Farming For Tomorrow January February 2024 by OT Communications

$7.95

January February 2024

ENTREPRENEURS IN AGRICULTURE

Building a Farm from the Ground Up Kevin Auch pays close attention to soil health

THE FROST AIN’T STOPPING JACK SECTION | TITLE

The 2024 Defender, with onboard HVAC heater. You’ll never get frozen off the job. © 2023 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. CAN-AM OFF-ROAD VEHICLE: Some models depicted may include optional equipment. For side-by-side vehicles (SxS): Read the BRP side-by-side operator’s guide and watch the safety DVD before driving. Fasten lateral net and seat belt at all times. Operator must be at least 16 years old. Passenger must be at least 12 years old and able to hold handgrips and plant feet while seated against the backrest. SxSs are for off-road use only; never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. For your safety, the operator and passenger must wear a helmet, eye protection and other protective clothing. Always remember that riding, alcohol and drugs don’t mix. Never engage in stunt driving. Avoid excessive speed and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Always ride responsibly and safely.

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Learn more at Can-AmOffRoad.com 3

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MERIDIAN STAINLESS STEEL TANKS

PREPARE FOR

SAVINGS Save time and money, along with efficiency, by storing your liquid fertilizer or chemicals in Meridian Flat Bottom Stainless Steel Tanks. Tested and trusted, Meridian tanks are the safe and proven liquid fertilizer storage solution for your farming or commercial operation. With access to your commodities on site, Meridian Stainless Steel Flat Bottom Tanks provide storage for economical savings with seasonal reduction in fertilizer prices.

Ask about our Secondary Containment Systems!

Find your local dealer at meridianmfg.com 4

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Learn More

SEEDS | PULSES | FERTILIZER | CEREALS | OILSEEDS

MOVE IT ALL. Cereals, pulses, fertilizer and now... OILSEEDS. The Convey-All OilSeed Series takes all the features that makes a Convey-All the most durable, functional, and reliable conveyor on the market, and adds the versatility of handling oilseeds such as canola or hemp. The addition of scrapers keeps the fine material on the belt and prevents build up. Unlike other ‘Canola Approved’ options where capacity is sacrificed, the OILSEED Series offers the same capacity as our standard series, keeping your operation running. 5

FIND YOUR LOCAL DEALER (800) 665-7259 | www.convey-all.com

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Always read and follow label directions. Duplosan™, Oxbow™ and The Path of Least Resistance™ are trademarks of Nufarm Agriculture Inc.

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THROUGH A GROWING STORM OF KOCHIA, CLEAVERS, CHICKWEED AND MORE,

THERE’S A CLEAR PATH. Introducing Oxbow , a versatile cereal broadleaf herbicide that gets the job done. TM

Powered by Duplosan™ technology, Oxbow is your workhorse on resistant kochia (including Group 2-, 4-, 9- and 14-resistant biotypes) and other tough weeds. With flexibility in application timing, rates and re-cropping options, the path is clear with Oxbow.

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Building a Farm from the Ground Up Angela Lovell

Diversification Gives Way to Intensification

Starting the Succession Planning Discussion

A Farmer’s Viewpoint by Kevin Hursh

Succession

by Becky Zimmer

Where We Are Going

Agritechnica

Grain Market Analysis

Spraying 101

by Tom Wolf

by Scott Shiels

Insight for Upcoming Growing Season

How to Start Farming

Sustainability

by Becky Zimmer

Farming Your Money by Paul Kuntz

Those Wily Weeds

Are More Weeds Becoming Winter Annuals? by Tammy Jones

KEVIN HURSH 8

TAMMY JONES

PAUL KUNTZ

SCOTT SHIELS

TOM WOLF

DIVERSIFICATION GIVES WAY TO INTENSIFICATION | A FARMER’S VIEWPOINT

Diversification Gives Way to Intensification Kevin Hursh, P.Ag. Kevin Hursh is one of the country’s leading agricultural commentators. He is an agrologist, journalist and farmer. Kevin and his wife Marlene run Hursh Consulting & Communications based in Saskatoon. They also own and operate a farm near Cabri in southwest Saskatchewan growing a wide variety of crops. Kevin writes for a number of agricultural publications and serves as executive director for the Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan and the Inland Terminal Association of Canada (ITAC). Twitter: @KevinHursh1

While there have been ups and downs, the past 15 years have seen record profitability in the grain sector. Along with that has come rapid land price increases and much larger farms. It’s interesting how the quest for profitability has switched to doing the grain business better rather than finding profitable alternatives. Diversification used to be the buzzword over the many years when it was difficult to keep grain farms financially viable. It’s amazing how few of those diversification options have stood the test of time. Ostrich farming came and went in a relatively short period of time. Even national television news covered the appearance of ostriches at Canadian Western Agribition back in the late ’80s. While people were jumping into ostrich production, breeding stock prices remained high. When end-use markets for ostrich meat and products failed to materialize, you could hardly give breeding stock away. I’m not aware of any remaining ostrich production in Western Canada. Wild boars seemed to have a market niche, but any perceived profitability quickly waned. The end result was an escaped/released wild boar population that’s a continuing fight to control. The elk industry is a sad story. Markets existed for the antler velvet, the meat and the use of animals for trophy ranches. Once quite common, elk ranches are now extremely rare. The industry has never overcome chronic wasting disease and all the regulatory restrictions for trying to control the spread. Breeding stock and fences were major investments that failed to provide a return. People poured their heart and soul into the business only to face insurmountable problems. 9

A FARMER’S VIEWPOINT

Bison is one of the few diversification options to endure, but it hasn’t been any get rich quick venture. Bison numbers aren’t seeing much growth, but at least viable producers with end-use markets are established. My sister and brother-in-law raised chinchillas for many years. At the beginning, the price of the top pelts was very attractive. Over time, the entire fur market softened. One by one, chinchilla operations faded away. Meat goats for the ethnic market have been promoted. Canada doesn’t raise enough sheep to even serve the domestic market for lamb. While some producers do well in these businesses, they take a lot of labour compared to grain farming. These days, producers in the grain business tend to look for ways to make their existing enterprise more profitable. Expansion of the land base through purchase and renting remains the prime strategy. Along with that comes the investment in new and improved equipment. High clearance self-propelled sprayers took over from the pull types years ago. Efficiency and capacity are the driving forces. Sprayer technology is advancing rapidly with more producers adopting green-on-brown systems to spray only the weeds, thereby saving costs. Green-on-green technology continues to develop, providing the ability for a sprayer to differentiate between the crop and the weeds. The main change in the crop mix over the past decade has been the establishment of soybeans in Manitoba. The predicted expansion of soybeans over a much wider footprint in Western Canada hasn’t occurred. Neither has any big expansion of grain corn. Crop varieties continue to improve, but a surprising number of producers stick with older varieties. Pod shatter resistant canola has dramatically reduced the number of producers using a swather. Some producers are well down the path of variable rate for fertilizer and crop protection products as a way to optimize inputs. There’s more soil testing and more attention to micronutrients. Unfortunately, the array of unproven “biological” products is a crapshoot on whether there’s actually a return on investment. There are still many producers with off-farm jobs as well as sideline businesses and those funds are often used to advance the farming operation. However, the allure of exotic diversification has faded away. There’s more profit potential with intensification of the grain farm. 10

