” and “crisis” are almost inseparable. What to do? Spread your money into many asset classes from stocks to bonds, domestic urban real estate, farmland, foreign stocks and foreign real estate. There are low fee exchange traded funds for every strategy and every market. Do not chase winners. If anything, short-term data show that this year’s losers are often next year’s winners and vice versa. It’s not that industries’ prospects change so drastically year to year, it’s rather that winners get overpriced and crash while losers appear to be bargains and get bought up. It does not always work, but for an investor, the right balance of faith in the long run and cynicism for the short run is the basis for survival and profit in capital markets. † Andrew Allentuck’s latest book, When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Life After Work, was published in 2011 by Penguin Canada.

2015-12-18 3:19 PM

/ grainews.ca MARCH 1, 2016

Columns Off-farm income

Make more money with stocks In this installment, Andy Sirski explains the final legs of his five-legged stool ANDY SIRSKI

n Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I explained the five parts of the five-legged stool for a stable financial life: 1. Your main leg; 2. Insurance; 3. A second skill; 4. An RESP and an RRSP; and, 5. Making money with stocks. In Part 2 I suggested that most farm families should set up a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for children before they pay into an RRSP or a TFSA for themselves. Most farm children will leave home for university or

a trade school and that can cost a lot of money. That can be OK if cattle prices and grain prices are up, but if the long distance education happens at the same time cattle prices are down, the extra $10,000 or $15,000 cost per kid per year can set a farm back financially. Generally, RESP contributions are not tax-deductible, but a farm family can make some or maybe all the contributions deductible. Here’s how. At a fairly early age, start to pay the children wages. Maybe only $1,000 or $2,000 a year to start, but wages can increase as the children get older. Wages must be for actual farm work. The wages are totally deductible as a farm expense and a child can

earn up to about $11,300 per year and pay no tax on the money. The wages should be deposited in the child’s own bank account. Some can be taken out to contribute to the RESP to qualify for the government’s top up. By the way, grandparents can pay into an RESP as well as parents and children. The program does not care who put the money into the plan. RRSP contributions can be carried forward so if you don’t start paying into one until you are 40 years of age or so, you can catch up.

Make money with stocks Some investors have lost, but over time the stock market has made many investors wealthy. So,

what was the difference between winners and losers? First an investor has to decide if he or she plans to be an active investor or a long term buy and hold investor. Investors also need to decide whether to have someone manage the money or learn to manage it by him or herself. Buy and hold investors should track down the 25 or 30 stocks that have paid dividends for 30, 40 or more years and most have raised the dividend year after year. These stocks are called “aristocrats.” The list includes stocks like Chevron, DuPont, John Deere, Caterpillar, Johnson & Johnson and many others. Newcomers to the list include Disney, Microsoft, Apple and Google.

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These aristocrats have had management that is friendly to shareholders, conservative with borrowing and intent on raising shareholder value year after year. These stocks might not run up as fast as some recent bloomers but then they don’t drop as much during bear markets. They have been around for decades and likely to be around 10 and 20 years from now. They grow value for shareholders with a combination of predictable dividends and conservative growth year after year. Normally they have pricing power and very good business sense. If their business model becomes outdated, most of these aristocrats will rebuild their business model to have a new business model for the coming years. IBM and Microsoft are examples of companies that have rebuilt their business models. I have fine-tuned my investment strategy to set up my personal Reinvestment Plan. When I receive small amounts of money from quarterly dividends, I reinvest the money and keep it working for me. Over the years I have known investors who have used this reinvestment strategy for 20 or 30 years.

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I also sell calls on stock. As I get better and better at selecting the right stocks for this strategy, I often collect one per cent per week. When I have enough cash I buy more shares. When you add in the money from dividends, it adds up. Over time I buy more shares and sell calls on more and more shares. I outlined this strategy to a few hundred farmers a few years ago. I used Microsoft as my example. At that time, shares were $US27. I owned 3,000 shares for $51,000. When the Canadian dollar started rising, I sold out. Four years later, than strategy would have had me owing about 2,900 shares. The shares are $50 or more — that s $27,000 is worth around $145,000. When I overlay the falling Canadian dollar, they would have been worth around $175,000. If you want to chat more on this strategy call me at 1-204453-4489 or send an email to sirski@mymts.net. † Andy is mostly retired. He travels a bit with his wife, plays with his grandchildren, has small tax business and manages his family’s investments. Andy also publishes an electronic newsletter called StocksTalk and if you want to read it free for a month send and email to sirski@mymts.net.

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MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Manitoba Ag Days

UTV sprayers for spot applications With these small-scale systems, producers can target specific areas from a UTV

oday’s high-clearance farm sprayers come equipped with boom widths of 100 feet or more, which makes getting them into sharp corners or tight places pretty difficult. And with some precision ag data collection systems now able to pinpoint small problem weed areas in a field, spraying them with very wide booms may mean wasting product. Greg Setter, owner of Setter Manufacturing, thinks his company has the answer to those problems with its UTV (side-by-side) mounted small-scale sprayer system. Although with options of up to 26 or 30 feet of single-pass coverage, small may not be exactly the right definition. These systems offer reasonable coverage widths along with the speed and maneuverability of UTVs. “We’ve always had some type of sprayers for ATVs and side-by-sides,” said Setter, while standing beside a UTV-mounted system at his company’s display during Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. “But this is the first year we’re really looking seriously to give the consumer that owns a side-by-side an advantage and to be able to do more with it. “Today we’re showing two different styles, and both of them have the capability to spray 30 feet, just with boom-less nozzles, or with controlled nozzles on a 26 foot boom. We’ll be introducing a 30 foot boom next year. “With a side-by-side you could do grasshopper control along the edge of your field, before they get into your field. A unit like this can do nice touch up, keeping those corners clean. If you see a noxious weed coming into your field you can control it with this so it doesn’t spread to all of your fields.” Outfitting a UTV with a sprayer system doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank, especially if you opt for a basic, manual system. “We can start at $2,400 for a manual system,” added Setter. “Or we could take it up to $4,000. That would still be manual but we would have a controlled boom on it. With electric controls around $6,000. Adding in an auto rate controller would take it around the $8,000 to $9,000 range. The company also offers UTV-mounted systems with a pretty high level of sophistication, which can rival anything on a typical, high-end self-propelled sprayer. “We could add in GPS for auto guidance and sectional control and we’re in the range of $18,000 to $19,000,” he continues. “If we want to go chemical injection, auto steer, pinpoint accuracy, meaning the nozzles would increase and decrease, like Hawkeye, on the boom, we could get it up around as high as $42,000. “It (can be) computerized to the extent we can go,” he continued. “For environmental and tracking reasons we’re moving on in the industry. It allows every farmer to be accountable. If farmers already own a UTV, adding a sprayer system to it will extend its usefulness, and it doesn’t necessarily mean making a large investment.” If you don’t already own a UTV but want to get one to take advantage of their potential as spot sprayers, Setter said you don’t need anything too high end. Most “workhorse” style models will be able to handle a Setter system. “You need something that’s going to be able to handle a minimum of 60 gallons,” he said. “So that’s 600 pounds of water alone plus the weight of the unit, which wouldn’t be more than 250 pounds. Most of them will do that. The deciding factor is, ‘what do you like?’ The (sprayer) units are all driven with Honda motors on centrifugal, plastic pumps.” However, if you want to be sure you or your operator stays well protected from any spray mist, selecting a model with a cab on it that could be equipped with a carbon filter would be an advantage. Setter products are sold through a dealer network, but the company will deal directly with a customer to design a system that meets their needs. They can then purchase it locally from a dealer. For more information visit www.settermfg. com. †

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott. Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photos: scott garvey and greg berg

By Scott Garvey

1. Setter Manufacturing of Russell, Manitoba, offers a line of sprayer systems designed to work on a typical UTV. 2. The company expects to release a 30 foot nozzle boom option for UTV systems next year. 3. Setter’s systems include a 60 gallon liquid tank and can be fitted with chemical injection set ups. 4. Sophisticated spray boom and overlap control along with auto guidance are available on highlyoptioned UTV-based systems. 5. 26 foot nozzle boom or 30 foot boom-less spray systems are available.

