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INSIDE: Take your farm office off the kitchen table
p. 5 Focus over frenzy
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06/10-12525-01A
FarmFORUM volume 24 | issue 3 | summer 2010
contents >> PRINT TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
PRODUCTION
FARM LIFE
FarmFORUM www.farmforum.ca Publisher Bayer CropScience Editor Sherry Butt Associate Editor Dave Wreford
20
8
COVER STORY
14
The crop that winter grew
A business built on happy customers
Kings of canola crowned — again
No time to seed winter wheat while harvesting spring crops? Think again
An industry award confirms Ray Redfern’s conviction that it pays to lead, not merely follow, the marketplace
These two-time King of Canola winners are giving the yield challenge a third shot
18
Farming can kill you More farmers die in farm accidents each year than soldiers killed in Afghanistan
4 Editor’s note: keep your eye on the prize 5 Focus over frenzy: you aren’t helpless in an uncertain economy 11 Take your farm office off the kitchen table: find space and get organized 22 Technology took them to the top: OYF regional winners find a way to compete
contents >> WEB
FarmFORUM.ca
Contributors Cindy Bablitz, Jennifer Barber, Joy Gregory, Gerald Pilger, Clare Stanfield, Genesis Studio, and Sandy Black Graphic Design Aaron Mumby Design Farm Forum is published seasonally by Bayer CropScience. Contact Farm Forum at: Bayer Crop Science Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3 T. 1 888-283-6847 F. 1 888-570-9378 E. farmforum@bayercropscience.com www.bayercropscience.ca Contents of this publication are copyrighted and may be reproduced only with written permission of the publisher, Bayer CropScience. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743517 Registered in Canada Copyright 2010 Website www.farmforum.ca Return undeliverable copies to: Bayer Crop Science Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3
Make money in pulses
Practice safe farming
Winter wheat varieties
Manage risks and know your customers
Safety stats reveal scary scenario for farmers
Adapting them to the market and local growing conditions ensures profits
www.farmforum.ca/pulses
www.farmforum.ca/safetystats
www.farmforum.ca/wwvarieties
On the cover The Krywy brothers, Sheldon (left), Lynden (Centre) and Don (right), are two-time King of Canola Challenge winners. They won the 2009 challenge with a yield of 78.19 bushels per acre, which was 10 bushels per acre more than their previous win.
Farm Forum.ca | 3
s h o r t ta k e s
More business at farmforum.ca In every issue of Farm Forum, Gary Pike gives his opinion on a certain issue in our Marketing Minute feature (opposite). We tag this article as a business article because it’s business insight into the industry you operate in. In order to add something extra to Gary’s article we include some web links at the bottom of the story. These lead to farmforum.ca where you will find more business reading on the same theme as the article. Once on farmforum.ca you’ll find yourself in the Business section, where you can read as many of Gary’s articles as you like, as well as lots of other business related items. So if you’re feeling business minded, read Marketing Minute and follow the links onto the Business area of the website to read more. The business of farming is an endless challenge and you’ll find ideas and insights to help you farm better. Don’t hesitate to contact us at farmforum@bayercropscience.com if you have a comment or an idea on what you’d like to see in Farm Forum. Thanks for reading! FF
4 | Farm Forum | Summer 2010
Editor’s Note When I look at the stories in this issue of Farm Forum I see a common thread — to succeed, you need to keep your eye on the prize, be willing to go the extra mile and make the necessary changes to stay on course. Our cover story is a great example. Don, Lynden and Sheldon Krywy, who farm near Danbury, SK, won the King of Canola Challenge for the second year in a row. Even though they started with a plot of land more suited to thistle and wild oats, that didn’t discourage the brothers from using their experience and ingenuity to create the right conditions to harvest a bumper crop of canola. If it’s winter wheat you’re growing, you can add “timing” to the list of skills you’ll need to achieve a prize crop. For three prairie farmers, getting their winter wheat crop into the ground on time means the rest of the production cycle needs just a little fine tuning (plus the usual dose of good luck) to turn a profit. I think most people would agree that the key to any successful retail business is knowing your customer. This year’s recipient of the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers Retailer Hall of Fame award is a master at customer service. In fact every product and service Ray Redfern added to his business over the past 37 years was done to help his customers improve their operations. And finally, in our Outstanding Young Farmer profile, Ryan and Annette Mercer from Lethbridge, AB, share the winning strategy for their seed business: to stay competitive in today’s market, they incorporate science and technology into all their farming decisions. FF
business
Focus over frenzy
>>
m a r k etin g m in u te
Yes, the economic outlook remains highly uncertain. But no, you aren’t helpless in the face of market volatility. Know your cash flow options, then take action By Joy Gregory
farmforum.cA
PHOTO (above) genesis studio; Photo (right) ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/Henrik5000
I
nterest rates are on the rise. The fiscal fallout of a fluctuating Canadian dollar is good, bad or ugly depending on the headline of the day. And now a growing number of economists are talking about how all this might push up inflation even as the North American economy struggles back from one of the deepest recessions of the decade. What the heck is a farmer to do? Take a deep breath, keep your eye on the prize and make sure your marketing program considers every available option, including Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) programs like the fixed-price contract for wheat, says ag marketing specialist Gary Pike, CEO, Pike Management Group. “We are going to experience a lot of economic volatility over the next two to three years and part of it comes from on-going issues in world markets unrelated to agriculture. That hasn’t gone away.” Market uncertainties aside, what farmers really need is a good dose of perspective: while the game board has changed, the basic rules remain the same, insists Pike. “Take interest rates as an example. What we’ve seen to date are relatively minor increases. But because of how low interest rates have been over the past few years, even a mere one quarter of a per cent increase generates a lot of media coverage,” notes Pike. He recalls how interest spikes of the early 1980s pushed past 17 per cent. “Right now, interest rates aren’t that big a deal for most producers.” What has changed is the relationship
