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ENTREPRENEURS IN AGRICULTURE
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20 09 10 14 30 36
oat Markets by Scott Shiels
44
A Farmer’s Viewpoint
Getting a farming start by Kevin Hursh
Land Development
Prairie land values in 2070 by Madeleine Baerg
Pricing Forecast by Natalie Noble
51
Fertilizer
Act Now
by Geoff Geddes
KEVIN HURSH
46 48
Commodity Marketing
TREVOR BACQUE 6
42
Grain Market Analysis
TAMMY JONES
Legacy builder By Trevor Bacque
Farming Your Money
Zero Till Saves the 2019 Crop by Paul Kuntz Spraying 101
Does the Pull-Type Sprayer have a Place on our Farms? by Tom Wolf News & Innovations
The Farmer’s New Workhorse Those Wily Weeds
Harvest is yet another scouting opportunity by Tammy Jones News & Innovations
North America’s Full-Line Agriculture Manufacturer
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SCOTT SHIELS
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Publishers
Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann
Editor
Trevor Bacque
Design
Cole Ottmann
Regular Contributors Kevin Hursh
Tammy Jones Paul Kuntz
Copy EditorS Nikki Gouthro Lisa Johnston
Scott Shiels Tom Wolf
Nerissa McNaughton
Sales
Pat Ottmann pat@farmingfortomorrow.ca Phone: 587-774-7619 Dennis Dowd dennis@farmingfortomorrow.ca Phone: 306-230-0654
Administration & accounting Nancy Bielecki Phone: 587-774-7618 1025 -101 6 Ave SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3P4
/farming4tomorrow /FFTMagazine /farming-for-tomorrow /farmingfortomorrow WWW.FARMINGFORTOMORROW.CA Farming For Tomorrow is delivered to 98,000 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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OAT MARKETS | GRAIN MARKET ANALYSIS
oat Markets I want to take this time to talk about oat markets, specifically, a couple of areas where we are seeing growth and opportunity, not only for us on the milling side, but also for the producers that are growing the grain.
Scott Shiels Scott grew up in Killarney, Man., and has been in the grain industry for more than 25 years. He has been with Grain Millers Canada for five years, doing both conventional and organic grain procurement as well as marketing for their mills. Scott lives in Abernethy, Sask., with his wife Jenn. www.grainmillers.com
For many years, oats were almost an afterthought on many farms. They were what you seeded when it got too late to seed anything else. Oats were the crop that you really didn’t put any fertilizer with or worry about herbicides. Today, for most oat producers, that is simply not the case. Oats are being seeded earlier and earlier. Fertility packages are being used and becoming more sophisticated year after year. Granted, oats are still a relatively cheap crop to grow, as seed is not too pricey and the fertilizer levels that are recommended are still quite low compared to other crops. Many growers have added micro-nutrients to their fertilizer and upped the potash levels on their oats. As a result, they are reporting success in both yield and quality increases with these practices. With the increase in seeded acreage of oats, yield potential with newer varieties and practices, there comes a need for increased markets for these oats. Fortunately, two new sub-markets are helping to fill this void, the Gluten Free market and the Oat Milk market! Both have seen a surge in demand, which has benefitted oat growers across the Prairies. Prices have been boosted up a little, but the bigger benefit is in the increasing demand for high quality milling oats. On the Gluten Free side, the Celiac market is only a small portion of the demand. Today’s consumer is increasingly concerned with the quality of the food they are buying, and many are choosing to consume less gluten. Oats are inherently gluten free, it is the wheat, barley and other gluten containing grains that can cause an issue. Because of this, certain millers have developed production models to help growers produce gluten free oats which are basically pure oats with no other gluten containing grains in them. Other millers have developed mechanical processes to eliminate the gluten containing grains in their cleaning systems, which also can produce gluten free finished products. The Oat Milk market is, to me at least, the much more exciting one as far as oat demand goes. Oat milk has been very popular in Europe for years, so much so that one company has created an entire dairy replacement line of oat-based products, including cream cheese, sour cream and ice cream! In this day of lactose intolerance and consumers looking for dairy alternatives, to me oat-based products make more sense than many of the other alternatives. Not only does the oat milk taste better, in my opinion, but oats are produced in a more sustainable way than almonds or soy, which require larger amounts of water, in the case of almonds, and overall inputs, in the case of soy. While there are other products out there trying to compete in the non-dairy markets that might be more sustainable than almonds or soy, they are not nearly as popular. These 2 important pieces of the oat demand puzzle will continue to grow in North America, hopefully leading to more oats being grown and to more lucrative opportunities for producers as we move forward. Until next time‌ 9