Publishers

Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann

Editor

Lisa Johnston

Design

Cole Ottmann

Regular Contributors Vincent Cloutier Kevin Hursh Tammy Jones

Paul Kuntz Scott Shiels Tom Wolf

Copy Editor

Nerissa McNaughton

Sales

Pat Ottmann pat@farmingfortomorrow.ca 587-774-7619 Nancy Bielecki nancy@farmingfortomorrow.ca 587-774-7618 Chloe MacEachern chloe@farmingfortomorrow.ca 587-774-7622 /farming4tomorrow /FFTMagazine /farming-for-tomorrow /farmingfortomorrow WWW.FARMINGFORTOMORROW.CA Farming For Tomorrow is delivered to 90,720 farm and agribusiness addresses every second month. The areas of distribution include Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Peace region of B.C. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the content of any advertisement, and all representations of warranties made in such advertisements are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or in part, without the written permission of the publisher. Canadian Publications mail sales product agreement no. 41126516.

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INTRODUCING T H E PA S T, P R E S E N T A N D

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GRAIN MARKET ANALYSIS | WHERE WE ARE GOING

Where We Are Going Scott Shiels Scott grew up in Killarney, Man. and has been in the grain industry for 30 years. He has worked with Grain Millers Canada for 10 years and manages procurement for both conventional and organic oats for their Canadian operation. Scott is an elected board member for Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan and sits on several other committees on both the organic and conventional sides of the oat industry. Scott and his wife Jenn live on an acreage near Yorkton, Sask. Find out more at www.grainmillers.com.

With another harvest now in the rear-view mirror, much of what the industry is hearing is the Prairie crop was better than anticipated. Prices have slowly eroded throughout the fall and into the early winter, as supplies have continued to outpace demand. Crop yields, in general, were actually quite good considering much of the western Canadian growing region was in drought, or near drought, conditions. The quality of the crop this year was also better than expected, save for a good portion of the Saskatchewan malt barley crop, which ended up with a considerable amount of chitted (pre-sprouting) kernels. After seeing prices reach nearly $20 a bushel back in the summer for canola, prices have fallen into the mid-teens, and are showing no real signs of recovering. The canola crop, much like the rest of the ones grown on the Prairies, mostly exceeded expectations this harvest, putting a lot of pressure on that market. Outside markets, such as eastern Europe, and soybean markets around the globe, haven’t yet done canola any favours either. There has been some expectation that the war in Ukraine would eventually start to push oilseed markets higher, but so far that has not occurred. I think it is going to be interesting to see what acreage does this spring if we don’t have some kind of rally in canola prices for next year. If we are talking $15 canola versus $9 wheat and $5 oats, we may see cereal acreage stealing from canola in 2024 as opposed to the opposite which has been happening for years. Wheat and oats are definitely two important crops to watch in 2024. Wheat prices have fallen some, but seem to have stabilized in late 2023. Global wheat supplies are tight, and the USDA WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates) November report estimates that world production will decline this year due to lower production in countries such as India, Argentina and Brazil. Russia is expected to have a slightly larger crop this year, but that will not be enough to offset lower production around the world. Oat acreage fell by around 50 per cent in 2023 from the year before, but record carryout and a better than expected crop on the acreage that was seeded seems to be enough to keep oat prices from rocketing higher like they did in 2021. However, the oat industry cannot withstand another drop in acreage, or even a flat to moderately higher seeded acreage this spring. Demand for oats, and oat products, continues to grow, and with that we will need to see a fairly substantial increase in plantings this year to keep up with that pace. Prices for oats in 2024-25 will need to be competitive with wheat and barley to encourage this increase, so look for bullish oat markets going into the new crop year. All in all, the markets are looking a little bearish in oilseeds and bullish in cereals. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some outside factors that could change this in a heartbeat, but from what we can see today, this is where we are going. Until next time…

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DEVISED ON THE PRAIRIES. FOR THE PRAIRIES. Our new homegrown pre-seed herbicide gets the toughest weeds. Inspired by our local herbicide team, new Smoulder® was designed to manage the most difficult weeds that thrive out here. It provides burndown of emerged weeds – even tough perennials and resistant weeds – as well as residual control of secondary flushes of volunteer canola. In short, this prime example of Prairie ingenuity delivers everything you want in a pre-seed herbicide ahead of wheat and barley. Visit agsolutions.ca/pre-seed to learn more about Smoulder and the rest of the BASF pre-seed herbicide portfolio, including Certitude® and Voraxor®.

SECTION | TITLE | INSIGHT FOR UPCOMING GROWING SEASON SUSTAINABILITY

Insight for Upcoming Growing Season By Becky Zimmer

With harvest in the bin for 2023, now is the time for farmers to reflect on the past growing season and prepare for spring seeding. Todd Hyra, western business manager with SeCan, has been doing just that, by analyzing what varieties have done the best for grain growers across the Prairies. Even with such a varied growing season this past year, Hyra says supply of good quality grain is looking strong for the next round of seeding. “All in all, it was a much better year than it was in 2022, so the volumes of good quality seed in general seem to be much better. There’s always a few areas that are a little tighter than others, but for the most part, there’s a good supply of good quality seed available for 2024.” There has been some discussion lately over hollow stemmed and solid stemmed durum varieties. AAC Stronghold and AAC Grainland are two solid stemmed Canada Western Amber Durum varieties that have been popular over the last few years. With wheat stem sawflies being a continual concern to grain growers, and durum stems being the perfect place for the adults to plant their larvae, solid stem durums have stood up to insect pressure. 14

According to SeCan’s technical bulletins for both varieties, AAC Grainland has been a good fit for farmers in dryland areas; however, if grown under irrigation, SeCan recommends using a growth regulator, and AAC Stronghold has been “a good fit in all durum growing areas of Western Canada,” having a higher grain yield over the AAC Strongfield benchmark. Both varieties were developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre through Dr. Y. Ruan. Even though solid stemmed varieties have some advantages over sawfly pressure, CDC Vantta has surprised some growers. Developed at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources’ Crop Development Centre (CDC) by wheat breeder Dr. Curtis Pozniak, CDC Vantta is “resistant to leaf and stripe rusts, common bunt, and expresses high yellow pigment in the grain which is a soughtafter trait for high-quality pasta,” according to a release from the university back in April. Hyra says it is also shouldering the sawfly pressure very well. According to Hyra, the pith inside the stems is enough to deter the insect, but does not hinder straw management for the grain grower. “When the insect goes to try and lay its eggs

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varieties to our ever-growing lineup. AAC Planet is a yellow pea with improved yields, protein, excellent lodging scores and resistance to powdery mildew. Another new variety is CDC Citrine, which is also a yellow pea. This variety was the top-yielding pea in the 2021 MCVET. In addition to its high yields, it also has very good standability and improved protein potential.