between producers and the banks that set 2. Manage for cash flow and profitabilthose interest rates. Pike urges farmers to ity. Do what you can to improve your make their relationship with their banker balance sheet. Forward sell your crop a priority. “Make sure they know who before, during and after the crop year you are and that you can show them you starts and ends. Lock in different perare on top of the business. They want to centages of your total crop based on know how you plan to make money.” profit. Stop waiting for the highest Nurturing those bank ties is especially price. (By the time you know it, it’s important for younger producers carrying gone!) On the input side, lock in priclarger amounts of debt. “You cannot ases when you can, and fine-tune your sume your banker will like your plan. You agronomics to reduce waste and optican assume that you will need to explain mize efficacies. it. Be ready to prove how you plan to keep 3. Keep up-to-date on the news. Find your costs in line and sell your crops.” out what you can about what drives Pike views the currency exchange rate good-news markets for crops like as a kind of red herring: it can affect incanola and pulses. The U.S. is pushput prices and it’s another variable you ing for durum subsican’t control but have dies and overall wheat to manage. He’s more stocks are predicted to We are going to concerned about how exceed demand until fluctuations in the price experience a lot of 2011. Use information of oil affect Canadian like this to guide cropeconomic volatility over farmers. As heavy users ping plans. of petroleum products, the next two to three years 4. Know your options. farmers will feel the imand part of it comes from Know the dates for pact of $100/barrel oil on-going issues in world deferred canola conmuch faster than many tracts, track pulse other business sectors markets unrelated markets, look at CWB where input cost increasto agriculture programs like fixedes are more easily passed price and basis-price to consumers, says Pike. contracts, pre-harvest cash advances and the on-farm wheat storage proControl what you can grams. From a marketing angle, Farmers have no power over the comPike’s no fan of crops where you have plicated issues that shape the global no control over the price you can get. economic situation. But they can step But he knows milling wheat acreage up efforts to protect and improve their is up across the prairies in 2010. “If cash-flow situation, adds Pike. Here are you’re growing CWB grains, you canhis top four picks for dealing with what not afford not to look at CWB prolies ahead: grams. You have to know your op1. Watch markets and track basis caretions,” he says. FF fully. Basis is the difference between the spot price of a deliverable comfor more information visit us online modity and the price of that commodonline articles ity’s closest futures contract. Basis Oats for sale www.farmforum.ca/oatsforsale numbers will show a lot of volatility Make money in pulses based on product quality and delivery www.farmforum.ca/pulses location. Find out how basis relates to additional resources the cash price you can get. If it looks Pike Management Group good, be prepared to make a deal. www.farmforum.ca/PMG Farm Forum.cA | 5
Paul had to duck out of the office today In addition to his work at Bayer CropScience, Paul Thiel also spends his time with Ducks Unlimited. Through the Winter Cereals: Sustainability In Action partnership, Ducks Unlimited and Bayer are working with Canadian growers to increase their winter wheat production in key areas that serve as natural nesting and breeding grounds for Canada’s waterfowl. As a devoted outdoorsman and nature enthusiast, Paul is happy to help.
Bayer CropScience is proud to sponsor groups like Ducks Unlimited as part of its ongoing commitment to the sustainability of Canadian agriculture.
BayerCropScience.ca
06/10-14012
business
A business built on happy customers By Clare Stanfield
An industry award confirms Ray Redfern’s conviction that it pays to lead, not merely follow, the marketplace Popular myth aside, it’s not all that uncommon to find people who are optimistic about the future of agriculture. What’s rare is finding someone who embodies that optimism in every fibre of his being; in every action, every decision and every choice made. When Ray Redfern drove into Rivers, MB, 37 years ago with an idea to set up a new kind of retail outlet, one that combined product and service offerings tailored to individual farmer needs, someone said to him: “You’re going to start a business here? Everyone’s leaving, and you’re going to start a business here?” He laughs, recalling the comment: “When I first went there, I couldn’t afford to buy a house. Every dollar available was essential for the startup.” And when a collaborator unexpectedly turned into a competitor, “half of my marketplace was gone before I’d even begun.” His financing, which had been arranged in Alberta, fell through when the lender decided that secured assets couldn’t go into Manitoba. So Redfern went to the local bank and was turned down. He was already in businesses sev8 | Farm Forum | Summer 2010
eral weeks when he made the drive into Winnipeg to see the bank’s senior regional manager, lay out his business plan and demonstrate his commitment to it. The manager was impressed and decided to support this new venture. Today, with 11 outlets in Manitoba, Redfern Farm Services Ltd. is a leading light in the independent agri-retail world. And Ray Redfern, now the third recipient of the prestigious Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers (CAAR) Retailer Hall of Fame award, is recognized as an innovative and exceptional leader in the industry he helped forge almost four decades ago. Passionate about agronomy A farm kid with a degree in agriculture and some input agronomy experience under his belt, Redfern left his job as a marketing manager with Imperial Oil in Alberta to come to Rivers. He’d conceived the idea of an integrated farm supply and service business while at Imperial Oil. In fact, he’d researched
the concept on behalf of the company, saw the potential and decided to set up shop as a franchisee. Then came those early obstacles. “You have to see past the objections to the opportunities,” says Redfern. And the first opportunity was fertilizer. “Back then, we were all pioneers in the evolution of that market,” he says. “In 1973, there weren’t a lot of farmers using anhydrous ammonia and we introduced it to Manitoba. We found our niche by being innovative and nimble — farmers didn’t have the equipment or experience to apply it so we acquired the equipment in the U.S., dragged it home, and convinced farmers that this new investment in higher nutrient rates and continuous cropping programs was the future of dryland prairies agriculture.” And he was committed. “I’m passionate about the benefits of agronomy,” he says. Every product and service Redfern added to the business was introduced because he fervently believed it would
PHOTOs sandy black