A FARMER’S VIEWPOINT | GETTING A FARMING START
Getting a farming start Many young men and women would love to farm. In fact, some are obsessed with it. It’s their lifelong dream and has them exploring non-conventional ways of getting started in the business. Kevin Hursh, P.Ag. Kevin Hursh is an agricultural consultant, journalist and farmer. He has been an agricultural commentator for more than 30 years, serving as editor for Farm Credit Canada’s national bi‑monthly magazine AgriSuccess, and writing regular columns for Canada’s top agricultural publications. Kevin is a well-known speaker at agricultural conferences and conventions. Kevin and his wife Marlene own and operate a grain farm near Cabri in southwestern Saskatchewan, growing a wide array of crops. Twitter: @KevinHursh1
The traditional route to establishing your own viable farm is through family involvement. It used to be that the farm was passed along by Dad and Mom to one or more sons. Increasingly, that gender bias is disappearing and daughters are starting to be treated more equitably in the succession discussion. Without significant family support it’s difficult and some would say impossible to build a viable farm operation. Exceptions exist where people are able to acquire enough capital in off farm activities to gradually get a start. This seems to work best with specialized niche production where capital requirements may be lower and margins might be higher. In conventional grains, oilseeds and pulse crops, cow-calf operations and dairies, the capital requirements are generally so large that without family assistance it’s a long hard climb to reach anything approaching a viable size. Land and quota costs are both above their productive value. In other words, they are very difficult to pay for based on the production they allow. Renting land is a common way to start, but competitive forces often push rental rates to unrealistic levels and machinery isn’t cheap to buy or maintain. Sometimes you see advertisements for a young farmer who is looking to buy or rent land. The hope is that someone will give a young person a break. I’m surprised by how many people I’ve met who want to farm and who come from a farming family, but it isn’t working out. Another sibling is the chosen one or the entire family dynamic is messed up and no one gets along or the outgoing generations doesn’t accept the fact that they won’t live forever. There are also situations where the existing family farm doesn’t have enough equity to give the next generation a break. The retiring generation needs all they can get from the farm to fund their retirement.
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A FARMER’S VIEWPOINT | GETTING A FARMING START
Another even more common way to become a farmer is to marry into it. Traditionally, it has been the wife marrying a farming husband, but it occurs the other way too. In fact, some guys with no farm experience have become farmers through their choice of life partner. When your own farming family isn’t willing or able to give you a start, what’s a young person to do? Some are looking for opportunities to work for a farmer and gradually leverage their labour and time into their own viable farm. It’s a little like being adopted as an adult into a farming family. Some farms have no successor, but the owners would rather see it passed along to a young up and comer rather than being sold to the highest bidder. They may be a number of years from retirement, but in the meantime they need someone reliable to help with all the work.
Farming for tomorrow-3.375x4.75
These arrangements aren’t always planned. Often they just evolve out of a favourable farm labour situation. Perhaps we need more sophisticated matchmaking services to bring non-family members into succession discussions with farmers who want to see their operations carry on rather than being gobbled up by large players. Another even more common way to become a farmer is to marry into it. Traditionally, it has been the wife marrying a farming husband, but it occurs the other way too. In fact, some guys with no farm experience have become farmers through their choice of life partner. Often both the wife and husband come from farming families, but due to logistics and / or family circumstances, they farm with one side or the other. Choosing your spouse based on whether it offers an opportunity to farm doesn’t sound like the formula for a happy and lasting relationship. Hopefully, love comes before business. Not many years ago you’d hear people lament that young people just don’t want to farm anymore. That certainly isn’t true today. Lots of young people want to farm, but many of them can’t figure out how to get a start.