/ grainews.ca MARCH 1, 2016

Machinery & Shop

Manitoba Ag Days

New technology from SeedMaster Axis Tablet provides video implement monitoring and online access By Scott Garvey

photo: seedmaster

SeedMaster’s Windows-based, 8-inch Axis Tablet comes with five cameras to aid in implement control.

ith seeding equipment as large and complex as it is, using remote cameras to monitor critical systems has become one of the most efficient ways to ensure everything is functioning as it should. Waiting until a refill stop to find a problem could mean leaving a lot of unseeded strips. Reseeding them is a real headache. Until now SeedMaster has been offering buyers of its drills add-on camera packages from other manufacturers. But the company recently decided to introduce its own in-house system. According to Owen Kinch, SeedMaster’s research farm manager, the company wasn’t entirely satisfied with the quality of available camera systems. “We’ve been selling camera

systems for 10 years now, and we’ve never really been happy with what’s on the market,” he explains. “So about a year and a half ago, we set off on a mission to find something better. But we couldn’t, so we started from the ground up and developed our own system from scratch.” That led to the creation of the new SeedMaster Axis Tablet, which offers a camera system and a whole lot more. A complete Axis Tablet package, which retails for about $3,000, includes a Windows based 8-inch tablet, cabling, Ram mount, chargers, USB adapter and five wireless video cameras — although it’s capable of handling as many as eight. “It’s a mobile device that is going to compliment our in-cab air seeder controls,” Kinch adds. “It’s a tool for farmers, custom designed for us with the end

user in mind. It’s a Windows device, so you can transfer whatever types of files you want. You could run a PowerPoint presentation off this device if you want to.” The Axis won’t replace SeedMaster’s Raven-based drill controller. Instead, it’s meant to be a separate monitor, handling the view from those remote cameras as well as offering additional features. When linked to the internet via Raven Slingshot’s hot spot wi-fi capability (or any other device), users can take advantage of other Axis programs, which include requesting a direct link with the factory to aid in diagnosing problems. “From the office I can remote into the tablet and take control of the screen if a grower is having trouble,” Kinch says. “He can be videoing with the camera and I can be remoted-in watching it

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ast year during SeedMaster’s annual field day at the company research farm, staff announced they were working on increasing the compatibility of their drills with standard ISOBUS virtual terminals. That eliminates the need to have a second dedicated monitor in the cab. This year at the SeedMaster display at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon, Owen Kinch, research farm manager, said that work is continuing. “We’re really focusing on ISO for in-the-cab meter control,” he said. “We’re expanding on that offering this upcoming year. Raven has a new platform for us this upcoming year and it’s going to incorporate five-product control. We’re not going to be losing any of the feature set we’re selling. We’ll actually be adding in extra features.” “This coming year it’ll be

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100 per cent complete ISO with additional features that aren’t on the market today. We’ll be showing it at Farm Progress (in Regina in June).” In addition to that enhanced ISOBUS compatibility, the company will continue to expand the features on its Axis Tablet system, which will eventually allow operators to control some systems on seed carts. “For the next serial number year, beginning in September, guys are going to get the tablet as a standard feature when they buy a tank unit,” says Kinch. “It will include the Smart Fill feature, so the grower will be able to move the conveyor around with the tablet. And there’ll be additional features that aren’t on the conveyor today. We’ll be able to control the belt speed. It’ll control the lights and the kick out of the conveyor. And we’re working

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on a feature — it doesn’t have a name yet — that will start a sequence that moves the conveyor to a pre-fill position. It’ll definitely save him (the farmer) a bit of time. R&D staff are also developing software that will allow the Axis Tablet to control unloading gates on a grain truck when filling a SeedMaster cart. “The other things were working on is taking control of the truck gates,” he adds. “On a tandem or a trailer, opening and closing those gates based on the load of the conveyor. It will fill a tank to a predefined weight and shut off automatically. “When it comes to the tandem, we’re also controlling the tilt of the box. It will maintain the (grain) level just above the gate. If it senses a dangerous side angle, we’re going to lower it to help prevent tipping.” † Scott Garvey

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MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

and helping him troubleshoot at the same time. He’ll be showing video and talking and I’ll be listening as well in real time. Anything we can do to streamline and speed up that (technical) support is just as important for us.” The Axis screen offers the highest resolution of any commercially available camera system designed for the ag market, according to Kinch. “The one big difference is we’re able to display a high definition picture, 1280 x 720 lines of resolution. The picture quality is about two and a half times better than what else is

on the market today. Everything else is standard resolution, 720 x 480, at best. Right now we have an eight-inch screen. By Farm Progress Show or sooner we’re going to have a bigger, 10-inch version available.” The Axis tablet comes with a 32 gigabyte memory and additional eight gigabyte memory card, so there is ample memory capacity. It will come with an Internet link to all SeedMaster product manuals, giving producers technical information right in the field. Once seeding is finished, the Axis cameras and tablet can be transferred to any piece of farm equipment, which will allow

growers to get even more use out their investment. “It’s all very high-quality wiring with Deutsch connectors,” Kinch explains.” We supply all the harness necessary to run power from your tractor. But depending on the situation, guys can rob 12 volt power from anywhere. They use very little power. It’s about 0.4 amps per camera in infrared, maximum camera draw. For a five-camera system you’re looking at two amps of power draw. If they own a SeedMaster drill there’s a connection on the toolbar that’s made for it.” † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. T:10.25” Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photo: scott garvey

Machinery & Shop

SeedMaster carts will continue to have a mounted control panel, but the new Axis Tablet will allow for remote control of some tank systems in the upcoming model year.

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/ grainews.ca MARCH 1, 2016

Machinery & Shop

Manitoba Ag Days

How to build a robotic tractor By Scott Garvey

his past year Manitoba farmer Matthew Reimer announced he had successfully built his own robotic tractor to pull a grain cart at harvest time. Fully autonomous farm equipment is something the big equipment brands haven’t yet offered customers. But, the reality is they could. Only one small thing is holding them back: the risk of civil liability if something should go wrong. So for now, those who want their own robotic high-horsepower tractors will have to follow Reimer’s lead and create it themselves. In fact, it might be that early adoption and wide-spread use of field-working robotics on farms will have to begin at the grassroots level. So, Reimer has started his own small company, Reimer Robotics, to help other farmers develop and install their own robotic systems, charging $35,000 for the labour-intensive process of converting a tractor to robotic control. “I have started a company off of this that offers a service to install,” he told an audience during a presentation at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon in January. “But if you

want to build it yourself, I’m way more excited about that. If one person builds their own, I’m going to be thrilled.” And that may be easier than you think. To help, Reimer is willing to share his experience and allow people to build off his success. In fact Reimer’s success shows that with the current offering of open-source programming, a little self-directed online learning and the variety of components available on the market, producers could design and implement their own on-farm robotic systems, which is exactly how he did it. “My entire project is open source,” he said. “That’s how it started and that’s how it’s going to continue.” Open source means the technology is shared by its creators with anyone who wants to use it. “Open source, this is what farmers know a lot about,” Reimer said. “We just call it being a good neighbour.” The individual hardware components required to build an autonomous system are widely available and relatively inexpensive. The Pixhawk controller, available online for about U.S.$200, developed for remote control drones forms the basis of

Reimer’s system. The total cost of components built into Reimer’s system is only about $5,000. “This is what got me started,” he said, showing an image of it to the audience. “It’s called a Pixhawk and it’s the autopilot out of an RC drone. I stumbled across this thing, and I thought for a long time I should be able to make a tractor drive itself. If I can put this in my tractor, It maybe solves enough problems that I can figure out the rest. So that’s how I started.” But building the system required learning a few things about software programming. Reimer says a basic, free online course taught him to write enough of his own code to make the system work. “I decided I was going to take an online course. My brother went to MIT and he told me all their lectures and assignments were online for free (at ocw.mit.edu). Sure enough, I found an introductory course in the programming language I thought was going to be helpful. It was like a self-study thing. I learned what I needed to learn.” Although Reimer said getting the system to do what he wanted actually didn’t take much software code writing. “The total lines (of code) I’ve written: 600,” he explained.

photo: greg berg

A Manitoba farmer offers help to others who want to create an autonomous machine

Reimer’s driverless tractor pulls alongside a combine in the field. Currently, Reimer’s system has three fail-safe systems to stop the tractor in the event of a systems failure. If the radio in the tractor that connects it to the combine loses contact, the tractor immediately stops. There is a stop button on his controller app, and everyone working in the same field with the robot tractor carries a key fob transmitter that can immediately stop it. But even though his goal is to create machinery that can work without a driver, he believes having a human in the field to keep

an eye on things remains a critical component, calling the concept “supervised autonomy”. Reimer said he also expects to expand the kind of work his robotic tractor can do, focusing next on pulling a landroller over seeded soybean fields. “Start with what you can manage and keep building from there,” he said. For a video look at Reimer’s system go online to Grainews.ca and click on the videos link. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

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MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Agritechnica