Recognition where it’s due Redfern was a little surprised but extremely gratified when he heard he was the recipient of the 2010 CAAR Retailer Hall of Fame award. His relationship with the organization goes back to its predecessor, the Western Canadian Fertilizer and Chemical Dealers Association, where, as president, he played a key role in the implementation of standards and regulations for storage facilities. “I’ve always been focused on the promotion of agriculture,” says Redfern. “CAAR has always been a place where I could meet and work with other like-minded retailers and further the aims of the crop input business.” What means the most to him is what his customers said during the nomination process. “Some cited our ability to change and adapt with the times, and some our work ethic,” he says. “Others commended us for integrity, open honesty and reliability in all our relationships, and our commitment to looking after customers — that we were no ‘snake-oil’ salesmen,” he laughs. “They seem to know we have
a genuine interest, and are making sure commitment to small communities — we everything is right for them.” offer lifestyle opportunities in those comThe support from suppliers was munities and want to bring value to the equally gratifying. “I firmly believe that communities we’re in. suppliers are partners, not adversaries. “We’ve had our ups and downs in We’ve been served better by commit- business,” Redfern continues. “The role ting to long-term relationships with our of an independent retailer requires comsupplier partners to help mitment and perseverance if bring new technology and you’re to create differentiamarketing programs to our tion in the marketplace and We found our customers.” maintain your own identity. niche by “Our approach to our And the award itself? “It was great to have our being innovative business may be a little different from some of the people see how we are perand nimble larger companies. To comceived by our customers pete in the marketplace, we and suppliers,” says Redfern, who acknowledges that he drives his can’t be all things to all people, but we staff hard to deliver on his high expecta- must remain relevant to our customers, tions for quality work and excellent cus- understand them and their unique farmtomer service. “It was good to reassure ing needs, and deliver on our commitour people that we are on the right track, ments to them. The customer is more sophisticated now. He doesn’t buy out of that what we do is worthwhile.” loyalty or price. He buys when it makes sense to him. Looking forward “And that’s what I, and our team, want Redfern sees himself more as an influencer and motivator than a leader. With to do — execute and run our business in a boundless energy, the willingness to do way that’s productive and relevant to our whatever it takes to get the job done right customers.” FF and with eyes constantly scanning the horizon for new opportunities that could for more information visit us online make a difference for his customers, he’s online articles not far wrong. The best of the best www.farmforum.ca/CAARaward “I hope I lead by example,” he says. additional resources “I want to bring value to (the company) Redfern Farm Services Ltd. and maximize that value. I want to crewww.farmforum.ca/redfern ate opportunities for our people so they Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers can make a career here. That’s part of our www.farmforum.ca/CAAR farmforum.cA
help his customers implement sustainable practices, allowing them to get more from their land and improve their operations. Over the years, many business components were added in direct response to current and future customer needs. Fertilizer was the cornerstone, with the widest selection of products, service and equipment in the marketplace. “An extensive line of crop protection products, seed, an ever-increasing array of application equipment and services, agronomy support through crop scouting and the evolving ‘Soilutions by Redfern’ program, are all core to our business,” he says. “And we’ve grown to be the supplier of Imperial Oil products for the entire region.” Seeing a need and potential synergy with his company’s core offerings, Redfern partnered in the creation of two subsidiaries: Redsper, a seed processing, retailing and storage operation, and Accu-Test, an accredited seed testing lab. Professional agronomic services, equipment rental and maintenance supports, custom farming operations, hardware, livestock feed and information services for grain marketing — all have been added over the years because his customers found each of them of value. Today they stand as evidence of Redfern’s full commitment to customer support.
Farm Forum.cA | 9
06/10-12527-01A
business
Take your farm office off the kitchen table
Some farmers need to organize office space separate from their living quarters. Others just need to get organized By Joy Gregory As farms get bigger and the technology to run them becomes more complex, management pressures increase too. Maybe that’s when it’s time to move the office out of the farm kitchen and into a separate space. It’s something Gerald and Bradley Schiltroth are glad they did. The brothers farm about 18,000 acres near Ridgedale, SK. “I barely remember when the business was run out of the kitchen of the old house,” recalls Gerald, 35. “I’d wake up in the morning and because Dad and Mom ran an independent farm supply business, there were always people at Mom’s table. Breakfast, lunch, supper, it didn’t matter. Everyone knew if there was a lineup in the yard they could go in the house and Mom would have coffee ready.” The farm supply business downsized a few years ago and with Gerald and
Bradley, 33, now in charge, the focus is on growing crops and running a custom farming operation that seeds, trucks and harvests for area producers. (About 10,000 acres of their total operation are custom farmed for their father, Mark.) Including the three Schiltroths, the business has nine full-time employees, plus six others who come aboard from spring through to harvest. Two are fulltime secretaries and there’s no question an operation of this size needs separate office space. More specifically, a dedicated office area improves document access and security, creates a more professional environment for customer and supplier discussions, and separates business visitors from the families who live nearby, says Gerald. The Schiltroths all have different roles in the family business so the office in-
cludes separate work spaces for each of them and each of the two secretaries. A former accountant who also worked as a teacher before becoming the farm’s financial go-to guy, Gerald figures he often spends more than 10 hours a day in his office. He appreciates the separate space and likes not having to share computers, but admits the location, in a remodeled quonset, leaves much to be desired. As someone who spends part of each day telling his brother and dad why now is not a good time for the business to spend money to upgrade equipment, however, Gerald also knows it’s not a good time to remodel their inside working space. But that doesn’t keep him from thinking about it. And what’s high on his list? More windows (his office doesn’t have any), less wallboard and even a little design assistance from an interior decorator.
PHOTO Cheryl Joseph
Cheryl Joseph, who runs an office organizing service in St. Albert, AB, has a simple, functional office that keeps her organized and on track.
Farm Forum.cA | 11
Expect more.