Quality structures to meet all your needs. UFA.com/Quote
© 2019 UFA Co-operative Ltd. All rights reserved. 13460
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2019-07-18 9:34 AM
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Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. These products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from these products can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for these products. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Agricultural herbicides containing glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate, and those containing dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Contact your Bayer dealer or call the Bayer technical support line at 1-800667-4944 for recommended Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System weed control programs. Bayer and the Bayer Cross Design, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Xtend® and VaporGrip® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group, Monsanto Canada ULC licensee. ©2019 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.
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LAND DEVELOPMENT | PRAIRIE LAND VALUES IN 2070
Prairie land values in 2070 A long look into what the future will hold two generations from now
By Madeleine Baerg
Prairie farmland remains some of the cheapest per acre real estate in Canada’s southern half. The inevitable questions will always arise, though. How much will land be worth next year and what will other land cost if a farmer seeks to expand? Forget the next year, two years, five years, or even 20 years. Let’s shine up the crystal ball for 50-year scenarios.
Looking backwards to look forward According to Farm Credit Canada’s 2018 Farmland Value Report, farmland value rose an average of 7.4 per cent in each of Alberta and Saskatchewan and 3.2 per cent in Manitoba last year. East-central Saskatchewan again posted the lowest price for Prairie farmland at an average of $1,475/acre, though this region gained a strong 11.6 per cent in value over 2017. Southern Alberta posted the Prairies’ highest farmland value at an average of $6,157/ac, as well as the Prairies’ highest percent gain in value at 12.7 per cent year over year. The gains of 2018 are hardly an anomaly. Over the past 25 years, farmland values have increased an average of 8.2 per cent per year in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Manitoba has increased 7.7 per cent per year. Panning even further back to a 50-year historical view, gains still average between seven and eight per cent annually across the Prairies. Sébastien Pouliot, a principal agricultural economist with Farm Credit Canada, says it’s fair to assume that Prairie farmland’s pricing trajectory will continue over the long-term. “In the next 50 years, we can expect periods where the growth rate is lower and periods where the growth rates are high, but overall, I’d expect about 7.5 per cent growth (annually),” he says. “If you compare to other assets, that’s what you’d get from investing in the Dow Jones.” 14
We are deeply thankful and grateful for our farmers and extend to you our best wishes. May you enjoy a safe and bountiful harvest and Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving in Saskatchewan Thanksgiving is one of the most important times of the year for us. The harvest is typically complete and it truly is time to give thanks for the crop in the bin. Family and extended family gravitate back to the farm and that means time spent together playing cards, board games, throwing a football, baking and eating, and just sitting around connecting with loved ones. There are also the family projects that we’ll all tackle together, whether it’s simply fixing that drawer that never ran straight or building an entire new porch. Thanksgiving is being grateful and spending time with family. From everyone at Hammond Realty we hope the time together with your family this Thanksgiving is meaningful and memorable. If the topic turns to retirement or farmland and you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and put our Acres of Expertise to work for you.
Ag Real Estate Services • • • • • • •
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Teamwork At Hammond Realty, we strongly believe in a team approach to providing solutions and obtaining results. Our sales professionals recognize that we can achieve more together as a team than we can as individuals. Teamwork divides the task and doubles the success. Teamwork creates higher quality outcomes that are more efficient, thoughtful, and effective. When you hire Hammond Realty, our entire team of farmland professionals is working for you.
2018 calendar year: 122 Sales 2019 calendar year (Jan-July): 97 Sales www.HammondRealty.ca provides maximum internet exposure for farm listings. In the past 12 months our website has generated hits from 105,373 unique visitors. We also have confidential non-advertised farms listed for sale that might interest you. Call us for more information.