Robotic weed control

he future of weed control could quite possibly be a convergence of cutting-edge robotics with good old-fashioned muscle. Deepfield Robotics may not be a common name in the field of agriculture, but the small startup company has under development an innovative solution for weed control. While the company itself has no more than a couple dozen employees, it is a start-up of the Robert Bosch Group, a company with more than 375,000 employees worldwide and more than $70 billion in sales. The company is a mix of developers, robotics specialists and agricultural engineers. And one of their first projects was on full display at Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany. It was making an impact, literally, on the possible future of precision weed control for agriculture. The company was showing off its mechanical weed killer. A series of rods are mounted on an agricultural robot platform. These individual rods can “punch” the soil at any given moment. Using a series of highly advanced sensors, the robot moves independently through the field. These special sensors then scan the plants below. Through a series of highly advanced programs, the robot can differentiate what is a weed (at even a very early growing stage) and what is the desirable plant. Weeds are quickly detected, and a rod moves in place to push the young plant into the ground. Sounds simple enough, but watching the machine in action, it was an endless series of “punches” where weeds were present… all automatic, all the time. The weeding robot is based on what Deepfield Robotics calls its BoniRob robotic platform. Four independently steerable drive wheels can adjust the trackwidth and make the machine highly maneuverable within the field. The BoniRob platform isn’t limited to the weeding device. Researchers expect this platform to provide additional environmental sensors that can provide producers a wealth of information. According to researchers, the unit can work continuously, is highly precise, and can identify weeds in early growth stages. The prototype on display at Agritechnica was 1.80 metres wide with a gasoline generator, electric differential drive and GPS. In essence, it could weed all day, all night, with minimal breaks. “We are leveraging our expertise in sensor technology, algorithms, and image recognition to make a contribution to improving quality of life, even in areas that are new for Bosch,” says Professor Amos Albert, a robotics expert and general manager of Deepfield Robotics. The robot, which is approximately the size of a compact car, uses video- and lidar-based positioning as well as satellite navigation to find its way around the fields. It knows

its position to the nearest centimetre. It also helps minimize the environmental impact of crop farming. According to the company, here are some specs of the prototype machine: • Enables herbicide-free farming; • Greater than 90 per cent efficiency; • Positioning accuracy of two millimetres; and, • It can “knock out” 20 weeds per second, cover one hectare in three hours (with a weed count of 40 weeds per square metre). While this machine may not be something that will be on larger crop farms anytime soon, the idea

of having a machine that can work alone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, covering fields and taking out weeds — without the use of traditional chemicals — is something to ponder. And like many companies working on new solutions, the platform on display isn’t going to end with a weeder. Researchers indicated that in development is a machine built on the BoniRob platform that would be able to selectively spray within a field, either in patch or single-plant treatment, in working widths of up to seven metres. The herbicide savings along, the researchers say, could be tremendous. † Mark Moore is a freelance ag writer based in Germany.

Top: This robot is designed to work fields on its own and mechanically kill weeds.

photo: mark moore

By Mark Moore

photo: deepfield

Deepfield Robotics is stamping out weeds, one at a time

Left: This mock up demonstrates how the robot can “punch” weeds and kill them without the use of herbicides.

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/ grainews.ca MARCH 1, 2016

Machinery & Shop

Machinery innovations

Ditch digging with a T-Rex On-farm machine development creates another option for dealing with drainage By Scott Garvey

photos: scott garvey

Left: The T-Rex rotary ditcher uses an eight-foot rotary cutter to quickly create drainage runs. Top: Heavy duty cutting teeth are protected by bolts that will fail first to prevent serious damage.

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nyone visiting machinery shows over the past year in Saskatchewan or Manitoba has probably noticed the T-Rex rotary ditcher on display. Niverville, Manitoba, farmer Grant Dyck created the T-Rex Ditcher to solve his own on-farm drainage and ditching needs, and last summer he began commercially producing them. “T-Rex stands for the terra excavator,” he said, when displaying a machine at last summer’s Ag in Motion farm show near Saskatoon. “We’ve got 10 years and 3,000 hours on the concept of an eightfoot rotary ditcher. The prototype actually had a self-contained motor. Essentially what took this to market is the parts are now readily available to have a driveline system on it.” So the availability of those heavy-duty components now allows Dyck’s commercial model to be driven by a tractor PTO instead of its own powerplant. Dyck says he has used the T-Rex to do drainage work for local municipalities as well as on his own farm and that has allowed him to prove the machine in a variety of jobs and conditions. Its main advantage is it gets the job done much faster than other equipment types.

No levelling work required “Depending on soil type, we’re doing anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 yards per hour,” he said. “We run this on our own farm and it will do three to four times what a scraper would do and nine to 10 what a backhoe would do. The range of cut is about six inches to a foot at three to five miles per hour, depending on conditions.” A T-Rex Ditcher has also made the rounds to a variety of prairie locations over the summer to demonstrate to farmers that it can even operate in relatively stoney ground. The driveline uses a slip clutch to prevent damage, and the teeth are protected by bolts that are designed to fail before allowing component damage if the T-Rex hits a very large rock. “It can throw 20 to 85 pound stones anywhere from 100 to 150 feet,” he added. “There’s a two dollar bolt and a three minute fix if it was to ever hit what we call a backhoe stone.” The T-Rex drive components are engineered to stand up to 500 horsepower, but Dyck says a tractor in the 300 to 400 horsepower range would be ideal to run it. Because the dirt is thrown over a wide distance, there is no levelling work required after creating a ditch, like there may be when using a backhoe. That, says Dyck, saves even more time. The T-Rex retails for about $57,500. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.t-rexditchers.com. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Cattleman’s Corner FENCING TIPS

Tips to prevent/fix a sagging gate Solid anchor post cemented in place is a good start

any of us have experienced the problem caused when a heavy gate begins to settle becoming hard to open or close. While there are number of reasons why, most can be remedied at the time of installation by taking a few preventative measures First, it is important to use an anchor post or pipe large enough to hold the gate. To hang a 14- to 16-foot gate ,use a wood post six to eight inches in diameter, or a six-inch diameter pipe. Steel pipe has the longest life expectancy, but don’t let that deter you if pipe is not readily available or you don’t have the necessary tools to work with pipe. Pressure-treated 6"x6" wood timbers, railroad ties, or butt-treated round wood are good alternatives. You can perform all of the necessary steps of installation with hand and battery-operated tools. Because of availability I use a lot of eight-inch diameter butttreated lodgepole pine, but I have the posts treated above the standard 30" in order that manure, wet soil and water do not contact the untreated wood above the treat line.

CONCRETE AT THE BASE One of the main factors in gatepost failure is frost. In moist soil, frost will push the post out of the ground, and as the post rises the weight of the gate begins to pull the post over. To combat this, install a concrete thrust block on the lower 10-12 inches of the post at a minimum depth of 30 inches. To do this, dig the diameter of the hole about 20 to 24 inches for an eight-inch post — approximately three times larger than the diameter of the post.

Before dropping the post into the hole, drive four eight-inch spikes into the post about four inches deep, about six inches from the butt, in opposing directions. If working with pipe, insert and weld short pieces of rebar or steel rod through the lower end of the pipe to achieve the same effect as previously described with wood. This will provide a good anchor in the concrete thrust block. Set the post in place in the hole and adjust for distance and alignment. Use a level to get the post plumb and temporarily secure it in place. Pour two 80-pound bags of fast-setting concrete into the hole evenly around the post. Gently tamp the dry mix around the post as you go. Pour one gallon of water on top of the mix. It is not necessary to mix fastsetting concrete for posts. Allow 20-30 minutes for the concrete to set up. Finish tamping the native soil material into the hole up to ground level. If the native material is wet or overly sandy, it may be necessary to add dry dirt with better bonding qualities. It is important that the material tamps in tight. Once the post is securely set you are ready to build it into the rest of the fence complex. Install the top and middle rail/tubing, or a central horizontal brace if you are using wire; then construct a diagonal brace from the top of the gatepost to the ground level of the next post(s) in the series. This is done by looping barbless wire or cable around the top of the gatepost and running it to the bottom of the next post(s) in the series and looping around that post; then running back to the top of the gatepost. Secure the wire or cable to the posts in the appropriate location and twist the wire until you have enough tension to know that the weight

of the gate is being shared with the next post(s) in the series. Install the remaining fence materials to complete the fence.