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In addition to these two varieties, AB Dram Malt Barley and Tadeus Winter Triticale were launched in the fall of 2023 and are great additions to the Canadian Prairies. To view SeedNet’s entire lineup of exclusive varieties, visit www.seednet.ca.

SUSTAINABILITY | INSIGHT FOR UPCOMING GROWING SEASON up and down the stem, it has trouble dealing with the material in the stem. It’s a mechanical barrier that really helps reduce the population and helps manage the insect.” Both AAC Wheatland VB and AAC Starbuck VB are short strawed, midge tolerant red spring wheat varieties that have garnered a loyal following. Hyra says both are performing well across a wide growing region. “Something like a Wheatland tends to be the favourite for those that really push fertility and require the best lodging resistance they can get,” he notes. “Starbuck, on the other hand, has got a MR (moderately resistant) rating to fusarium (fusarium head blight). It’s favoured in high moisture areas where fusarium has been a problem in the past.” According to SeCan’s technical bulletin, both varieties have developed a strong tolerance to orange wheat blossom midge and both are also seeing yields between 12 to 14 per cent higher than AC Carberry. Sales of the varietal blend for both varieties will be a 90/10 split with AAC Brandon, a midge susceptible variety that will provide a “refuge area for non-virulent midge to survive at low levels, thereby extending the useful life of the Sm1 midge tolerance gene.”

“When the insect goes to try and lay its eggs up and down the stem, it has trouble dealing with the material in the stem. It’s a mechanical barrier that really helps reduce the population and helps manage the insect.” - Todd Hyra Both varieties were developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Swift Current Research and Development Centre through Dr. Richard Cuthbert. Brennan McArthur farms near Watrous, Sask., both as a commercial and pedigree grain grower with his business, McArthur Ag Ventures. He saw a much better growing season compared to 2022, with a couple of new varieties in development, including some that will be ready for 2025.

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We believe our role is to take that feedback, streamline which new varieties to test drive in our geographic area and find out what could work best for them. Our focus has always been on being a step in the process of success on our customers farms, we can only do well if they are doing well. We enjoy meeting everyone and know its always a two-way street of exchanging knowledge and the passion for getting the crop in. At True Seeds, our commitment extends to offering a comprehensive range of seeds, including options for organic producers, livestock farmers, and commercial farmers alike. If you’re seeking a new seed option, we invite you to reach out to us. We’re here to provide tailored solutions and support growth on your farm.

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SUSTAINABILITY | INSIGHT FOR UPCOMING GROWING SEASON

For the upcoming season, McArthur is excited for a couple of ongoing varieties, including AAC Starbuck and AAC Hodge VB. According to FP Genetics, AAC Hodge has been the highest yielding Canada Western Red Spring to date, 17 per cent over the AC Carberry benchmark, and McArthur says they now have it available for sale as a certified crop after growing it at a registered status last year. CDC Fraser is also continuing to gain traction as the next big thing in barley varieties. According to the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre’s section in the 2023 SaskSeed Guide, Fraser has been growing in demand while varieties like Metcalfe (a top variety in previous years) weren’t even on their list. Copeland is also declining in popularity but is still seeing steady demand. “If (Fraser) truly replaces Metcalfe, there could be big demand for that on the malt side once it’s readily bought by everyone,” says McArthur, but as with most variety predictions, he is a “believe-it-when-I-see-it” kind of guy. For yellow pea varieties, McArthur says he has seen a lot of farmers make the switch from older varieties to AAC Chrome in the last few years. According to the FP Genetics fact sheet, this specific variety has been a strong performer across all three Prairie provinces with good lodging and powdery mildew resistance. This is their highest yielding pea variety to date, at “10 per cent higher than Agassiz and 14 per cent higher than CDC Golden over 22 station-years in the 2014-2015 Field Pea Cooperative Registration Test.” Another strong performer has been AAC Julius. With nine to 13 per cent over the AAC Lacombe benchmark, Julius has “increased protein content and sets a new benchmark for seed coat integrity.” With a smaller seed size, farmers are paying less for seed, but McArthur hasn’t built up his own supply yet. Depending on availability, this might be a new variety he’ll offer in the coming years, with maybe a few quarters planted in the upcoming growing season. Watrous is not a heavily seeded area for durum, being on the fringes of Davidson and Chamberlain, since fusarium is more of a problem in wetter growing areas. However, given the drought conditions across the Prairies, McArthur says producers in his area could have probably got away with growing older durum varieties these past few years. AAC Schrader has also been showing the highest fusarium resistance compared to other varieties, and McArthur is seeing that pick up in the southwest areas of Saskatchewan. 18

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ALBERTA CANOLA Since 1989, Alberta Canola has been committed to supporting the long-term success of canola farmers in Alberta through research, extension, consumer engagement, and advocacy. Every year, we invest in new research projects that have specific benefits to address the needs and concerns of canola growers. We fund an array of projects that focus on pest management, drought resistance, fertility, and market development to name a few. In recent years, management of disease, such as clubroot, has taken precedence. Ten of our currently funded projects reflect this. Alberta Canola has prioritized supporting projects aimed at developing climate-ready canola. Dr. Alicja Ziemienowicz at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge is working to develop biological nitrogen fixation in canola, which could reduce the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and increase crop rotation options. Other projects we fund aim to create improved canola varieties, such as one new project with Dr.

2ND ANNUAL

ALBERTA CANOLA CONFERENCE

Gavin Chen at the University of Alberta which aims to elevate canola yield, oil content, and protein content. Another project with Dr. Melissa Arcand at the University of Saskatchewan aims to quantify soil and fertilizer derived nitrogen sources and greenhouse gas emissions of canola hybrids. For more on these and other research projects visit: albertacanola.com/research Alberta Canola is working to improve how we engage with growers to ensure our research priorities address current and future challenges. The Alberta Canola Conference featuring a half day Research Symposium will be hosted in Grande Prairie in 2024. It offers a tremendous opportunity to focus on the needs of the Peace country. Growers and industry stakeholders are invited to learn more from a panel of our scientific partners about their projects, and most importantly, we want to hear from and answer any questions growers may have. Register now at: albertacanola.com/acc

DAY 2: Research Symposium Thursday January 25

Learn what these researchers are currently working on and provide direct input into Alberta Canola’s future research priorities.

January 24-25 | Pomeroy Hotel Grande Prairie

Dr. Shelley Hoover

University of Lethbridge

Clint Jurke

Canola Council of Canada

Jennifer Otani

AAFC Beaverlodge Research Farm

Join fellow canola farmers for this two-day event focused on canola markets, policy, management, and research.

DAY 1: 34th Annual General Meeting Wednesday January 24

Dr. Stephen Strelkov University of Alberta

Your opportunity to discuss and vote on the issues that impact the success of canola farming in Alberta.