Grant Anderson
Murray Arnold
Wade Berlinic
Rosetown, SK
Yorkton, SK
(306) 831-9214
(306) 621-5018
Tim Hammond
Kevin Jarrett
Dave Molberg
Biggar, SK
Saskatoon, SK
Biggar, SK
(306) 948-5052
(306) 441-4152
Yorkton, SK
(306) 641-4667
(306) 948-4478
Anne Morrow
Alex Morrow
Dallas Pike
South East, South Central
South East, East Central
Regina/Swift Current
(306) 435-6617
(306) 434-8780
(306) 500-1407
Saskatchewan’s Ag Real Estate Professionals For the most up-to-date listings, please visit our website
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LAND DEVELOPMENT | PRAIRIE LAND VALUES IN 2070
“Fifty years is interesting. Within 50 years a couple big things are going to happen that we haven’t experienced before. It’s very hard to say exactly what their impact will be on Prairie farmland value.” - Trevor Birchall massively scaling up production in the next 30 years. Because land prices are tied to commodity prices, it makes sense that such enormous, unprecedented and rapid growth in production would force agricultural land’s valuation higher.
Above: Trevor Birchall is an agricultural land appraiser with Serecon in
Edmonton, Alta., and believes that farmland values farmers should be strategic with land purchases when taking a multi-generational look at the economics of Western Canada’s farmland. Courtesy of Trevor Birchall
Brave new world The world is moving into uncharted territory on several fronts: the global population is exploding, demand for commodities is being influenced by new factors such as bio-plastics, and Canadian Prairie land values (when compared in 2019 dollars) are significantly higher than they’ve ever been before. Could any of these factors push farmland valuation away from historical norms? Trevor Birchall, an agricultural land appraiser with Serecon in Edmonton, Alta., thinks potentially yes. “Fifty years is interesting. Within 50 years a couple big things are going to happen that we haven’t experienced before. It’s very hard to say exactly what their impact will be [on Prairie farmland value],” he says. The biggest upcoming changes relate, not surprisingly, to commodity supply and demand fundamentals. The global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Widely accepted opinion, based on both US and UN research, says that to stave off mass hunger, the world’s farmers will need to double food output by increasing productive land and 16
Then again, perhaps not. The calculation that says we’ll need to double food production is based on 2005 crop yields. A recalculation based on 2014 crop yields, as published in Bioscience in 2017, shows food production must only increase by between 25 and 70 per cent from 2014 levels to adequately feed those 9.7 billion. Given the huge yield gains already achieved—the researchers point out that global cereal production jumped 24 per cent between 2005 and 2014—we may already be comfortably on track to feed our growing world. Canada is among those leading the yield-gain charge. According to Statistics Canada, average spring wheat yield across the country this decade is 3.17 tonnes/hectare, up 72 per cent from the 1.83 tonnes/hectare average yield reported in the 1980s. Other crops have similarly jumped in yield over the past 30 years: canola yields are up 69 per cent up over yields in the ‘80s, soybeans are up 23 per cent, and pulses are up 43 per cent. Meanwhile, land prices over the same few decades have averaged close to historical norms, suggesting they may continue to remain on a consistent trajectory even as additional yield gains are achieved over the coming decades. The biggest wildcard in commodity supply and demand over the long-term may prove to be regenerative fibres and fuels: bio-fuels, bio-degradable bio-plastics, alternative fibres and more. Currently, most agricultural land is used to grow commodities destined for human or animal consumption. That could change. Demand for land, and potentially its corresponding price per acre, may soon rise significantly if bio-plastics gain market-share the way their backers anticipate. One start-up bio-plastic manufacturer recently estimated that more than 300 million acres of canola would have to be harvested to manufacture enough of a key bio-plastic component to satisfy the global plastic market.