HANGING THE GATE Determine how high off of the ground you want the gate to hang and mark the gatepost at the intended locations for the hinges. Drill or cut the top hinge-bolt hole in the center of the gatepost. Use a hand level to insure the hole is cut or drilled level through the post to prevent binding later. Place a hinge bolt through the top hole and hang a plumb bob or tape measure down the post to the level of 2 the bottom hole. Mark the intersection with the mark you made earlier and cut or drill the bottom hinge-bolt hole through the post. Install the bolt hinges and hang the gate. Place the level in the centre of the gate on a horizontal tube that does not have a crown. Use the nuts on the hinge bolts to adjust the gate to level. The last step to insure a heavy gate continues to swing for years, involves building a step-block to support the free end of the 3 gate when it is open or closed. You can make the step out of anything that will catch and support the weight of the gate. When building with wood posts, cut a piece of pressure treated 4"x4" to the proper height to support the end of the gate. Attach the step to the post so that it bears a small amount of weight. As long as the gate is always placed on the step, in the open or closed position, it will provide you with 1. Nail spikes to bottom of anchor post to years of service and never sag. † act like rebar in cement. 2. Once the anchor Michael Thomas operates Thomas Ranch along with gatepost is set, attach proper braces to give it family near Salmon, Idaho. Contact him at: Thomasranch@ support. 3. A support on the latch end of the centurytel.net. gate will help to reduce sagging.

photos: michael thomas

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

The Markets

Good idea to contract fall calves Supply and demand factors point to lower prices ahead Jerry Klassen Market Update

estern Canadian fed cattle prices have held value throughout the first quarter of 2016 with Alberta values ranging from $175 to $178 per cwt. Feeding margins remain in negative territory on current pen closeouts, which has caused market-ready supplies to back up in the country. Carcass weights are running sharply above last year as feedlot operators hold back for higher values. Beef demand has been tempered due to slower restaurant traffic. Eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. continue to struggle through ongoing winter storms at a time when beef consumption moves through a seasonal low. Economic uncertainty has also tempered consumer confidence, which has caused the average family to reign in food spending. Feeder cattle markets have been quite volatile, reeling from the effects of negative margins over the past three months. The U.S. cow-calf producer has been aggressively expanding the herd over

U.S. QUARTERLY BEEF PRODUCTION Quarter

2013

2014

2015

Est. 2016

6,172

5,868

5,664

5,885

6,517

6,183

5,855

6,115

6,608

6,179

6,066

6,365

6,420

6,021

6,105

6,215

Total

25,717

24,251

23,690

24,580

the past year and the market will absorb the increase in feeder cattle numbers this spring. Cattle on feed in the U.S. as of Jan. 1 were 10.6 million head, which was actually slightly below year-ago levels by 50,000 head. Placements during December were 1.5 million head, down one per cent from December of 2014 while fed cattle marketings were up one per cent. It’s important to realize that the number of feeder cattle outside feedlots as of Oct. 1, 2015 was actually up one million head compared 2014. These cattle will likely move off small grain pasture later in March and early April. The USDA lowered its first-quarter production estimate, as cattle inventories are not as large as earlier anticipated. However, they are still reflecting a year-over-year increase of 200 million pounds

due to heavier carcass weights. Again, I want to draw attention to third-quarter production, which is expected to be 300 million pounds above last year, which will pressure fed cattle prices from July through September.

CANADIAN NUMBERS Alberta and Saskatchewan feedlot inventories totaled 938,000 head as of Jan. 1, up four per cent from Jan. 1 of 2015. Canadian beef production during January was 13 per cent above last year largely due to the heavier carcasses. Feedlot placements in December were up 14 per cent over December of 2014 due to slower feeder cattle exports to the U.S. I’m forecasting lower beef demand for 2016 due to constraints on consumer income levels and on food spending. The

average consumer’s “at home food spending” was basically the same in 2015 as in 2014. However, “away from home food spending” during 2015 was up a whopping 7.2 per cent. This large yearover-year increase is not sustainable longer term with disposable income only rising 2.5 per cent. Recent data has U.S. ground beef prices are up 17 per cent over the past two years while steaks are up 18 to 22 per cent. Beef prices have risen quite drastically compared to the average American’s income. Secondly, increasing supplies of alternate meats, mainly lowerpriced pork, will also temper beef demand. The Canadian dollar is highly correlated with crude oil prices. U.S. crude oil stocks have been building throughout the winter but there is a seasonal tendency for stocks to slowly decline reaching a low in late summer. Don’t be overly bearish on the Canadian dollar below US$0.70/Cdn. The tendency moving into the summer is for stability to light strength in third quarter. The break even fed cattle price for current pen closeouts (yearlings that were placed late last summer) is near $200 but recent Alberta prices are only at $178. Unhedged cattle are in red ink by nearly $250 to $300 per head.

However, with 800-pound steers in Alberta selling for $205, the break even for early summer is about $167. There’s potential to see profitability for the early summer months, which is supportive for nearby feeder cattle markets. If producers are not hedging or forward contracting their feeders, I think they should be aware that in the third quarter, the cattle market could experience a major setback. Rising beef production, seasonal low beef demand and a marginally stronger Canadian dollar will be the factors to watch. I believe this will temper additional strength in the feeder market over the next month. Alberta fed cattle prices are expected to peak in late March and early April and then start a descent to the summer lows in August and September. Feeder cattle prices are expected follow a similar trend. Feeding margins are expected to hover around break even throughout 2016. † Jerry Klassen is manager of the Canadian office for Swiss based grain trader GAP SA Grains and Products Ltd. He is also president and founder of Resilient Capital — a specialist in commodity futures trading and commodity market analysis. Aside from owning farmland in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, he’s a University of Alberta graduate who grew up on a mixed farm feedlot operation in Southern Alberta, which keeps him close to the grassroots of grain and cattle production. He can be reached at 204 504 8339.

/ grainews.ca MARCH 1, 2016

Cattleman’s Corner Bunks and Pastures

Copper critical for pre-calving cows PETER VITTI

ecently, I gave a dinner presentation to a group of beef producers outlining the importance of feeding a good mineral program to pre-calving cows. Afterward, I was surprised by the number of questions about the possibility of a copper deficiency in their beef cattle. With calving season underway or soon to start, we all agreed that cattle mineral-feeding programs should assure pregnant cows receive all copper they need. With much of this discussion centered on feeding copper to beef cows, it is interesting to note the mineral is only required in very small amounts. A daily total of 125-140 mg copper should be consumed by beef cattle in order to satisfy all their vital and performance functions. After it is consumed, absorbed, and retained; copper does not become part of any final structural component in the body (a.k.a. 99 per cent of calcium is found in bones). Rather, it sits in many enzyme systems as an invisible activator (re: on/off switch) involved in many body chemical reactions. For example, copper plays an indirect role in making red blood cells. It activates special enzymes used to regulate iron absorption (another metal involved in the manufacture of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin). Other copper enzy-

matic functions include immune function, cell health and integrity, maintenance of bone and connective tissue, normal reproductive activities and hoof formation. In most copper-deficiency cases, either cattle do not consume enough copper in their feed (primary deficiency) or excess antagonistic nutrients such as molybdenum and/or sulphates in the feed or from water tie up biologically usable copper (secondary deficiency). As a result the deficiency symptoms are subtle and often similar to other nutrient deficiencies or even are associated with non-feed related issues.

CHECKLIST FOR COPPER DEFICIENCY Here is a practical checklist broken into three categories that I use to investigate the possibility of a marginal primary or secondary copper deficiency in a cow herd: • General — Lethargic cows and calves, poor milking cows (slowgrowing calves), unexplained sickness or deaths, higher incidence of injury, poor growth on replacement heifers, failure to maintain overwinter BCS, poor hoof condition. • Health — Higher rates of scours, respiratory (pneumonia) and other common cattle diseases, greater susceptibility to bacterial, viral and other disease, poor response and recovery from disease, higher rates of treating cattle, higher rates of sudden death, poor vaccination takes (including measured titres). • Reproduction — Silent heats in cows and heifers, high percentage of open cows, high incidence of early embryonic deaths, difficult calving

season, poor calving percentage, post-calving problems, delayed or failure to recycle after calving and getting rebred and spread-out calving/breeding seasons. From this checklist, if a producer suspects an underlying marginal copper deficiency in a cow herd, before calling a veterinarian to take blood samples for testing, I suggest that forage samples (and pasture — when available) are tested first. Test for copper as well as sulphur, molybdenum, calcium, and zinc. This is good first-step advice. A few years ago, I worked with a feed mill that supplied a typical loose cattle mineral to a cow-calf operator whose cows had suffered from poor pregnancy rates and other ailments for years. We suspected some type of trace mineral deficiency (not necessarily copper at the time) in several of the owner’s pastures, because his trouble seem to originate from a specific area of the farm. Forage tests came back and showed that their molybdenum level was 5.0 ppm (dm. basis), which could significantly tie up dietary copper in the total cattle diet. As a result, the feed mill fortified copper to the mineral in a more biologically available form (re: chelated organic copper) and adjusted the total dietary copper fed; to a ratio of at least 2:1 copper to molybdenum in the diet. By blocking the inference by molybdenum, these cows responded with higher conception rates in the following pasture season. In this particular case, we didn’t take any blood samples for copper testing, but this practice is common among veterinarians when