For information and Conference registration, visit albertacanola.com/ACC

Dr. Kelly Turkington AAFC Lacombe Research Centre

There is no charge to attend.

albertacanola.com/ACC

Register now to vote at the Annual General Meeting in-person or virtually at albertacanola.com/vote The AGM is the only portion of the conference that will be accessible virtually.

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MCDOUGALL ACRES McDougall Acres is a Century family farm from Moose Jaw with a legacy spanning over four generations. Established in 1916, our farm has witnessed the evolution of agriculture in the region, embodying a tradition of excellence, resilience, and commitment to the land and community. As a trusted seed grower and distributor, McDougall Acres takes pride in offering a diverse portfolio of over 30 meticulously selected varieties, including wheat, durum, barley, oats, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and flax. Our approach is straightforward and impactful: we don’t just recommend seed; we share the ones we’ve personally tried and found to excel in real-world farming conditions. McDougall Acres acts as a reliable partner, offering insights and guidance grounded in three decades of no-till production.

Asia. Upholding the highest food safety standards, including industry certifications, an extensive sampling and testing program, supplier evaluations, and awareness, we ensure that the quality of our products meets and exceeds market expectations. Additionally, McDougall Acres plays a crucial role as a pet food ingredient supplier, actively purchasing pulses year-round. Our commitment to supporting growers and maintaining a reliable supply chain for our partners underscores our dedication to fostering a thriving agricultural community. Whether you are seeking the newest seed variety or looking to market your pulses, McDougall Acres is a committed partner in your farming success

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Every seed starts a story. Farming grows stories. When the rain comes or doesn’t, with the belly laughs over coffee and the late nights lit by flashlights over an old tractor… every year becomes a tale to be retold. We help good stories grow with the highest quality seed backed by committed retailers and years of research in yield, disease resistance, maturity and grain quality. Start writing the next chapter for your operation with Alliance Seed. Make it a great one.

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THOSE WILY WEEDS | ARE MORE WEEDS BECOMING WINTER ANNUALS?

Are More Weeds Becoming Winter Annuals? Tammy Jones B.Sc., P.Ag Tammy Jones completed her B.Sc. in crop protection at the University of Manitoba. She has more than 15 years of experience in the crops industry in Manitoba and Alberta, with a focus on agronomy. Tammy lives near Carman, Man., and spends her time scouting for weeds and working with cattle at the family farm in Napinka.

Fields greened up this fall, with more moisture in comparison to the dismal amount received during the growing season. Combine that with a winter that has started out somewhat less cold and snowy, and there is a high probability of weeds surviving and needing to be managed in the spring. It is common to find winter annual weeds, including stinkweed and shepherd’s purse, flixweed and narrow-leaved hawksbeard, to name a few. But looking in fields this September and October, there were several weeds with highly variable growth stages that have the potential to act as winter annuals, including night-flowering catchfly and American dragonhead (Figure 1 and Figure 2). Looking at a review of the recruitment biology of winter annual weeds that was conducted by Zahra Cici and Rene Van Acker (published in 2009 in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science), there was an extensive list of weeds that can act as winter annuals. In addition to the six culprits that were previously mentioned; others that are present in the Prairie region include cleavers, Canada fleabane, common groundsel, henbit, chickweed, prickly lettuce, bluebur, purslane speedwell and field violet. The list was surprisingly long! Winter annual weeds can be classified as “constitutive” (they are only able to germinate in the fall) or “facultative” (germination may occur at other times of the year, and then the weeds manage to survive the winter). A constitutive winter annual produces seeds that must be exposed to warm soil temperatures for several months before germinating. Based on the Cici and Van Acker review, none of the weeds listed are truly constitutive winter annuals, but rather opportunistic weeds that are making the most of the situation. That led to speculation by the authors to have other candidates added to the list of facultative winter annuals. Factoring in biological features, including season-long emergence and sufficient mechanisms to tolerate freezing temperatures, the terrifying suggestion for the next weed to act as a winter annual was … kochia. Pure speculation, but there was a time that cleavers were not well known for overwintering. They have certainly become more common with current management practices like decreasing tillage.

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THOSE WILY WEEDS | ARE MORE WEEDS BECOMING WINTER ANNUALS? The review of winter annual weeds provided a “problem potential rating” for 19 weeds common in Western Canada. Stinkweed and shepherd’s purse were assessed as being a high problem potential, which is consistently reflected by these weeds being present in many fields every year (fall and spring). More surprisingly, field violet was rated higher than many as potentially being problematic, above a more common weed like night-flowering catchfly, based on the authors’ analysis using predictors of fecundity (seed production) and seed longevity.

Figure 1: Fall germinating night-flowering catchfly.

Night-flowering catchfly does have a high rating for comparative seed production (about 2,500 seeds per plant) and a moderate seed survivability (generally about three years in the soil) that contribute to its success. The variable emergence (evidenced by the seedlings and rosettes that were present this fall) contributes to the probability of plants surviving until spring. In addition, plants will have successfully set seed, contributing to more seedlings emerging in the spring. This brings on the management challenge of variable growth stages. Tillage may be more effective at killing larger rosettes that have damaged leaves from overwintering, while newly emerged seedlings are more easily controlled with herbicides. There are some herbicides that are fairly effective in controlling reasonably sized night-flowering catchfly (Group 2, 6, 9 and 10). That being said, with larger rosettes and another flush of emerged seedlings, there is likely a need for a pre-seed herbicide as well as an effective in-crop treatment, if relying on herbicides alone. American dragonhead can sometimes be confused with hemp-nettle, but the leaf shape, more prostrate growth habit and the winter annual tendencies help to differentiate the two weed species. American dragonhead can be controlled with spring tillage and timely seeding as it is not that competitive. When tillage is removed from the management equation, there are limited options for herbicide control. This may be one of the reasons that there are more sightings of American dragonhead in crops. Looking at ways to enhance crop competitiveness will help reduce problems, but seed longevity on this weed is quite long, with greater than 60 per cent of the seeds remaining viable after 20 years of burial.

Figure 2: American dragonhead plant found in the same field.

Changes in management, such as reduced tillage, and changes in climate, such as less severe winters, are likely to contribute to better survivability of known winter annual species, but may also contribute to shifts in summer annual species to act more like facultative winter annuals. Monitoring and more fall weed management strategies, in conjunction with highly competitive crop rotations, are needed to prevent the “recruitment” of summer annuals to winter annuals. It would be awful to have kochia act as a winter annual, when it is already one of the most problematic weeds in Western Canada.

