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News Advertiser
September 15, 2021
Harvest 2021 Full of Challenges Michelle Pinon News Advertiser The sky was heavily laden with grey clouds and the hope was for the rain to hold off. Noah Baxandall was busy combining red spring wheat on 120 acre field six miles south of Vegreville on August 31. He said they lost sometime with a breakdown a couple of days ago and 10 mm of rain was forecast for the following day. The bright side was that sun and warmer temperatures were forecast after that. Noah, who farms with his dad Al, have about 2,000 acres to harvest which had just gotten underway. Al said he’s heard wheat yields are below average and barley yields are poor, but hadn’t heard anything about canola that is usually harvested a bit later. Noah said they also put in faba beans, which are
Noah Baxandall. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)
planted first and harvested last. The quality of crops and how much they will yield varies, and producers won’t really know what the final product will be until
it’s in the bin. Even though yields are down, prices are rising, and that could possibly help out some producers in the region in the long run.
LARA Hosts Annual Summer Field Tour Michelle Pinon News Advertiser Every summer the Lakeland Agricultural Research Association, (LARA) hosts a field tour for producers in the Smoky Lake region. This summer, 21 producers attended the event that was held on July 22. LARA Representative Amanda Mathiot said the Smoky Lake site consists of cereal trials as well as a hemp and flax demonstration. Mathiot said, “The research trials in Smoky Lake County benefit the producers as they are able to have a first-hand look at how certain varieties can grow in
Producers listen attentively during the tour. (LARA/Submitted Photo)
their area, as different soil types and environmental conditions affect how crops grow and yield. Trials such as the Regional Variety Trial and Regional Silage Trials benefit producers as these trials are conducted all across Alberta and compares how the trials do across the province. All of the data that is collected of these trials goes into the Alberta seed guide.” Mathiot noted that, “LARA tries to create research trial based off of our local producer’s needs, if there is something that they are scared to try because there is limited information, and something is not proven we try to create a trial that will benefit the producers. As example this is the reason the Top Dressing in spring wheat trial was created.” All of the data collected from the LARA research trials is available to
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producers on its website. Mathiot went on to say that LARA was created in 1991 and is based out of Fort Kent Alberta. The four member municipalities include: M.D of Bonnyville, County of St. Paul, Lac La Biche County, and Smoky Lake County. LARA conducts research and extension events in those municipalities to benefit producers in the agricultural industry. “LARA started working with Smoky Lake County in 2015 to bring agricultural research and extension to the producers within the county. We have three main programs, Cropping, Livestock/ Forage, Environmental and a small Horticultural Program.”
Weekly Crop Market Review