OBSOLETE COLLECTION CAMPAIGN 2019
Got unwanted pesticides or livestock/equine medications? Farmers: safely dispose of unwanted or obsolete agricultural pesticides and livestock/equine medications – no charge! Take them to the following locations on the dates noted between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PEACE REGION
NORTHERN ALBERTA
DAWSON CREEK October 17 Richardson Pioneer 250-782-9264
ALIX October 9 Richardson Pioneer 403-747-3000
FALHER October 17 St. Isidore Coop 780-837-2205
ALLIANCE October 9 Meadowland Ag + Chem LTD 403-741-8963
FORT ST. JOHN October 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions 250-785-3445 GRANDE PRAIRIE October 18 UFA 780-532-1281 RYCROFT October 18 Cargill 780-765-3771 ST. ISIDORE October 16 St. Isidore Coop 780-624-3121
BARRHEAD October 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions 780-674-3511 BENALTO October 7 Benalto Agri Services 403-746-2012 BOYLE October 9 Nutrien Ag Solutions 780-689-3650 CAMROSE October 11 UFA Camrose Farm Store 780-672-1115
EDGERTON October 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions 780-755-3734 KILLAM October 7 Nutrien Ag Solutions 780-3852230
MANITOBA PROVOST October 8 Richardson Pioneer 780-753-2511
ARNAUD October 24 GJ Chemical 204-427-2337
ROSALIND October 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions 780-375-3966
BALDUR October 25 Pembina Coop 204-535-2598
LACOMBE October 10 Richardson Pioneer 403-782-9554
SMOKY LAKE October 8 Nutrien Ag Solutions 780-656-4343
LAMONT October 7 Richardson Pioneer 587-987-8973
ST. PAUL October 8 UFA 780-645-7700
LEDUC October 11 Cargill Ag Horizons 780-985-3601
TWO HILLS October 7 UFA 780-657-3333
LEGAL October 11 Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers 780-961-3088
VERMILION October 9 Cargill 780-853-3200
PENHOLD October 8 Nutrien Ag Solutions 403-886-4326
VIKING October 11 Cargill 780-336-2292
BEAUSEJOUR October 21 Nutrien Ag Solutions 204-268-3497 BRANDON October 23 Richardson Pioneer 204-727-5353 CARMAN October 22 Nutrien Ag Solutions 204-745-3939 GLADSTONE October 25 Nutrien Ag Solutions 204-385-2349 GROSSE ISLE October 23 Nutrien Ag Solutions 204-467-8026
GRAND VIEW October 24 Richardson Pioneer Grand Plains 204-546-2800
STE. AGATHE October 25 Nutrien Ag Solutions 204-882-2567
HARTNEY October 22 Redfern Farm Services 204-858-2038
SWAN LAKE October 21 Pembina Coop 204-836-2109
INGLIS October 22 Jackson Seeds 204-564-2293
SWAN RIVER October 23 New Era Ag Technologies 204-734-6222
MINTO October 24 Pembina Coop 204-776-2353
TEULON October 22 Willis Agro 204-461-0386
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE October 24 Portage Agri Sales 204-857-7838
VIRDEN October 21 Redfern Farm Services 204-748-1122
SHOAL LAKE October 21 Shur-gro Farm Services 204-759-4240
WINKLER October 23 Nutrien Ag Solutions 204-325-6498
STARBUCK October 25 Richardson Pioneer 204-735-2302
PARTNERS Next Cleanfarms collection in these areas in fall 2022. Go to Cleanfarms.ca to find out when collections for unwanted materials are scheduled next for your region.