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COVER STORY | BUILDING A FARM FROM THE GROUND UP

BUILDING A

FARM FROM THE

GROUND UP Kevin Auch pays close attention to soil health By Angela Lovell Photography By George Clayton

COVER STORY Building a successful farm doesn’t always require following the latest trends or diversifying into multiple enterprises. Sometimes, it’s about making incremental changes that add up to a more productive, profitable and sustainable farm over the long run. For Kevin Auch, that has meant paying close attention to the practices that have improved soil health, while managing the business of his second-generation farm near Carmangay, Alberta where he grows cereals, pulses and oilseeds. When his dad, Don, moved the original family farm from Picture Butte to its current location in 1963 – the year Kevin was born – he paid a reasonable price for the land. It came with a catch: the farm’s sandy soils had been badly eroded in places due to previous tillage practices. His first order of business was preventing further damage before revitalizing its productivity. Without the products of today (that have enabled farmers to employ no till) Don had to be creative. He grew fall rye and heavy straw crops so he could leave the soil covered most of the time, tilling minimally and only when absolutely necessary. “I was brought up with this attitude of let’s keep our soil around because this is highly erodible soil, so we have to be careful with it,” Auch says. “That was the management mindset right from when I was growing up.”

Always ready to try new things Auch emphasizes that he and Don were not innovators but they were always keen to try new practices and ideas that they thought would improve the farm’s soils and bottom line. “When you’re trying to fix up a farm that’s had its productivity lowered because of erosion, you don’t have the finances to be able to do the latest and greatest, but we were early adopters,” he says. “If something looked like it was a promising technology, we were right in there, so when no till started taking off, we were into it fairly quickly because we could see the benefits of it.” Ever since completing his agriculture degree at the University of Alberta, Auch has maintained an avid interest in academia. He has worked with research scientists over the years, trying to be on the leading edge of how to practically apply new practices and technologies on the farm. Today, some of the tools Auch has at his disposal (such as crop protection products and no-till seeding equipment) are very different, but the principles of soil management remain the same. “We have some great crop protection products like glyphosate. That means we can do the equivalent of a tillage application to kill all the weeds without having to disturb the soil, and till all the 29

COVER STORY | BUILDING A FARM FROM THE GROUND UP straw under and disturb the microbiome in the soil,” he says. Today, Auch uses specialized equipment like a Shelbourne stripper header that doesn’t cut the plant, but strips off the seed-bearing portion (the pods in the case of canola, peas and chickpeas, and seeds in wheat and other cereals), leaving behind a plant stalk that is still attached to the roots in the ground to provide much taller standing stubble. To seed into that kind of stubble – which can be as much as three-feet high – Auch uses a Pillar disc/hoe opener that can seed through heavy residue and maintain the protective plant material on top of the soil to prevent moisture loss and wind erosion.

Building soil health As with more and more farmers, Auch has learned just how valuable the soil fauna and flora are to build and maintain the productive capacity of his soils. “As we have adopted no till we have seen a lot more life in the soil,” he says. “There’s more earthworms but there’s also all the other micro-organisms that have rapidly increased in populations. That helps the productivity of the soil because it builds extra organic matter and improves the soil structure, so we get better water holding and infiltration capacity.” That said, he knows there is a delicate balance between using today’s technologies and abusing them. “In the agricultural community, we are starting to see resistances to glyphosate and some of our other crop protection products and it’s because we aren’t rotating them enough,” he says. “Resistance is a natural thing. If you use a crop protection product, you’re always going to have some degree of survivability with weeds. And if you overuse it, you just amplify the speed at which resistant populations appear and thrive in your crops, so we need to rotate those chemistries.” Auch achieves this by practicing crop rotation – waiting at least five years before growing the same crop (and using the relevant chemical product for that crop) again. “If you grow different crops, you have to use different types of crop protection products on them and they have different modes of action for controlling the weeds,” he says. “I’ve had that in my mind for decades now; how to not create those resistances.” This strategy has also allowed him to drastically reduce the amount of fungicide he uses on the farm. Auch has learned the value of soil flora and fauna to build and maintain the productive capacity of his soils.

“The disease cycle requires a host, the right environment and presence of the pest, and when you have all three, you have an outbreak. I remove the host crop and it doesn’t come back in

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COVER STORY | BUILDING A FARM FROM THE GROUND UP

After many years of focusing on building organic material in the soil, Auch believes he has finally achieved a balance that is starting to show itself in the areas of better fertilizer efficiency and consistent crop yields.

for five years,” he says. “I don’t have control over the environment or the pest, but I can control the host and that’s what we’re doing here.”

Building resilience Auch’s farm management includes many practices out in the field, including no till, long crop rotations and leaving the soil protected. All these moving parts work together to ensure the farm is productive. “We have to be able to do all the things we are doing and still make a profit and the fact that I’ve put so much effort into trying to reclaim soil productivity and soil health has made us a lot more profitable,” he says. As an example, 2023 was a dry year that reminded him of 1988, an equally dry year when he was just getting settled into his farming career. At that time, they used to summer fallow, which was their only real option to conserve the tiny amount of moisture received. Despite their best efforts, Auch and his dad only managed a 12 bushels/acre wheat crop on the best of those fields. This year, with similar conditions, but a regime of no till and maintaining a thatch of residue on top of the ground, they were able to get an average of 29 bushels/acre on their spring wheat and 17 bushels/acre of durum wheat, which was their worst yield. 32

“Although it’s a terrible yield – about half of our average for durum – the fact that it did anything on a year like this shows the value of the things we are doing,” Auch says. “There is enough organic matter in there, and enough cover on top to protect it that the soil moisture stays there until the plants use it, and that’s a huge change.”

Not easy to be patient After many years of focusing on building organic matter and organisms in his soils, Auch believes he has finally achieved a balance that is starting to show itself in areas such as better fertilizer efficiency and consistent crop yields. But that took a long time and it wasn’t easy to be patient when he set out on this journey. For the first few years, Auch wasn’t getting the full value from the fertilizer he was putting on his crops because, as the soil fauna populations increased, they were also using those nutrients, so there wasn’t as much going to the plants. He now feels he has reached a stasis point where the soil life population has stabilized and is cycling those nutrients back into the soil in a highly plant-available form. “In those first five years, I was putting on all this fertilizer, and not getting the benefit, but that was 25 years ago, and the benefits are showing today and for the last 20 years,” Auch says.

COVER STORY | BUILDING A FARM FROM THE GROUND UP

“Don’t just rely on your accountant to tell you if it’s a good business decision,” he says. “Accountants are great at accounting, but they aren’t always trained in running your business. Get yourself educated on at least the basics of financial management.” - Kevin Auch “If you took the average, we are achieving probably 10 times the productivity that we were in 1988, just by the combination of practices that we’ve adopted over the last four decades.” Auch continues incorporating new practices that he thinks will hold some benefit to his farming system, like intercropping flax and chickpeas. He’s been intercropping on about 160 acres over the past four years as he’s seen promising research into its benefits for reducing disease and aiding more uniform crop maturity. He’s still trying to find the perfect balance of seeding rate but he has already reduced his fungicide use under irrigation from three to one application.