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06/10-12527-02A
business
“I think all of us have a list of the things we’d like to see, but we haven’t sat down yet and made a formal plan.”
farmforum.cA
PHOTO Cheryl Joseph
Make your space work A formal plan is important — and not merely because of aesthetics, says Cheryl Joseph, an accountant who also runs an office-organizing service in St. Albert, AB. A home-based worker herself, Joseph says many people “are capable of setting up a home office and much of the organization is common sense.” But when an office is not working because papers go missing or information is often difficult to find, it may be time to call in a professional. The real issues likely revolve around filing and storage, Joseph explains, adding that people can learn easy ways to tame the paper tiger. If sharing computer access is an issue, Joseph recommends wireless high-speed Internet access, which allows other family members Internet access from relatively cheaper laptops they can use in other parts of the house. That’s a problem in some parts of rural Canada, including where the Schiltroths farm. Gerald says they have high-speed access in the office, but it’s not possible in their homes without putting up another tower. Once that happens, he suspects he’ll be doing more farm office work from his house. While most farm operators don’t have the kind of office space the Schiltroths have developed, more are developing dedicated computer work stations in their home offices, says Rick Slusar, of Ricsan Enterprises, an independent computer sales and service company located in Nipawin, SK. His advice on the organizational side of adding new computer equipment is to hire someone to set it up and network it with other systems versus the DIY route. While “help” is built into new computers, “it assumes a certain level of prior knowledge and the user doesn’t necessarily have that.” FF
Get organized! Sharing office space with other business workers or family members is challenging, but not impossible to manage, says office organizer Cheryl Joseph. If papers are getting misplaced (or preferably before that becomes an issue) she suggests adopting a “clean desk top” system with individual file folders or boxes for papers that can’t be filed away. As users leave the shared workspace, each can put their to-do list and relevant papers in their own box or file and move it to a nearby shelf. More ideas to improve the functionality of your office space: 1. Think about what the space is for and avoid using it as a “catch-all”. Clutter is distracting (and breeds more clutter). Make optimum use of closets or other storage space to keep the office and its equipment open and accessible. 2. Avoid the cheaper computer stations and get a large desktop area (it can be a table) that accommodates papers as well as a computer station and printer. 3. Develop a storage system for files and discipline yourself to use it. Joseph prefers a filing cabinet with hanging files. Ideally, the filing cabinet should be no higher than three drawers so you can access records without leaving your chair. Files you don’t need to access regularly can go into boxes and be placed on nearby shelves. 4. Install a book shelf or other shelving system for manuals, catalogues and other reference materials, binders, books and excess office supplies. 5. Make sure the space has a telephone. You should not have to leave your work station to take or make a call. 6. Opt for a chair on casters. It’s easier to manoeuvre at your desk and essential for rolling over to that filing cabinet. FF
A good organizing strategy is to develop a storage system for files and discipline yourself to use it.
for more information visit us online online articles Protect your back www.farmforum.ca/protectback Schedule some quality desk time www.farmforum.ca/qualitydesktime additional resources Ricsan Enterprises, computer sales and service www.farmforum.ca/ricsan Farm Forum.cA | 13
Cover story // By Jennifer Barber
COVER STORY//by scott garvey
Kings of canola crowned – again The Krywy brothers, Don (left), Lynden (centre) and Sheldon (right), from Danbury, SK, won the King of Canola Challenge for the second time in just four years. Armed with the results from a soil test and some ingenuity, the three defied the odds and grew a bumper crop on poorly managed land. 14 | Farm Forum | Summer 2010
PHOTO genesis studio
These two-time King of Canola winners are giving the yield challenge a third shot >> The Krywy brothers’ father always told them you can’t fool the land. If you ask, he said, it’ll tell you what it needs and reveal what it’s likely to yield in the end. Don, Lynden and Sheldon credit listening to the land with helping them win the King of Canola Challenge two years in a row. The brothers own and operate Krywy Farms north of Danbury, SK. The thirdgeneration farmers raise crops including canola, wheat and hay on 4,200 acres. They say they have always been open to new ideas and management strategies, which, when implemented, have always worked in their favour. “Competitions like the canola challenge encourage us to think of new ways to achieve high yields and get the most profit from our crop,” says Don. This is the fourth year they’ve participated in the King of Canola Challenge run by local crop services retailer Hudye Soil Services. With three competition harvests under their belts, they’ve come out on top two years in a row. In 2009 they earned top honours with a yield of 78.19 bushels per acre, outpacing their previous winning crop by more than 10 bushels per acre. “Last year we seeded our canola for the challenge on land that had been poorly managed by the previous renters,” says Don. “The first thing we did was soil test. The soil was completely depleted of nutrients. Our agronomist said the only things that land would produce were thistles and wild oats.” So how did the brothers achieve such a high yield on such poor land? The Krywys say they gave the crop what it needed. Results of their soil test in hand, they seeded at a rate of four pounds per acre with their 57-foot Flexi-Coil 500 air drill with on-row packing. They put down 100 lbs/ac of anhydrous in the fall. Based on the results of the soil test, they applied a blend in the spring of an additional 10 lbs nitrogen with 44 lbs phosphate, 36 lbs potash and 25 lbs sulphur. They seeded the plot on May 23, avoiding spring Farm Forum.cA | 15
Cover story // By Jennifer Barber
We’ve done side-by-side trials and InVigor out-yielded the competition by at least 10 bushels per acre cooler growing conditions, below-normal temperatures last spring and summer probably boosted the crop’s performance. They applied Proline foliar fungicide first at 30 per cent bloom and again at about 60 per cent bloom. “We didn’t hesitate to use two applications,” says Lynden. “When we tell other farmers this, they all want to know the answer to one question — does it pay? Well it sure paid on our crop. Basically, whatever canola disease pressures are out there, we’ve got them, so we have to be on top of them.” The swathed crop was combined on November 10. With adjustments for dockage and moisture, Hudye Soil Services calculated yield from a one-acre plot. As winners of the contest, the Krywys received a $5,000 travel voucher, which they split three ways. Two years ago they took their winnings and rewarded themselves with a trip to Mexico during the off-season. This past year they decided to be tourists in their own country, with a vacation in and around Calgary. In 2010 they are attempting to become three-time King of Canola champions. While using what they learned in the first 16 | Farm Forum | Summer 2010