photo: peter vitti

It doesn’t take much to correct a deficiency so watch for symptoms

Cows deficient in copper can be poor milkers, have chronic health issues, and have difficulty getting bred. But it is a condition that’s fairly easy to correct. determining copper status in a cow herd. Blood collection is simple to do and copper analysis is relatively inexpensive. Keep in mind, since blood pulls copper from the liver (re: liver stores most of the copper in the body), testing blood/serum copper levels is only a good screening tool in the most advanced cases of copper deficiency. Although, liver copper levels are the most reliable test for verifying poor copper status in cattle, the downside of taking liver biopsies is high degree of stress to the animal, time-consuming, expensive and the results taken from animals dying from disease are questionable. Regardless, the general recommendation for correcting a verified marginal copper deficiency in many cow herds can be a straight-

forward matter of feeding cattle a well-balanced commercial mineral containing supplemental copper. The NRC copper requirement for young and mature cattle is no more than 15 mg/kg of diet (dm. basis), which takes care of the beef animals’ basic copper requirement and also takes into account the antagonistic effects on dietary copper by moderate molybdenum or sulphur levels in forages, other feedstuffs or water. A purchased mineral containing 1,500-3,000 mg/kg of dietary copper and fed at 50-100 grams per head per day should prevent or solve most copper deficiency problems. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

Dairy Corner

Reviewing records can point to SCC fix BY PETER VITTI

n the last year, I have reviewed in extensive detail the somatic cell count (SCC) records from dozens of DHI-monitored and robot barns. As a result, I re-educated myself as to the dynamics of reducing high SCC in any particular herd in order to achieve a lower incidence of mastitis and higher milk production. My first review started with an average 125-cow dairy barn, whose monthly herd SCC seem to hover just below the milk board penalty of 400,000/ml with some top milk producers topping three to plus-nine million SCC. In six months of evaluation, I would like to take the credit that I put together a fantastic SCC-fighting nutrition and management program, but that is not what happened. This producer was forced to cull out about a dozen persistent culprits that scored SCC over one million and now maintains a herd SCC of about 225,000/ ml. In addition, the herd’s milk production increased by 2.5 kg. This individual’s case is not unique, because it is no secret

that high SCC bulk tank records rob this dairy and others of otherwise good health, milk production and revenue. Consider the following relationship between SCC and milk production outlined in the following table (Philpot and Nickerson, 1991): In addition to these milk production losses, there is also a loss of quality tin the milk produced by high SCC cows. White blood cells from high-SCC milk contain natural enzymes that break down valuable milk protein and fat. As a result, milk processors do not want high-SCC milk because casein protein levels are significantly lower, which negatively impacts such milk end-products such as cheese yield. There is also some evidence that SCC deterioration of milk leads to reduced fluid milk storage life. Nobody should dispute that lowering SCC will eventually lead to higher milk production in the dairy herd. However, I have learned that all available SCC records, whether they come from DHI, robot or any other SCC record keeping system, should be routinely reviewed, and an effective plan of action can be taken.

IMPORTANT POINTS ON SCC Here are some of my own revelations to effectively combat high SCC in lactating dairy cows that I learned by examining many recent SCC reports: 1. It’s a “numbers game.” A high-milk-producing cow with a modest SCC count can produce the same total number of cells as a modest milk-producing cow with a high SCC count. For example: A 40-kg cow x 200,000/ ml SCC = A 20-kg cow x 400,000/ ml. Their contribution to the bulk tank should be the same. Similarly, a 10-kg cow x 200,000/ ml is a lower contributor. 2. There is a “Million SCC Club.” I always take note of the lactating dairy cows that score one million SCC/ml and more. Their SCC multiplied by milk production often yields a substantial SCC contribution to the bulk tank. On the DHI records, these cows are reported on the HSLST. On the robot records, I find similar cows by transferring and sort them on my excel spreadsheet. 3. “A few bad apples…” never was a cliché so true to me. For example, if one looks at the same HSLST sheet, there biggest SCC violators make the big-

SOMATIC CELL COUNTS AS RELATED TO MILK LOSS SCC (cells/ml)

Estimated milk loss (lb./year)*

% milk loss

100,000

400

300,000

1,000

500,000

1,300

600,000

1,400

800,000

1,600

1 million

1,700

>1.6 million

>1,700

>12

*based on 14 – 15,000 lb milk/cow/year

gest contributions. I know of cases where the dairy producer is milking several hundred cows, and less than a dozen cows contribute up to 40 per cent of his bulk tank SCC. I know of a couple of cases where the highestSCC cows were culled and the whole herd SCC easily dropped 100,000 points. 4. Impact of corrective action. It’s a no-brainer that either culling or therapeutic treatment of dairy cows in the Million SCC club has a significant impact on the rest of the herd. I also found that implementation of a solution that reduces SCC in the second-highest group of SCC cows with records of 200,000800,000/ml will also lead to lower whole herd counts. That’s because, these cows have relatively high milk production,

which gives them modest control of the bulk tank. 5. Law of diminishing results. The first 50,000 cell/ml of an individual cow SCC record denotes shed body cells, while the rest of the record is whiteblood cells fighting infection. Therefore, lowering the SCC of a herd by the same rate with a SCC of 200,000/ml versus another herd with a SCC of 300,000/ml can be more difficult to achieve in the former. I believe that many dairy producers can start reducing high SCC in their dairy herds by a periodic review of all their available SCC records and apply some of these revelations in an effective corrective manner. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Cattleman’s Corner Animal Health

Be patient, smart using a calf puller Roy Lewis animal health

lthough calf pullers are not used today nearly as much as past years they still have an important place in the calving barn if used properly. To me every cow-calf producer and some feedlot owners need one type of puller, especially if they are often alone when calving. By using common guidelines when pulling, a calf puller can be a very valuable piece of equipment and save calves lives. There are several makes on the market, each with their own unique features. The most important features are being able to release pressure easily and allowing the operator to work close to the back end of the cow when first jacking. The older block-and-tackle types necessitated having two people one by the cow and one running the pulling mechanism. These are archaic and should be discarded or used for fixing fence. Buy a proper new or lightly used calf puller.

KEEP IT CLEAN The puller should be well cleaned and disinfected after usage so infectious organisms are not transmitted between calvings. Many of the pullers I see are rather grungy from fetal fluids, placenta, or manure is allowed to freeze or dry onto the puller. Keep them like you would a kitchen utensil and clean often. That includes the breech (part that goes over the cow) and strap. Often they are hung up in the calving shed and these days collect dust. Take a few minutes and to review their operation at the start of every calving season. There is no time to do a calf jack overhaul when the calf is stuck at the pelvis and bellowing for his life. Anytime I use the pullers, I ensure I have two wraps of the chains on each leg (above and below the fetlock joint). You will spread out the force, minimize damage to the legs and avoid the disastrous broken leg if the pull gets tighter than you would like. It is easy for me being the veterinarian as I have the farmer to help pull. In this circumstance I will not put the pullers on unless two people can’t pull the front shoulders through in a front presentation. That is the rule of thumb that the rest of the calf should follow even with the help of pullers. By yourself you may put a puller on sooner to avoid fatigue from trying to pull by hand. Pay attention, however, the good pullers can apply nearly 2,000 pounds of force In inexperienced hands or when farmer’s adrenaline kicks in they can do considerable damage to calf and mother cow when care is not taken. Periodically check the tension on the chains and always be patient, trying to time your pulling with the cow’s contractions. Pulling too fast does damage and I believe results in the odd prolapsed uterus as the suction seems to have the uterus directly follow the calf. If we know for certain the calf is

dead we can pull a bit harder, but remember it is now the cow we are concerned about. Use lots of lube as a dead calf is drier and the vaginal vault is dry as well, and again, pull slowly.