Paying attention to the numbers Just as important as the agronomy is the work Auch does in his office, making sure that the business management side of things is not neglected. In fact, he believes that farmers have to be business managers first and foremost. “I’m interested in agronomy and how to make the farm more productive but without that business acumen, how are you going to pay the bills?” he asks. According to Auch, who also taught courses in financial management for Alberta Agriculture at Lethbridge College for several years, it’s not just vitally important to make sure you can pay the bills, but that your lender knows it too. “You have to understand the business part of it,” he says. “My banker doesn’t care if my soil health is going up if I’m not making my payments. When I started farming, I was teaching at the college and we weren’t making a lot of extra money, so when I was buying anything, it was always financed. When I went to the banker, I had run the numbers, and I could say this is my need, here’s why, here’s the financial aspects to it, here’s what the return is going to be, and this is how I plan to pay it off.” Auch encourages farmers to learn as much about the financial aspect of their businesses as they can. “Don’t just rely on your accountant to tell you if it’s a good business decision,” he says. “Accountants are great at accounting, but they aren’t always trained in running your business. Get yourself educated on at least the basics of financial management.” 34

Being an advocate for agriculture Auch, who is chair of Pulse Canada and a director with the Alberta Pulse Growers, also believes that farmers advocating for agriculture is important to help ensure policymakers better understand today’s farming methods and the impact their decisions will have at the farm level. He recently hosted a group of senators from the Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee on his farm to teach them about soil health. “It was the first time that Senator [Robert] Black, who chairs the subcommittee, had come to an actual farm in Western Canada, and kudos to him and the other senators for having the interest to come out and for wanting to learn more about agriculture in Western Canada,” Auch says. “When real farmers can have a relationship, or at least some communication with the people who are involved in policy development and implementation in our governments, then at least they understand better what can be done.” Auch sees lots of upside potential for the agricultural industry, especially in the area of technology, which he believes many farmers could be leveraging more to benefit their operations. “There is a lot of technology that we have right now that farmers aren’t using to its full capability, such as georeferencing and traceability of production,” he says. “Rather than paying a consultant to give you a prescription based on something that you don’t understand, why not be able to look at a yield map of your own farm and use that information to either improve the rest of the farm to get up to the high yielding areas or fixing those spots that are low yielding because you know what is going on.” The farm has grown from 2,000 acres since his dad purchased it to just over 5,000 today. Auch says he hasn’t been aggressive about acquiring more land because his son and daughter, who are both pursuing professional careers in Edmonton and Calgary, are not likely to return to farm. Auch isn’t against the idea of a non-family transition though, but there is a caveat: he would only consider handing the reins over to someone with the same mindset that he and his dad have always had. “Whoever I would work with the next time would have to have at least some of the attitude towards soil quality that I do,” he says. “I don’t want to see it go back to what it was in the 1930s.”

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SUCCESSION | STARTING THE SUCCESSION PLANNING DISCUSSION

Starting the Succession Planning Discussion By Becky Zimmer

Donavon Block admits he wasn’t the first member of his family to talk about the future of his farm near LeRoy, Sask. At 63 years old, Block knew he wasn’t going to be farming forever, and out of his three children, his son was ready to take over. The ensuing conversations around succession planning were awkward, but thanks to his son’s insistence, everything was sorted out “sooner rather than later.” “I’m so glad we’ve gone through it and it wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be,” he admits. With his wife’s retirement from a long-term care facility mirroring his own and the sale of the farm’s cattle herd, it was the perfect time to step away and spend more time with their grandchildren in Steinbach, Man. Having those plans in place, and retiring when his operation was successful, has made things a whole lot easier, he says. “Twenty-five years ago, when you could hardly rent out your lands for the taxes and nobody wanted to farm the land and interest rates were higher and grain prices were low, it was tough to talk about succession planning,” he says, recalling an old joke that it was considered child abuse to leave your farm to your children. After going through the process, Block admits every situation is different. However, his advice remains the same: get at it as soon as possible. 36

According to a recent report from RBC Royal Bank, 40 per cent of farmers plan to retire within the next 10 years. Yet, 66 per cent do not have a succession plan in place. As a business advisor at Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Annessa Good-Hassard works with her clients throughout their succession journey, mapping out the different goals for all the members of the operation and defining the success of the transitions. However, getting the discussion started in the most respectful way for both the junior and senior members of the operation is the biggest challenge. Succession planning is an ongoing conversation – a marathon, not a sprint – and for her and her clients, all the steps and tasks to achieve that successful fair and equitable outcome can be overwhelming for everyone involved. “That’s where we come in. In our role, we try to say, ‘how do we be really specific on what we can tackle at what time?’ Then we kind of triage (the situation).” Good-Hassard is no stranger to these challenges, having gone through the succession process with her dad, Merle. Merle was even invited to become part of the discussion on FCC’s Knowledge podcast, with the entire third season dedicated to succession planning. When they first started talking about his retirement, Good-Hassard says he took some questions as a challenge instead of a genuine interest in the answer.

STARTING THE SUCCESSION PLANNING DISCUSSION | SUCCESSION

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SUCCESSION | STARTING THE SUCCESSION PLANNING DISCUSSION

Not only was this an opportunity for Merle to examine his own conversation skills, but Good-Hassard looked for different ways of asking questions without triggering such an instant negative reaction. However, this is a common problem, as both generations are learning the best ways to communicate. Good-Hassard is constantly looking for new information on improving communication and heard some valuable advice when listening to a podcast. The podcast was a negotiator talking about how to ask people questions. “He said, when you ask why, people immediately get defensive. I thought that was really interesting, because this was the first time I’d heard it put that way. And so, he said, use your other four Ws.” Setting up those formal meetings, even with an agenda written up beforehand with each family member, can really open up the lines of communication with everyone feeling heard and represented. Meetings stay on track and everyone knows what topics will be discussed. Good-Hassard says that farmers from both generations need support in these tough conversations. Finding professionals for succession planning is an important decision to make early on. Not only are these members of the team going to provide much-needed financial and legal advice, but they can also keep the conversation going at the most difficult times. “Maybe dad’s not going to listen to me, but he’ll listen to our financial planner or we’ll get some guidance or advice from our marketing team,” adds Good-Hassard. “Who’s on our team who can help spur some of these conversations as well?” Sharing information and expertise with her clients, GoodHassard is a huge fan of proactive communication with family members sharing information and developing a plan for how that is done. Being proactive about decision-making instead of reactive as situations arise can save people from taking matters too personally. When family members react to something said or done, the situation feels like a personal attack, which can lead to growing tension. FCC has their own conversation starter sheet for these discussions where everyone’s expectations are considered, like what roles family members will take on during the process, what roles they want to play on the farm, and what everyone’s expectations are. Sometimes those answers are pretty surprising, as it can be the first time family members voice their thoughts on what they want the transition to look like. From a senior generation’s perspective, living arrangements, financial support and how much time they want to spend on the farm can all be awkward conversations, leading to a more drawn-out and difficult process. 38

STARTING THE SUCCESSION PLANNING DISCUSSION | SUCCESSION

While Good-Hassard has a lot of grace and empathy for both sides of the succession equation, she notes the entire process has changed from how it worked decades ago. This outgoing generation is the first to have such a formal process for retiring from their farms, she explains, especially given the growing scale of operations across the Prairies. Because of this, these conversations need to start sooner rather than later, and everyone’s timelines – whether that be the age they want to retire or the number of years they want to take to settle the transition – is going to look different. According to Good-Hassard, roles within the operation, especially with spouses and off-farm siblings, are part of these expectations with who’s taking on certain roles or who’s putting in the time and effort to be a part of the operation. This is when FCC uses a common Venn diagram to help everyone map it out: who’s a part of the business, who’s part of the ownership and who just belongs in the family circle. Those lines can blur quickly, says Good-Hassard, and managing people’s expectations and feelings is as important as managing financial goals.