Hudye Soil Services in Norquay, SK, sponsors the annual King of Canola Challenge. two years of high yields, they aren’t doing everything the same. This year they are trying a starter fertilizer treatment, Omex, which is a magnesium/sulphur mix aimed at giving canola a lift right when it starts to grow. “We’ve had a bit of a cool spring and are always concerned about what cold weather will mean for the crop,” says Don. “We’ve heard from others that this seed treatment helps to get their crop off earlier. And to keep improving, we have to look for that kind of advantage.” In 2009 they applied the same management strategies from their competition plot to their 2,000 acres of canola, so were able to reap the financial rewards of a high yield across the entire crop. They now watch the weather and hope it works in their favour this year. And they’ve learned over past years that results can sometimes surprise them. “Last year, given how badly beat up the land was, we never really thought for sure the plan would work,” says Don. “But it produced one heck of a crop. We’re giving it another try, and this year we’re going back to the plot we used the first time we won but with a slightly different approach. It’s looking good and we have our eye on the prize again. There’s nothing like healthy competition to encourage you to try new things.” FF farmforum.cA
frosts. The long-time InVigor growers seeded InVigor 8440 as in previous years because of its yield advantage. “We have tried different canola systems and always get the best yield with InVigor,” says Lynden. “Every new variety seems to give us better performance. We’ve done side-by-side trials and InVigor out-yielded the competition by at least 10 bushels per acre.” They also gave their crop a micronutrient boost — a broad-based mix from Golden Harvest. And they pretreated their seed with Action, as they had for their previous winning crop, to help get the seed growing in cold soil. “We’ve been using micronutrients in recent years and they seem to help give crops a head start,” says Don. “We consider it a type of top dressing, with the major fertilizers doing the heavy lifting and micronutrients feeding the crop as it grows.” Of course, no crop flourishes without help from Mother Nature. Regular evening showers in 2009 cooled the crop at night and gave it needed moisture. Don adds that since canola seems to prefer
for more information visit us online online articles Bring soil back to life www.farmforum.ca/soilbacktolife Canola confirms seat in winners’ circle www.farmforum.ca/canolawinner additional resources King of Canola Challenge www.farmforum.ca/canolachallenge Hudye Soil Services www.farmforum.ca/hudye Flexi-Coil www.farmforum.ca/flexicoil
Canola growers raise the bar on yield
PHOTO genesis studio; photo (top left) courtesy Hudye Soil Services
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Braden Hudye represents the third generation owner/operators of Hudye Soil Services.
anola growers suspect that you “get out what you put in.” And one soil services company set out to confirm that belief with its yield-based King of Canola Challenge. This is the fourth year Hudye Soil Services in Norquay, SK, has challenged area growers to achieve the highest potential canola yield on a field of their choice. In the first year the winner had upward of 50 bu/ac. Last year’s winner raised the bar to 78 bu/ac. “This challenge is one way we can show our customers how to maximize their productivity,” says Braden Hudye, vice-president of Hudye Soil Services. “In the end, growers are seeing that by giving the crop what it needs for maximum yield, they may be putting more dollars into the field but are actually bringing down their unit production cost.” Each year, about 10 growers have participated in the challenge, which rewards the winner with a $5,000 travel voucher. Participants pick their own field and use the management style of their choice. Hudye Soil Services provides agronomic support with the help of two full-time agronomists. Growers harvest their own crop and Hudye determines the yield. Some of the management strategies growers have used in the challenge include superior genetics, seed treatments, crop protection products, enhanced fertility with use of micronutrients and other technologies. “The core purpose is to get customers trying new products, technology and practices,” says Hudye. “The challenge provides an incentive to implement what growers keep hearing about and have been interested in trying but have needed an extra push. We hear that they treat the challenge as their own research trial.” The King of Canola Challenge is one part of Hudye’s “Field of Dreams” project. In its twelfth year, this project is all about reducing the per-bushel cost of production. Hudye says that growers who want to push their yield potential have to be proactive, rather than reactive with their crop management. “Our customers operate in an intensive crop production area so from step one these tend to be growers who are maximizing their yield potential,” he says. “They want to be more efficient with their inputs, and this challenge shows them where efficiencies can be gained by putting a little bit more into the crop.” FF
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Farming can kill you
By Gerald Pilger
In fact, farming is more dangerous than fighting. In 15 months, more Canadian farmers die in farm accidents than the number of Canadian soldiers killed in eight years of fighting in Afghanistan! The death of 42-year-old Colonel Geoff Parker on May 18 was headline news across the country. An explosive-laden vehicle drove into Parker’s convoy during morning rush hour outside Kabul, Afghanistan. The father of two was the 145th Canadian soldier to die since Canada sent combat troops to Afghanistan in 2002. Just a couple days before Parker’s death, a 45-year-old Ontario farmer, Stanley De Jong, father of four, died on his farm north of Brantford after being pinned under the front end loader of his tractor. Parker was honoured and remembered with a repatriation ceremony. Sadly, De Jong’s passing was largely ignored. The death of a farmer is not national news. In fact, it is barely news at all. After all, more than 100 farmers are killed each year in Canada. In 15 months, more farmers die in accidents than the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan in eight years of war. Unfortunately, government, media, the public and farmers still portray farms as peaceful and idyllic havens rather than places where danger lurks around every corner. Sure, we talk about farm safety. In fact, farm safety is probably the most written-about subject in the farm media. Literally hundreds of websites are devoted to farm safety. And 18 | Farm Forum | Summer 2010
a host of organizations, associations and government bodies focus on farm safety. Yet the tragedies continue. Looking at just fatalities, agriculture is one of the most dangerous jobs in both Canada and the U.S. In 2007, the occupation “farmers and ranchers” was number six in the list of most dangerous jobs in the U.S. with 37.1 deaths per 100,000 farm workers; up from 28 per 100,000 in 2002. “Farmers and ranchers” climbed to the third most dangerous job in the U.S. in 2008 with 40 deaths per 100,000 workers. In spite of increased awareness of farm safety issues, the death rate continues to climb. When injuries are added in, the safety picture for agriculture is even more bleak. The farm safety page of the U.S. Department of Labor website says: “Every year, thousands of farm workers are injured and hundreds more die in farming accidents. According to the U.S. National Safety Council, agriculture is the most hazardous industry in the nation.” Even more alarming, each year 100 children will die on U.S. farms and more than 100,000 children will be injured, according to the Pennsylvania Farm Accident Law Firm, Munley, Munley, and Cartwright.