A REAL LIFESAVER The puller can be a real lifesaver when the calf appears stuck at the hips (farmers refer to this as hiplock) although seldom is this usually true — it is just tight or in rare occasions it is the stifle that is locked. Relaxing and rotating the calf slightly may alleviate this issue. By pulling by hand all you will do is pull the cow around. The puller is designed to push back against the cow’s pelvis. By being able to

manipulate the angle of the pull you can extricate the calf easily most times. This one advantage will pay for the puller in one use. The tighter the calf is means you need to increase the angle of the puller so eventually you are down between the cow’s back legs with your puller. This steep angle can only be achieved with the cow down in lateral recumbancy (lying preferably on her left side). A cow down in lateral also has her pelvis tipped slightly which helps with delivery. I find their contractions are also more forceful, which again helps with delivery. The cows that don’t force make for a very hard delivery. Be ready with the puller firmly in place, be patient and hopefully she will start contracting.

Always be methodically slow and steady when pulling. We want to save the calf by delivering a lively calf not just an alive calf. We also want the cows to be in good shape to rebreed. Always wear a calving suit and obstetrical gloves when assisting in a delivery, keep the cow clean, use lots of lubricant when necessary, and have a happy calving season. Hopefully you don’t have to use the puller too often. If that happens evaluate both your breeding and feeding programs. Know your limits and phone for help if not making progress after 20 minutes. † Roy Lewis is an Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in large-animal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

photo: roy lewis

It is a useful tool when needed, but it can also be misused

In dealing with a breech birth, this photo shows the proper position of the calf puller, and chains properly attached to the calf’s legs.

/ grainews.ca MARCH 1, 2016

Cattleman’s Corner Rancher’s Diary

New fence will keep herds separated Slower process to thaw the ground before posts could be set

JANUARY 25, 2016

eerling, the yearling heifer, recovered from her respiratory infection. We treated her with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication for several days to help her lungs, bring down her fever and reduce swelling in her airways. We left her in the pen next to the field and put plywood over the windbreak corner for a roof. Andrea and Robbie spread bedding for the heifers so they’d have someplace to sleep other than in deep snow. They put the bedding next to Deerling’s pen so she’d have buddies nearby for company. We celebrated granddaughter Emily’s birthday. It’s hard to believe it’s been 18 years since that girl was born — on a cold, stormy January day. Michael, Nick and Robbie finished setting new gateposts in our main corral, and hung the gates. The next day Michael and Robbie drove to Howe to look at oat/ barley hay, and took core samples to test the bales for nitrates. We’re running out of grass hay and need to buy something to mix with our alfalfa to get through the rest of the winter. Jim has been creating more antler lamps and chandeliers to sell. He’s made some beautiful pieces in his little shop across the creek (the old trailer house that Michael and Carolyn used for several years when they were calving their cows here). We’d planned to repair the old fence between our heifer field and the neighbour’s as his bulls remain with the herd on the other side.

We realized we need to do more than just patch that fence — it had to be rebuilt taller and stronger. The next day Michael used our tractor and blade to plow a “road” through the deep snow — down to the lower fence and along it, to make it easier to get materials down there. He also plowed a path across the field, halfway down. Nick and Robbie set steel posts and put up two strands of electric wire. This will keep our heifers away from the boundary fence while it’s being rebuilt, and away from the neighbour’s bulls. Our “fence crew” has been setting posts (right next to the old fence, which we will leave in place), thawing the frozen ground for each new batch of post holes, using half-barrel “ovens” to contain the little fires overnight. It takes longer to set posts in winter, thawing the ground, but this fence can’t wait. Our young heifers are all starting to cycle now.

FEBRUARY 3 More cold weather. With cold and two feet of snow, it makes chores and feeding more time consuming, chopping ice on the creek for cows’ water. Our “fence crew” is making progress on the new fence. When Andrea’s kids came home from their dad’s place last weekend, Dani had a deep gash in the back of her head from an icicle that fell off their roof. It happened several hours before the kids came home that evening. Andrea took her to the ER, and it took several staples to close up the gash. Dani had a concussion and Andrea stayed up with her all night. Saturday we had four inches of new snow. Sunday Lynn plowed our driveways again and Andrea plowed our feed trails and the

photos: heather smith thomas

heather smith thomas

Jim fashioned wood and antlers into attractive wall lamps. route we take through the upper fields between the young cows and the older group. Even with chains on the feed truck it’s hard to get through all that snow. Andrea brought a big straw bale around for the heifers to bed on, since their old bedding was deeply covered by snow. One of our neighbours slid off the county road and her car was stuck in the deep snow. Andrea saw her walking home (on her way to town to take Dani to the doctor again for a checkup) and called us on her cellphone. Lynn and Jim drove down and pulled her car out of the snowdrift. Yesterday and today Dani stayed with us (and slept a lot, recovering from her head injury) while Andrea and Carolyn drove to

Idaho Falls for Andrea’s appointment with her pain doctor and to meet with Andrea’s lawyer.

FEBRUARY 14 Michael, Nick and Robbie spent the past 10 days working on the new fence and it’s now finished except for putting in stays. Charlie and Sam have been playing in the high school band for all the basketball games. It’s a small band but the kids do a great job and sound professional. Michael, Carolyn and Nick went to the game last week — the first time they’ve been to a high school basketball game since their own kids were in sports. Dani’s head is healing, but the gash will leave a big scar. When

the doctor looked at it again after the swelling went down she realized it needed twice as many staples. It should have been attended to immediately after the accident, before the tissue swelled so much. Test results came back on the hay samples, showing nitrate levels are low enough to safely feed, so we’re buying it. Michael plowed snow at the upper stackyard and Tuesday our first load of oat/barley hay arrived. Michael unloaded the truck, then brought some big bales down to us. We started feeding it the next day and it’s working well to mix with our alfalfa. † Heather Smith Thomas is a long-time columnist for Grainews. She and her husband Lynn ranch near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

This new fence will help keep the neighbour’s bull from getting in with Thomas heifers.

MARCH 1, 2016 grainews.ca /

Home Quarter Farm Life

Elaine Froese wants to keep families and farms healthy Newest book takes on an issue often not dealt with — the in-laws BY ANNE LAZURKO

“

y concern is divorce. Within a few miles’ radius of our farm there are so many divorces. And these aren’t all young people. Some are 20- and 40-year marriages.” Elaine Froese is tired. She’s just come home from a speaking tour and is heading to the U.S. for another gig, but as she speaks, the passion for her work erupts in the intensity of her voice and her obvious concerns for farm families. With her newest book, Farming’s In-Law Factor, Froese takes on a sticky issue that hovers in the psyche of many farms, but often goes unaddressed: what do we do about the in-laws? Is the new daughter-in-law trying to take over Mom’s jobs in the house or field? Does the mother-in-law treat her like she’s not good enough for her son? Or the father-in-law hangs on to power like it’s the air he breathes? Did the son-in-law actually jump into the brand new tractor before the wedding dance was even over? Fictitious scenarios, but Froese says she hears such concerns all the time and they threaten the stability of the marriage and ultimately the financial future of the farm. “Farming is a unique culture,” Froese says. “It’s a lifestyle and a culture. Its complexity is increasing as is the complexity of families as marriages break down and result in new configurations.” Put that together with the monetary consequences of screwing up and you get a “fear around loss of wealth from the older generations who need protection against spousal breakups,” she says. The best way to preserve the farm legacy, says Froese, is to build relationships that support the needs and foster the growth of all family members in order to avoid the kinds of issues that cause divorce in the first place. A home economist, formerly with Alberta Agriculture, Froese holds coaching and conflict resolution certificates, has pub-

Farming’s In-Law Factor can be found at http://elainefroese.com/store/farmings-in-law-factor/. lished on various farm success issues and is a sought-after speaker. As a seed grower with a successor and now a daughterin-law, there’s pressure for Froese to practise what she preaches. Co-written with Dr. Megan McKenzie, who has experience with conflict resolution in some of the most troubled places in the world, Farming’s In-Law Factor is a “road map for getting out of the muck,” Froese says. “It’s transformational in a way.” The book’s authors identify some of the negative patterns and tendencies amongst farm families. “Silence is a form of violence,” says Froese. “You can’t resolve things when you can’t have a conversation. It’s a kind of emotional blackmail.” Vague or

broken promises cause problems of trust. Things need to be written down and deadlines set. An imbalance of power can leave some family members feeling underappreciated and resentful. Or a lack of financial transparency amongst farm partners might cause uncertainty and stress. Communication is vital. Does everyone who wants a voice, have one? Are expectations realistic? Does the older generation provide opportunities for real participation both physically and financially on the farm? Is everyone clear on roles? Are family members being allowed to pursue their passions? The key to it all, says Froese, is respect. With chapters dedicated to

each type of in-law — mother, daughter, father, sister etc. — no one escapes examination. But in the end the authors provide a tool kit to help identify problems and work out solutions and cartoons throughout the book help to lighten things up. And if a couple or family has tried everything and it’s just not going to work out, there’s a chapter to address that as well. In order to avoid that sorry end, Froese has some advice to prevent divorce on the farm. “When a new member arrives the key is to be kind, to be gracious and to adapt. Take on a learner mindset, not a judger. Be open to self-reflection and feedback. And communicate what

works for you and what doesn’t and what you would like others to do differently.” And on pre-nup agreements, Froese is a definite yes, particularly in a second marriage or if a first marriage is into a multimillion-dollar farm where the newlywed might already have 10 years of equity under his belt. It’s often something new couples don’t want or think necessary, but “don’t risk it,” Froese says, because beyond the emotional devastation, there are very real financial consequences for the farm in the case of divorce or family breakup. Farming’s In-Law Factor can be found at http://elainefroese.com/ store/farmings-in-law-factor/. † Anne Lazurko writes from Weyburn, Sask.