“I do think that if you alienate or ostracize, you’re making just as many situations as if there’s 10 cooks in the kitchen.” When those conversations get tense, Good-Hassard takes a step back and looks at the common goals that connect the different family members. Much of the time, the main idea that sticks out for her is protection. “From the senior generation’s perspective … they’re sharing with me: ‘We want to protect ourselves and make sure we have a secure retirement income. We’ve worked way too hard for that. So, protect ourselves, our vision, our goals and our financial realities. We want to protect our children in every way, shape and form. We want to protect our land, our legacy.’” If those lines of communication continue to break down, Good-Hassard is a firm believer in bringing in a mediator as part of the farm’s professional team. This way, they can act as a third-party bridge and get those lines of communication open again. No matter what the situation, family dynamic or size, professional advisors, including those at FCC, can help get the conversation going.

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SECTION SPRAYING | TITLE 101 | AGRITECHNICA

Agritechnica What’s the fuss all about?

Tom Wolf, PhD, P.Ag. Tom Wolf grew up on a grain farm in southern Manitoba. He obtained his BSA and M.Sc. (Plant Science) at the University of Manitoba and his PhD (Agronomy) at Ohio State University. Tom was a research scientist with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada for 17 years before forming AgriMetrix, an agricultural research company that he now operates in Saskatoon. He specializes in spray drift, pesticide efficacy and sprayer tank cleanout, and conducts research and training on these topics throughout Canada. Tom sits on the Board of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association, is an active member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and is a member and past president of the Canadian Weed Science Society.

The week of November 12 was Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany. Hosted every two years, the world’s largest agricultural machinery show always takes place at this location, which happens to also be the world’s largest exhibition area. It was immense by any standard. The grounds themselves covered about 1.5 square kilometres and measured nearly one mile diagonally across. Twenty halls were used. Of these, Hall 9 covered seven acres dedicated largely to spraying equipment. Hall 20 was a brisk 15-minute walk away. Best take the bus because every second counted. If you like equipment, you’d get your fill there. I attended for three days. Sunday and Monday were more expensive, but offered an opportunity for smaller crowds and therefore more detailed conversations. Also, the top brass of the larger firms were expected to be in attendance and possibly accessible. Tuesday was the first regular day and the crowds grew commensurately. Without an exhibitor pass, you waited in line at one of the four or so entry points with thousands of others. It was best to bring a book. As a sprayer specialist, I spent most of my time looking at what that sector had to offer. But as a farmer at heart, I also kept an eye out for other things. Here are my observations: 1. Spot sprays were everywhere. A novelty in 2019 (the last time Agritechnica was held due to the pandemic), about four or five companies displayed their spotty hopes and dreams. Four years later, we counted about 17, most with commercial products you could buy. Another half-dozen or so were not at the show. These products were largely green-ongreen capable, but were often hybrid in that they used row sensing to spray just between

AGRITECHNICA | SPRAYING 101

Figure 1: The closely spaced nozzles of the Ecorobotix sprayer offer high-resolution and likely high-maintenance spraying.

The week of November 12 was Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany. Hosted every two years, the world’s largest agricultural machinery show always takes place at this location. row crops. A green-on-brown system could likely achieve similar results. Questions on weed size thresholds were often vaguely answered, but this is a very important point for farmers who cannot afford misses. An interesting system was offered by Ecorobotix, a Swiss firm whose spot sprayer was capable of spraying six-centimetre by sixcentimetre squares. This level of resolution, coupled with safe-zone perimeters, could permit the use of nonselective products in a crop. Bayer offered a similar product, the MagicSprayer, but with four-centimetre resolution. The company wants to couple new registrations to this application method, creating

Figure 2: Multiple nozzle bodies remain popular in Europe despite inroads made by PWM.

Figure 3: The use of a conductive solution sprayed in advance of these electric terminals permits a much lower energy use to desiccate potato vines.

SPRAYING 101 | AGRITECHNICA opportunities that require less crop safety, for example. Get your nozzle brushes ready. 2. Pulse width modulation is growing. Europe is a latecomer to PWM, with a lack of regulatory approval and the establishment of pneumatic multi-nozzle bodies having a firm foothold. But having cleared some of these hurdles, PWM was being offered by the likes of Raven, TeeJet, Albuz, Gevasol, BBLeap and others. We even saw generic PWM valves for sale. The regulators have tested PWM in wind tunnels and the data indicates that spray drift increases somewhat when nozzles are pulsed, but not always. Figure 4: Dutch sprayer manufacturer Kverneland intends to market its products in North America.

Figure 5: Closed transfer will be a reality for European applicators. Many versions of the dispenser are already available.

Figure 6: Equipment keeps getting larger. Little emphasis was placed on tendering systems at Agritechnica. 42

3. The New Green Deal/Farm to Fork strategy is driving much of the observed change in the pest management business. Planned for implementation by 2030, this European Commission initiative calls for a 50 per cent reduction in pesticide use by 2030. The response by the industry? Spot sprays, lasers, row sensing, tillage, robots, electric weed control, cover crops and the like. And speaking of tillage, there were seemingly hundreds of exhibitors with tillage and seeding equipment. Powered by diesel engines, exploring alternate fuels. But the electric tractor had no real presence, limited to small units or at best hybrids. 4. The German government has, for some years now, offered subsidies to farmers who purchased sprayers that received approval from their federal testing centre, the Julius Kuhn Institute (JKI) in Braunschweig. These subsidies were generous, amounting to 40 per cent of the purchase price. Not everyone who applied received these; they were awarded by lottery. But the subsidies did spurn a ramping up of productive capacity among the largest European manufacturers with Agrifac, Amazone, Horsch and Kverneland among them. With these subsidies ending in 2024, these manufacturers will look to the export market. Estimated cost of shipping a sprayer across the ocean is $40,000. But these sprayers may have feature sets that make sense here, and are among the largest machines in the world, many with 1,600 to 2,100 U.S. gallon tanks and 160-foot booms. The competition is welcome. 5. Europe is moving towards a closed transfer system (CTS) standard in the near future. CTS endeavours to eliminate pesticide spills and operator exposure. Jugs will be fitted with a universal adaptor that provides a dry seal to a dispensing unit. The jug can be emptied and rinsed, or partly emptied and kept sealed. Dispensing speeds vary and are a bottleneck, so to speak. But the standard is being noticed and may make its way across the Atlantic. 6. Some very large equipment was on display from all sectors. A Dammann sprayer boasted a 20,000 litre (5,300 U.S. gallon) tank and three axles. The New Holland CR11