Everyone’s at risk Instead of addressing the root causes of farm accidents, we simply look for excuses. Too young, too old and too ignorant are often listed as the reasons why so many are killed or hurt in agriculture. And while these factors certainly play a role in some accidents, intelligent, healthy, middle-aged people are also victims of farm accidents. Ron Raikes, 66, was a Nebraska state senator. He grew up on a farm, had a degree in agricultural operations and a masters in ag economics. He’d operated his own farm since 1978. In spite of all his education and experience, on September 6, 2009 he was caught in a hay mower/conditioner he was operating and killed instantly. In April, 2009, 54-year-old Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, who captivated the baseball world as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in the 1970s, was killed on his farm while working on his truck. Closer to home, Alberta Agriculture provides details of all Alberta farm fatalities on its website. Date, age, location and cause of death are listed. Reviewing the list is eye opening. You see that farm accidents are not restricted to a specific age, time of year, or cause. The website confirms the potential for injury or death in every aspect of a farm operation. Forgotten victims of farm accidents While the primary focus of a death or injury due to a farm accident is on the victim, the impact on the farm family is often even more traumatic. Collapse of
PHOTO ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/Michael Krinke
support group in itself, and seeing others in the same situation gave me strength. The change in our oldest daughter was also pronounced. She went from hating farm life to now being involved in her own farm operation.” A mother’s story In the mid 1980s Marilyn Adams of Earlham, Iowa, experienced every mother’s worst nightmare. On the first day of harvest on her and husband Darrell’s farm,
ters in the U.S. and Canada and more than 3,000 volunteers deliver the Farm Safety 4 Just Kids program in schools and communities. In 2008, Kelly received the prestigious Volvo National Hometown Hero Award for her work in promoting farm safety to children. The MD of Clearwater in Northern Alberta participates in the Farm Safety 4 Just Kids program. Audrey Bjorklund with the MD has high praise for the program. “It’s a great program. It provides
More than 100 farmers are killed each year in Canada 45
Deaths per 100,000*
40 35
2008 3rd most dangerous job 2007 6th most dangerous job *United States: farmers and ranchers category
30 25 2007
2008
their 11-year-old son suffocated when he became trapped in flowing grain being unloaded from a gravity wagon. “Keith’s death divided our family,” said Marilyn. “We stopped talking. Darrell buried himself in farm work, our daughters cried themselves to sleep, I was too exhausted to sleep and ached from emptiness. I was angry with Darrell because he was not grieving in the same way I was. It got to the point I simply laid on the bed sobbing; I did not want life to go on,” she recalled. “The turning point came when our daughter Kelly asked me to help her with a school project,” Marilyn continued. “She wanted to show her class how Keith died that day in the gravity flow wagon. Together we started to research equipment and were amazed to find there were no warnings of the dangers of flowing grain posted on the equipment. Darrell also made a model of a wagon to show how quickly a toy figure became trapped in flowing grain. And suddenly we were a family again.” The power of that presentation inspired Kelly to devote her life to educating children about farm safety. In 1987 she founded Farm Safety 4 Just Kids. Today that organization has over 130 chap-
MORE THAN 100,000 children injured per year on u.s. farms excellent resources which we use to deliver the farm safety message in schools and at our local trade shows.” Staying safe is an individual’s choice Most farmers are well aware of the dangers in their occupation. Until these factors are addressed, agriculture will remain at the top of the list of most dangerous jobs. Meantime, perhaps the best farm safety advice comes from an anonymous posting in response to an Internet news story regarding a farmer’s death. The person who posted the message said that before doing any task on his farm he asks himself, “What would my wife say if she saw me doing this!” FF farmforum.cA
the farm business, loss of livelihood, feelings of guilt and lack of support for the grieving family are common when an accident happens on a family farm. In 1991, 30-year-old Ron Minnie of Waskada, MB, was helping his father unplug a combine header. According to his wife Dawn, Ron was very careful and safety conscious around equipment. The tractor on the pull-type combine was shut down while Ron unplugged the header. When the plug was cleared Ron had his father restart the equipment and engage the pickup. Unfortunately, the pickup unexpectedly rose on startup, grabbing Ron and throwing him into the feederhouse. The equipment shut down quickly and Ron’s injuries appeared relatively minor. In fact, he was able to make it on his own to the local hospital, 18 miles away. At the time, the doctor said Ron had a dislocated shoulder. Unfortunately, seven years later it was discovered that he had actually broken his neck resulting in spinal, nerve and muscle damage. Today, after 43 shoulder dislocations and four surgeries, he has lost the use of his upper arm, is unable to farm and is in constant pain. “Ron’s accident turned our lives upside down,” said Dawn. “We tried to change the way we farmed. The cattle were sold because Ron could not handle them. We tried straight grain farming but found most farm equipment is not ergonomically designed for a person with Ron’s injuries. And as time went on, the equipment vibration was more than he could stand. “Since he did not actually lose a limb, people did not see him as disabled, yet he could not work at all. There was no compensation available for a farm accident in 1991. And like most farmers then, we did not carry insurance for such an accident. Only in the past few years has Ron even been able to receive a CPP disability pension. “We had to make a major role reversal. I had to go to work full time to support the family. The accident gave our children a very bad taste for farming, especially our oldest daughter who came to hate farm life. “The Manitoba chapter of Farmers with Disabilities turned our lives around. Going to the meetings helped Ron struggle through his depression and loss of self worth. It gave him a purpose to get up each day.” recalls Dawn. “For me it was a