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Home Quarter Farm Life PRAIRIE PALATE

Swedish meatballs the Dakotas) before moving north to homestead in Canada. Among them were Anna and Olaf Nilson who came from Sweden in 1905. After landing at the Port of Montreal, they took the train to Melfort, Sask., crossing the country with their two daughters in a cattle car. Their first home had been abandoned by its previous owner. The roof leaked. The floor was earthen. Their first cow died in calving. The nearest store was more than eight kilometres’ walk, where they could exchange extra butter and eggs for a few staples such as flour and baking soda. Most of their food they grew, gathered and raised themselves. The Nilson (later changed to Nelson) family history notes, “Mother stated many times that, if money had been available, they would have returned to Sweden.” Well, it wasn’t and they didn’t. Despite the hardships — and obvious lack of Baltic fish — they did their best to make the traditional dishes that reminded them of home. Recipes such as thin crisp bread, St. Lucia buns (served at the festival of St. Lucia on December 13), pepparkakar (ginger cookies) and meatballs with cream gravy and lingonberry sauce. This recipe for Swedish meatballs

Amy Jo Ehman

n a recent trip to Sweden, of course I had to try meatballs. Here on the Prairies, Swedish meatballs seem to represent the culinary tradition of an entire nation that sent so many sons and daughters to Western Canada in pioneer times. And it’s good to know that Swedish meatballs are still popular in their homeland. At a restaurant in old Stockholm called Pelikan (established in 1733) the menu is unabashedly traditional. Along with pork knuckle, Baltic fish and mashed swedes, the menu offers the timeless Swedish meatball “as big as golf balls” served with cream gravy, lingonberries and a sliced pickle, a bowl of mashed potatoes on the side. According to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, about 40,000 Swedish immigrants came to the Prairies between 1893 and 1914, most of them settling first in the United States (primarily Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and

was given to me by Joan Thompson (née Nelson) of Saskatoon, granddaughter of Anna and Olaf. She got the recipe from her mother Myrtle (née Standberg) whose Swedish ancestors followed a different route to Canada. They first settled in Minnesota and, in 1903, their son Axel moved north to homestead in Canada, where he married his Swedish sweetheart Jenny. One of 10 children, Myrtle got her first job at 14 cooking and cleaning for a couple of bachelor farmers. Life was hard but they prospered. By 2011, more than152,000 people living in the Prairie provinces claimed Swedish heritage, and no doubt, many of them are still fond of Swedish meatballs. A word about lingonberry sauce: lingonberry is the Swedish word for lowbush cranberry, which grows abundantly in our parklands and boreal forest. You can substitute currant jelly. But if you can get your hands on some lingonberries and would like to make a sauce for Swedish meatballs, you’ll find a recipe on my food blog, homefordinner. blogspot.com. † Amy Jo Ehman is the author of Prairie Feast: A Writer’s Journey Home for Dinner, and, Out of Old Saskatchewan Kitchens. She hails from Craik, Saskatchewan.

photo: amy jo ehman

By 2011 more than 152,000 people living in the Prairies claimed Swedish heritage

Swedish Meatballs 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef 1 small potato, peeled and grated 1 small onion, grated 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. cream 1 egg 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 c. dry bread crumbs 2 tbsp. butter or oil

Mix everything but the final ingredient. Work the mixture with your hands or an electric mixer until the meat is smooth and fluffy. With damp hands, form into balls. Heat butter or oil in a skillet. Fry the meatballs, turning to brown all sides. Open one meatball to ensure they are cooked through to the centre. Tip: Shaking the skillet as the meatballs cook helps to keep them round. If you need to cook the meatballs in two batches, add additional butter/oil if needed. Serve warm tossed with cream gravy or lingonberry sauce or both!

Cream Gravy 2 tbsp. drippings from meatballs or butter 2 tbsp. flour

2 c. warm chicken or beef stock 2 tbsp. sour cream

Heat drippings or butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour to a smooth paste. Add warm stock, whisking thoroughly to prevent lumps. Simmer and thicken. Remove from heat. Whisk in sour cream.

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Home Quarter Farm Life FROM THE FARM

Pickled tongue — tasty and nutritious A small serving has lots of nutrition and the bonus is that it tastes good too

couple of years ago we had animals processed at Interlake Packers and got the bounty of whatever the customers didn’t want out of their animals. This meant a lot of liver and hearts and tongues. At first, the plan was to use the tongues for dog food but when they sell for $15 apiece at the local grocery, it just didn’t seem right. We read about preserving meat traditionally by using salt (referred to as corning meat), and since we enjoy corned beef decided to give this a try.

entists have found that a threeounce portion of cooked cow tongue supplies 2.2 milligrams of iron and 2.7 milligrams of vitamin B-12. Iron is a necessary component of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells) that carries oxygen in the blood, and vitamin B-12 is essential to synthesize hemoglobin. They are also a rich source of zinc (needed to maintain a strong immune system) with 3.5 milligrams in a three-ounce portion. This samesize serving provides 156 milligrams of potassium and 55 milligrams of sodium. All of this nutrition in such a tiny portion was a bonus as they tasted good too! †

photo: debbie chikousky

Debbie Chikousky

cold running water. Place them along with the above ingredients into a roasting pan and cover with fresh water. Discard brine. Cover the pan and place it in a 250 F oven for about 6 hours or until the meat is super tender and pulls apart when you tug at it with a fork. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes and then peel the skin off. If your meat is cooked all the way, the skin should come right off. If it offers resistance, put it back in the oven and re-evaluate in 10 minutes. Once the tongue has been completely peeled, transfer it to a cutting board, slice it across the grain and serve. Beef tongue is also delicious served cold. Tongues are nutritious and sci-

Debbie Chikousky farms at Narcisse, Manitoba

PICKLED BEEF TONGUE (also works for lamb, pig, goat or deer) Step 1: Use a glass, ceramic or other non-reactive container big enough to hold two 1-1/2-pound beef tongues and eight cups of brine. Next the tongues need to be cleaned. Run water over them and if there is anything caught in the taste buds it is easily removed by brushing backwards. Once rinsed off put them in container and ready the brine. Step 2: Prepare the Brine 8 c. water 2/3 c. pickling salt 1/2 c. brown sugar 1 tbsp. pickling spice 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground cloves Place all in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved, then turn off the heat and let the brine come down to room temperature. Place it in the fridge and let cool overnight. (To speed up the process, you could also add only half of the water to the stockpot and put the other half in the freezer, then add the cold water to the brine once it has boiled and the salt has completely dissolved.) Once the brine has cooled pour it over the tongues until they are completely covered. Make sure the meat is completely submerged and that it will remain submerged for the duration of the curing process. If it wants to float to the top, weigh it down with a plate or other clean and non-reactive object that fits snugly inside the container. Place meat in the fridge and leave it to cure for 12 to 14 days. Check daily to make sure that it is still submerged. Step 3: Cooking 1 small onion, quartered 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed 1 celery stalk, cut in half 1 large carrot, cut into large chunks Enough water to cover the tongues At the end of the 12 to 14 days, remove the tongues from the brine and rinse them under

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Home Quarter Farm Life SINGING GARDENER

It’s time to start tomato seedlings Plus, tips to discourage deer, planting radishes and best moon dates WHAT’S TO KNOW ABOUT RADISHES?