AGRITECHNICA | SPRAYING 101

Figure 7: Agriculture remains a close-knit industry where good personal relationships thrive.

combine featured a 775-horsepower motor and a 50-foot MacDon header. The Nexat toolbar concept had two 550 horsepower motors and a 200-horsepower electric motor at the wheels. It acts as a seeder, sprayer, harvester and tillage machine using permanent tramlines up to 24 metres (78 inches) apart. This concept utilizes the principles of controlled traffic farming (CTF), minimizing soil compaction despite its massive size. 7. Many small companies pitched their unique solutions to various problems. Robotics were everywhere, as orchard sprayers, field cultivators and the like. Digital solutions were abundant, offering ISOBUS compatibility and one-stop equipment monitoring and agronomic decision-making. Canadian companies were present at the Canadian Pavilion, with seeding equipment, harvest seed destruction, sprayer tendering (Free Form Plastic Products) and nozzles (Wilger Industries). Other nations had their own pavilions to help get a sense of what was being produced in their countries. Even in a faraway city, the social nature of our industry was evident, with many meetups and shared experiences over a beverage. The hospitality element of Agritechnica is noteworthy. Many exhibitors offered beverages and food to visitors, some had places to sit and visit. The generosity was no doubt expensive to the vendors, but it again showed that the nature of our business is very relationship driven. It was great to be there.

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SECTION |YOUR FARMING TITLE MONEY | HOW TO START FARMING

How to Start Farming Paul Kuntz Paul Kuntz is the owner of Wheatland Financial. He offers financial consulting and debt broker services. Kuntz is also an advisor with Global Ag Risk Solutions. He can be reached through wheatlandfinancial.ca.

Recently U.S. President Joe Biden made a speech in Minnesota regarding a farm bill in which he talked about keeping the family farm going. Part of his speech touched on how everyone should have the ability to start farming. This created some conversation in the ag community. It got me thinking about Western Canada and what opportunities there are to start farming. The most common comments I hear about this subject is that no young person can start farming today. I think this is incorrect. We do need to define farming and we need to put this all in context of our economy today. If your definition of farming is growing 10,000 acres of crop that you seeded with your new quad track and 80-foot drill, then you are correct, you cannot start farming. If your idea of farming is owning 500 cows that graze on your owned land, then you are also correct that you cannot start farming. The agriculture industry in no different from most other commercial enterprises. If you want to work in the food service business, you will not start by buying an established five-star restaurant. If you want to work in the electrical industry, your first move would not be to buy a warehouse, a fleet of service trucks and hire a dozen electricians. Regardless of the industry, you will need to start small and work your way up. Our misguided expectations come from the state of the agriculture economy a few years ago. If you go back to the ’90s and early 2000s, you could buy a quarter section of land for $30,000 to $40,000 almost anywhere in Saskatchewan. You could work off the farm and help pay for it. It was realistic that you could start farming and immediately start buying land. What most do not understand is that when you bought that quarter section for $30,000, you could not make any money. Our ag industry was so terrible that there was zero profit. In fact, there were stacks of evidence to show you would lose money farming. That is why land was so inexpensive.

HOW TO START FARMING | FARMING YOUR MONEY

Fast forward to today and there is profit. Even before the commodity prices spiked, there was profit in grains, pulses and oilseeds. We all want to buy farmland and farm it because there is profit. I would bet you $1 that if you wanted to set up a videotape rental business, it would be very inexpensive. You could buy all the VHS tapes and VCRs for little money. I would also bet $1 that you would lose money. There are ways to start farming today but you need to be patient and creative. One way to start is to go work for a farmer. Find a farm that you would want to be a part of. It can be grain or livestock or both. Find one that matches your passion. Put in some years and prove that you are an irreplaceable employee. Once you have done that, have a meeting with the owners and ask if there is a way you can participate in the ownership of the farm. There are many ways this can happen. If the owners understand how valuable you are, they will work with you. If it is a large operation, you may never own the whole farm, but you could still own a part of that business. If you are working on a ranch, ask if you can buy some animals and bring them into the operation. You will have to work out arrangements for feed and grazing but a good ranch owner will appreciate that you want to be a part of the industry beyond an employee. Another way you can start grain farming is to find some land to rent and then hire some of the local farmers to custom farm it

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FARMING YOUR MONEY | HOW TO START FARMING for you. This has some risk and most likely you will not make much money, but without owning anything, you can grow a crop. You can experience the agronomy required for seed selection, fertility, weed control, disease control and insect control. You can experience grain marketing and budgeting. Obtaining a line of credit at a local ag retail is relatively easy as long as you have excellent credit. You will also be able to participate in crop insurance to offset some risk. If you want to own and raise livestock, buy an acreage. Instead of living in the city, buy a property that is zoned for agriculture that is reasonably close to where you work. It needs to be bigger than one acre but realistically, you should be able to find properties that are 20 acres or maybe even 40 acres. If you want to buy this type of property right outside of Calgary, I do not think it will be feasible, but if you buy an acreage just outside of Vegreville, Alta., or Portage la Prairie, Man., I think it would be reasonable. You can raise a few cows on these acres. You can hire out the breeding with AI so you do not need a bull. You can buy hay so you do not need extra land to grow it. You can buy small square bales so you do not need a tractor to haul them. Another option would be sheep or goats. This type of livestock venture might not make you a lot of money, but you will be farming. The opportunity to work for a farmer, or rent farmland, or buy an acreage might not be available where you live. If you are serious about this, you may have to relocate. There are no barriers to entry for agriculture. You do not need to pass a test. You do not need a special licence. Anyone

can become a farmer immediately. I am amazed that I can call a grain elevator, give them my name and contact information, and I can immediately contract grain to them. I can arrange delivery and go in and pick up the cheque. No one will question anything. If you want to sell calves, you will need to get registered with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and get some ear tags. But there is nothing stopping you from completing this administrative task. If you want to be in an industry where you work on livestock, you need to go to university for at least seven years and pass multiple tests to become a veterinarian. If you want to own livestock, you just have to go and buy them. If you want to transport grain in a semi, you need to take a special course, pass written and practical tests to obtain a designated licence, and then apprentice under an experienced driver. If you want to grow the grain that gets hauled by the semi, nothing is stopping you. It is easy to list reasons why we cannot do something. It is easy to compare yourself to the child of a multigenerational farm who is getting brought into the operation. Not all of us are that lucky, some of us have to start from scratch. In my opinion, there is no other industry that compares to agriculture. Being a farmer is the best job/life anyone can have. It may take patience, dedication and hard work to become a farmer, but it is worth it.

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