for more information visit us online online articles Safety stats reveal scary scenario for farmers www.farmforum.ca/safetystats “Certified Safe Farm” comes to Canada www.farmforum.ca/certifiedsafefarm Albertans slow to board the WCB bandwagon www.farmforum.ca/WCB additional resources Farm Safety 4 Just Kids program www.farmforum.ca/farmsafety4kids Manitoba Farmers with Disabilities www.farmforum.ca/fwdMB Alberta Agriculture/Farm Safety home page www.farmforum.ca/ABfarmsafety Farm Forum.cA | 19
Technology
The crop that winter GREW
No time to seed winter wheat while harvesting spring crops? Think again By Jennifer Barber If you’re going to be successful grow- terms of time and equipment manageing winter wheat on the priaires you’ll ment, we have more time in the fall than have to take to heart the old adage that in the spring.” The Ericksons added winter wheat to timing is everything. Get your crop into the ground on time, and the rest of the their rotation to change their weed and production cycle can easily be fine tuned disease spectrum. Winter wheat competes with winter annual weeds, has rewith a little knowledge and experience. And experience is what Kent Erickson duced disease pressure, and means a year has. He’s a fourth-generation farmer near without a spring burnoff. Over the years they’ve Irma, AB, whose family learned the keys to a has been growing winter good crop. wheat for 20 years. In A lot of guys can’t “We seed our winter his area of the prairies, imagine dragging wheat very shallow, usuwinter wheat has to be in the first week of Septemthe seeder out in the ally into canola stubble” says Kent. “If it’s just unber. He adds that growmiddle of harvest. der the ground it takes ers who are reluctant to grow winter wheat usuBut as I see it, that’s advantage of all the fall moisture. You don’t need ally have a hard time with when you have more much growth for it to that concept. successfully overwinter “A lot of guys can’t time to seed in Alberta. If you seed imagine dragging the too early and get lots of seeder out in the middle of harvest,” he says. “But as I see germination, that’s just wasted plant enit, that’s when you have more time to ergy since those leaves don’t come back seed. Harvest stretches from August to in the spring.” Warren Kaeding runs a 6,800 acre pedOctober, but you have only a few weeks to seed your entire farm in May. So in igreed seed operation near Churchbridge, 20 | Farm Forum | Summer 2010
Kent Erickson with two of his three children, Blair (1) and Caris (4) and Mick the dog. SK. He learned about winter wheat as an ag student and has been growing winter cereals for 25 years. The high yields he gets from winter wheat make it an attractive crop for him. “We’ve always had decent yields, even in years when rust was an issue,” he says. “The varieties available today yield at least 20 per cent over spring wheat. We seed our winter wheat at a heavy rate and we get the most out of the crop that way.” Unlike Erickson, he usually seeds winter wheat into pea stubble. While canola is often listed as the most common rotational
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PHOTO (TOP LEFT) ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/Maxim Gostev; (LEFT) courtesy the eriksons family ; (TOP right) ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/Prensis
crop with winter wheat, they get enough snow cover in his region to trap significant moisture in the shorter pea straw. “We straight cut our peas. That leaves a four inch stubble, which is all we need for successful overwintering,” he says. “We were having trouble getting canola off on time and we’ve had a lot of success with peas. We even seed into alfalfa stubble, which also works because we get enough snow in this part of the province.” Since alfalfa leaves behind more soil nitrogen, he has to modify his fertility program during that segment of the rotation. He always soil tests before seeding winter wheat, then usually puts down an NPK blend with the seed and dribble bands nitrogen in the spring as early as possible. Rick Rutherford is another long-time winter wheat producer. He’s been growing the crop on his pedigreed seed farm in the northern end of Manitoba’s Red River Valley for 15 years. It gives him a hedge against bad weather. He also believes winter wheat has really helped keep him ahead of the fusarium risk. “Winter wheat flowers very early so it doesn’t really allow the disease spores to spread,” explains Rutherford. “Basically, for us, the earlier the better for all aspects of growing wheat. The earlier we get it in, the earlier it’s growing in spring and the earlier we can get it off in the summer.” In his area he regularly sees winter wheat yields in the 100 bushel/acre range. To make winter wheat rewarding, he says, growers can’t skimp on inputs. In the spring he applies ESN (controlledrelease) nitrogen along with his fungicide to give his crop an extra pop. “It’s not uncommon to have a late-July harvest in this area,” he says. “We harvest winter wheat one month and sell it the next. We can usually sell it before we’ve even harvested our spring-seeded crops. For us it’s the ultimate seed crop.” FF for more information visit us online online articles Winter wheat promotes land stewardship www.farmforum.ca/stewardship Breeders target better winter wheats www.farmforum.ca/wwvarieties additional resources Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action www.farmforum.ca/WCSIA Winter wheat growing information www.farmforum.ca/winterwheatinfo Ducks Unlimited Canada www.farmforum.ca/ducksunlimited
In support of winter cereals Two million acres of winter cereals routinely grown across the prairies is the goal of the Winter Cereal Sustainability in Action (WCSIA) program. With that objective in reach following the program’s launch last year, Bayer CropScience and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) are doubling their efforts to get the word out that winter cereals work. “Many winter cereals are seeded into canola stubble as it is the best for trapping snow and maintaining moisture,” says Paul Thiel, vice-president, Innovation and Public Affairs with Bayer CropScience. “But last year canola was harvested late, often too late to seed winter cereals. So we are working extra hard to make people aware of the benefits of winter cereals and what our program does in support of increased acres.” Launched in 2009, WCSIA is a five-year, $20-million North America-wide funding commitment from Bayer CropScience, with agronomic and environmental services provided by Ducks Unlimited in Canada and the U.S. “In the first year of the program we were spreading the word about DUC and its work with nesting species in winter cereals,” says Thiel. “Through education programs between DUC and Bayer CropScience we learned more about what it takes to support biodiversity in cropland.” The program has several parts. One is an investment in genomics research, variety development and education about winter cereals. The second is to work with industry and government on policy initiatives to enhance