ted meseyton

STRONG BOUNTIFUL TOMATO PLANTS When they’ve barely reached 2.5 cm (one inch) high, introduce tomato seedlings to the following strength-builder technique. Lightly and occasionally brush or gently sweep your hand over them twice daily. Don’t be rough now, remember I did say gently. An alternate option is to turn on a small household fan placed nearby and let it create a short burst of air movement for about 10 seconds two times a day. As a result they become healthier and stronger by such exposure to air movement. Before transplanting out into the garden soak tomato plant roots in pure fat-free skim milk for 20 minutes, then pour left over skim milk into prepared planting holes. Make sure tomato plants are spaced well apart for good outdoor air circulation. Once they’ve settled in after a week or 10 days, consider the following to help prevent soil-borne diseases showing up. I, Ted, eat garlic and drink garlic tea and figure if it’s good for me — it’s good for my tomato plants too. I’m suggesting gardeners introduce their outdoor tomato plants to homemade garlic tea. It’s like vaccinating them. Make a beverage by mincing two or three garlic cloves and stir the stuff into four litres of hot water. Let it brew for 15 or 20 minutes and cool down. Water each tomato plant with a cupful three times the first day starting early in the morning, at noon and before sunset. Afterward, continue once daily with a cupful of garlic tea per plant for two or three days more. Plants will fortify themselves with strong immunity and resistance to disease. It’s not likely to happen, but should you notice any adverse effect such as temporary limping or drooping, discontinue the garlic tea until plants rebound and then resume from where you left off. Keeping tomato foliage dry and pruning off lower leaves that drag onto the soil are critical. Apply a thick mulch such as unsprayed dried grass clippings, composted material, pulverized corncobs,

photo: courtesy west coast seeds

arch is the month many gardeners start their tomato seedlings indoors, so I’ll share tomato tips with our Grainews family of readers. Oh dear what can the matter be — how can I dissuade deer from liking my garden? Also, shall touch on radishes and best moon planting dates for root crops. Did I ever tell you I’m an executive gardener in heavy-duty overalls who buys work and dress clothes at places such as an MCC thrift store and Mark’s Work Warehouse? The spring breeze didn’t catch my icon hat and send it off into the four winds so I, Ted, tip it again as my gesture of welcome to all from ages eight to 98.You don’t even have to be a gardener to know you’re always welcome here.

Round red roots under strong, compact upright foliage is what Celesta radish delivers. Other unique traits include vigour, uniformity and high resistance to bolting and splitting. Celesta’s vivid-red skins over bright-white crisp flesh will do gardeners proud. Ted provides radish-growing tips and where seeds can be purchased. wood chips, peat moss or combination of these around plants and along the row. Mulch helps prevent or reduce splashes onto tomato plants from hand-watering and muddy rainfall. Constant moisture on tomato foliage is to be avoided. It’s important to never walk among your tomato plants when they are wet. Wait until the foliage is completely dry.

PINCHING, COMPANION PLANTING, FEEDING Have you ever pinched a few tomato leaves? Now I’m not talking about pruning. That’s a different matter. This socalled pinching of a couple of tomato leaves is an effective way to drive off tomato plant pests. What? You’ve never heard of that? By bruising a tomato leaf from rubbing it between fingers activates a defence hormone. Nearby pests attacking the plant pay the ultimate price and die of severe indigestion. Yes — pests can get stomach aches too. An adjunct is companion planting. Supportive and agreeable plants grown in close proximity can help each other. Asparagus, asters, daisies, strong-smelling marigolds and herbs such as anise, basil, coriander, mint, parsley, sage and thyme repel a broad spectrum of insects. Tomatoes don’t mind any of them growing nearby. Early to midsummer feeding with enriched water will keep tomato plants growing. Make a booster solution. Add well-aged compost, animal or poultry manure to a burlap bag or several layers of cheesecloth and hang it over a large bucket, barrel or garbage can filled with water. Let it brew for a day or longer to consistency of pale tea. If too dark, dilute the brew down with more water. Poultry manure in particular can burn plants — something you don’t want. Alternate boosters are liquid fish emulsion and seaweed concentrate available at garden centres. Follow label directions and apply to loosened soil around each stem.

THE TOMATO SHAKEUP Strengthen your tomato plants with a shakeup and they’ll produce more and better fruit. It’s called the vibration technique. There are two ways to do this spanking or disciplining technique — choose one or the other. Place a thumb and couple of fingers around the thick part of each tomato stem between side foliage. Begin about a third of the way up from the bottom and give a few shakes back and forth, left and right. Move higher up a couple more times as

described but not past flowers and/or fruit clusters and repeat the procedure. Or, instead make a jelly roll-fashioned paper swatter using five or six sheets of loosely rolled newspaper. Swat the main tomato stem between side leaves a few times (as previously described) with the rolled newspaper, going higher a couple more times, but not beyond flowers and fruit. Be gentle but firm and repeat this therapeutic treatment daily, every other day or weekly for a while.

INSPECT, PRUNE, SPRAY Inspect your green tomatoes as they develop. Look out for any dried or drying part of a tomato blossom that clings to young fruit on the stem end and pull it off. If left attached to the tomato, it can contribute to conditions called “catfacing” or “zipper streak.” The latter is a form of scarring or disfigurement on the outer skin of tomatoes. Pruning or pinching out growth at the joint or crotch between the main stem and side branches below flower and fruit clusters is an ongoing thing that should be done at least weekly. What do you do with such tomato foliage? Some say let it dry and then toss into the burn barrel. I, Ted, say: make a spray using pruned-off tomato leaves soaked in water for a day that’s left in open sunshine, then strain. Add a touch of liquid soap and some cornstarch to help it stick to foliage.

SOLUTIONS TO BROWSING DEER Do you garden where some of nature’s creatures — specifically deer — could be nearby and wander in? Head to your garden centre or novelty store and buy some artificial snakes made from rubber or other material. Place several fake snakes on soil throughout the garden, making sure they’re quite visible, especially near plants that deer are known to love eating. Here’s a report from one gardener. There were a number of fresh deer tracks by the garden, especially near bean and lettuce plants where an artificial snake was placed. Said gardener concluded: “None of the plants were eaten so the deer must have had second thoughts after seeing the artificial snake and scampered off.” No guarantee of course that other gardeners will have a similar experience. May I suggest buying a packet of deerresistant blend of 17 wildflower seeds from West Coast Seeds at Delta, B.C.? There’s been excellent feedback from customers on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast where deer can be a real nuisance.

They thrive in coolish spring and autumn temperatures, especially in a south-facing microclimate site close to a wall that catches both heat and sunlight. Radishes are a succession crop, meaning you can plant them every three to four weeks. This stretches the season, but you may want to avoid the hottest period during June and July when radishes are more apt to bolt and become leggy with a desire to grow edible seed pods instead of edible radish bulbs. Soil preparation includes an old-fashioned wood ash cure for prevention of unwanted fungi and root maggots. Blend pure wood ashes with some garden centre lime 50/50 and sprinkle lightly onto prepared soil then mix it in before planting. An alternate choice is thinly spread table salt along the row before planting seeds. Be careful not to use too much — just a light sprinkling — and then brush the salt a bit into the upper inch of soil. One application is sufficient. Sow seeds spaced one-half inch to an inch apart to avoid thinning and allow bulb formation. Cover with a quarter-inch of soil and moisten evenly until germination.

ROOT CROP PLANTING DATES One reason gardeners get stringy radish roots and lush tops can be due to seeding too thick and planting at wrong time of the moon. Folklore tradition recommends the third quarter after full moon when light begins to recede as the chosen time. Here are upcoming best dates for planting radishes, sprouted potatoes, beets, carrots, kohlrabi, onions and any bulbous type of crop. They are: March 24, 25, 26 and 27, April 22, 23, 26, 27 and 28, May 24, 25, 26 and 28, June 21, 22, 24, 25 and 26, 2016.

FAVOURITE RADISH SEED VARIETIES Amethyst: bright-purple skinned, tasty white flesh, slow to turn woody, spectacular and a popular favourite at farmers’ markets. Rudolf: fast growth of large bright-red radishes, great flavour and short tops. Rudi: dark red, gently pungent flavour suitable for forcing under glass frames for earlier crops and outdoors; grows well year round. Certified organic vegetable seeds and flowers including named radishes and deer-resistant 17 varieties plant blend of wildflowers are available from West Coast Seeds, Delta B.C., V4K 3N2, www. westcoastseeds.com or phone toll free 1-888-804-8820. †

This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and GrowIt Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. Have you ever observed the ways of crows and ravens, many of which stay with us all winter? Believe it or not they are classified as songbirds and certainly give us insight into their intelligence. Here’s a poem from The Way of the Crow. “One crow sorrow, two crows joy, three crows a letter, four crows a boy, five crows silver, six crows gold, seven crows a story yet to be told.” There’s more yet to tell next time I’m back your way. My email address is singinggardener@mts.net.

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