interest in growing winter cereals. The third is support of DUC biologists and agrologists in their research to ensure sustainable habitat and production systems. “This year under the WCSIA program DUC is looking at the survival rate of hatchlings coming out of winter cereal habitat,” says Paul Thoroughhood, regional agrologist with DUC. “We already know that many more ducks hatch in winter cereals than in spring seeded crops, but at this time we don’t know the survival rate of those ducks. Whenever we become involved in a program we build scientific support so we know we are investing wisely.” Bayer CropScience is continuing to look at its products and labels to make sure they are optimized for use on winter cereals. For example, after studying its effectiveness, Bayer and DUC agronomists are recommending the application of Raxil seed treatment on winter cereals. “The WCSIA program is a tangible measure of our commitment to sustainability, but we also have to come up with solutions that are profitable for our customers,” says Thiel. “We want to make sure farmers are recognized for protecting natural capital.” FF
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Technology took them to the top These outstanding young farmers jump on every crop production innovation that promises a fit for their farm. They figure it’s the only way to compete in today’s marketplace By Cindy Bablitz
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one are the romantic days of yore when a farmer would stand in his freshly tilled field, grasp a fistful of dirt, squeeze it, smell it and gaze up at the sky sensing in his bones the right time for planting. These days, most farmers don’t till. And although many still feel a strong connection to the land, that connection is supported by technology like never before. Ryan and Annette Mercer, of Mercer Seeds in Lethbridge, AB — this year’s Alberta/NWT region winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program — know this better than most.
It’s hard to imagine where we’ll be in five years from now, never mind where another 20 years of farming technology will take us
Ryan and Annette Mercer and their children L to R: Ananda (7), James (4) and Raylene (1).
22 | Farm Forum | Summer 2010
“Farming technology has changed more rapidly in the past five years than it did in the previous 20,” says Ryan. “It’s hard to imagine where we’ll be in five years from now, never mind where another 20 years of farming technology will take us.” Mercer Seeds is a high-tech farming operation by anyone’s standards. Every decision, from crop rotations to equipment, is influenced by science and technology — a strategy the Mercers believe necessary to compete in today’s marketplace. Ryan and Annette credit the OYF win, in part, to their commitment to balance environmental considerations against the financial implications of all farming decisions. “Soil health is a strong factor in every decision I make,” says Ryan. “As a grain farmer, my livelihood depends significantly on sustaining good soil health.” About 20 years ago, the Mercers stopped tilling. Leaving stubble to anchor the soil from harvest to the next seeding season was
The Mercers’ combine is parked on camelina straw. The stripper header leaves the straw long to trap snow and provide a wind-free micro-climate for seedlings to grow in the spring.
A sharp edged disk drill is used to cut standing straw rather than a more common knife drill. sprays on foliar micronutrients (primarily zinc, boron and magnesium) as well. “With the cost of fertilizer what it is, you really can’t afford over-application.” All of this precision employs sophisticated, smart technology — in the tractor cab, on seeders and on spraying equipment. “Our variable-rate sprayers make their own maps of where they’ve applied,” says Ryan. “Nozzles shut down automatically, so we never run the chance of spraying the same place twice. Farming supported by this level of technology helps generate better yields and more even maturity, creating the potential for an earlier, more profitable harvest.
Ryan and Annette live with their three children, Ananda, (7), James, (4) and Raylene, (1), on their farm near Lethbridge. To learn more about these regional winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program, visit www.mercerseeds.ca. FF farmforum.cA
PHOTOS COURTESY PHOTO (LEFT) THEcourtesy DYCK FAMILIY the mercer family ; (bottom right) courtesy john deere; (top right) courtesy the mercer family
the right decision in an area known for its windy climate. Over the years, that move to stubble conservation was refined even further. Now Ryan harvests with a stripper header, removing only the grain heads. “Straw stands through the winter to trap snow, then provides a good microclimate for seedlings in the spring. Around Lethbridge, we get a lot of wind. If you lie down in the standing straw, there’s no wind — it’s actually really peaceful!” Fields of standing straw have higher soil moisture and lower soil temperature so they need to sit for about five or six more days than tilled fields before they are ready to seed. Ryan says it’s worth the wait as the moisture gets germinating crops off to a strong start. Planting into standing straw also requires the fine, sharp edge of a disc drill instead of the more common knife drill. And to ensure a razor sharp cut through last harvest’s stalks, Ryan replaces his coulters every planting season. “We’re working with Hyperion Technologies in Calgary on developing harder-surfaced coulters that will hopefully last two years instead of one. However, improving cost efficiency can’t trump performance effectiveness, so it’s a fine balance to try to find,” says Ryan. The Mercers have engaged a team of specialists to help support their operation. Mercer Seeds works with Great Plains-The Camelina Company in selecting and multiplying varietal strains of pedigreed camelina seed to distribute throughout North America. On the input side, Mercer Seeds works through Andre Lacoursiere, a consultant with Farmers Edge, a variable rate technology company, in fine-tuning variable-rate fertilizer application strategies. “Using intensive soil sampling and multiple years of satellite imagery for each parcel of land, Farmers Edge creates GPS prescriptions for precise zones so only the required rates of phosphate and nitrogen are applied,” says Ryan. “In a mile-long strip, the rate can vary by as much as 100 pounds per acre through six different zones.” Later in the growing season, again using variable-rate technology, Ryan
for more information visit us online additional resources Mercer Seeds Limited www.farmforum.ca/mercerseeds Hyperion Technologies www.farmforum.ca/hyperion Great Plains-The Camelina Company www.farmforum.ca/camelinacompany Farmers Edge www.farmforum.ca/farmersedge
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