For more information: 1-877-622-4460
cleanfarms.ca
LAND DEVELOPMENT | PRAIRIE LAND VALUES IN 2070 “You can’t turn on the news right now without hearing about plastics. Bio-plastics would be huge,” says Birchall. That said, additional land is being shifted into productive farm land, which could decrease pricing pressure. Marginal land domestically and globally is being made productive through new technologies and innovation, especially in Russia and Brazil. Whether the increase in global farmable acres translates to a change in Canadian farmland value remains to be seen. Among the bigger questions regarding commodity pricing— and, consequently, land values—is: what happens after 2050? Global population predictions vary widely. With increasing affluence in certain second- and third-world countries pushing birth rates down, various experts argue the world may reach peak population and peak food demand in the next 30 to 40 years. Following peak population, our global population could start to drop. “There’s a chance that we’ll see a decrease in consumption, which could really blow the economics of farming out the window,” says Birchall. One other rarely considered factor could further dampen demand for commodities, he adds. Currently, between 30 and 50 per cent of all food produced is wasted. Several global initiatives are underway to reduce this waste. The success of these or similar efforts could increase commodity availability, decreasing the intensity of demand for land. “Every per cent of food that can be saved and consumed instead of discarded may have an effect on how much is demanded from the producer,” says Birchall. Alongside changes to commodity supply and demand, a new
Photo: Farmland values have gained an average of seven to eight per cent
factor may prove increasingly pivotal to land valuation: sustainability. Canada—home to clean water, healthy soils and well-managed farming—is well-positioned to benefit as global consumers start to prioritize not just what is produced but how it is produced. As such, demand for Canadian agricultural products and its farmland may outstrip demand elsewhere, pushing prices upwards. Meanwhile, ecosystem goods and services may become a viable income stream for Canadian farmers. Increasing acres’ return and even potentially decoupling some acres’ prices from the traditional commodities that land produces. For example, marginal, currently low-priced agricultural land might become suddenly more valuable if landholders start to be better compensated for capturing carbon, conserving riparian areas, protecting upstream water, and other actions that benefit society. With various fundamentals potentially pushing land valuation in competing directions, it’s worth asking whether farmers should buy or sell land. That question is compounded by the fact that commodity pricing has been strong of late and some anticipate a near-term rebalancing of the market. “I don’t see the level of appreciation [that we’ve seen over the short-term] being sustainable. I don’t see deflationary pressures, but we are seeing a slow down in some areas,” says Birchall. “My recommendation going forward is maybe I wouldn’t buy up everything counting on it to appreciate. I wouldn’t recommend a mad purchasing spree strategy for the next cycle. Be strategic. It has to make business sense from a consolidation or business case perspective. If it puts you out of business now, it won’t matter [what the price of the asset is] in 50 years.”
annually across the prairies over the past 50 years. Courtesy of Farm Credit Canada
18
Harvest is here and thankfully your TruFlex™ canola with Roundup Ready® Technology left you with an amazingly clean crop. So now you’ve got a little extra time to babysit some of your other fields.
READY WHEN YOU ARE Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. These products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from these products can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for these products. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Bayer, Bayer Cross Design, Roundup Ready® and TruFlex™ are trademarks of Bayer Group, Monsanto Canada ULC licensee. ©2019 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.
COVER STORY | LEGACY BUILDER
LEGACY BUILDER By Trevor Bacque | Photography by Stephanie Styles
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LEGACY BUILDER | COVER STORY
Saskatchewan farmer successfully adds independent retails onto thriving farm What makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning? If you pose the question to 10 people you may receive 10 unique answers. If one of those people is Brad Hanmer, it’s almost a guarantee what he’ll say: people. The 46-year-old farmer-entrepreneur is part owner of Hanmer Seeds Ltd and the driving force behind SynergyAG, a network of eight independent retails across Saskatchewan and Alberta. To him, the people at the farm, which include parents Ron and Dianne, brothers Kent and Dallas as well as his wife Bonnie and children, have him beyond excited to get out of bed every day and head to work. Hanmer’s enthusiasm is contagious. The family, farm hands and retail employees are all committed and have genuine pride in their work. All that hard work began more than 110 years ago in 1905 when the land was homesteaded. Hanmer’s great grandfather William Hanmer was an English immigrant who, along with two childhood friends, hopped on a transatlantic boat ride before ultimately ending up in Winnipeg, Man. At 18, he was the epitome of many Canadian cities at the time—young, ambitious and ready to carve out a new life for himself. The trio found employment by hand-digging the storm channel encircling present-day Winnipeg. After working long enough and hard enough, the young men had enough money between them to select one to venture farther west to Regina. One of William’s friends was selected, he hopped on the train and headed West with one three-way goal in mind: find homesteads for he and his friends. Upon disembarking at Regina’s central station, William walked 100 kilometres north to where the farm sits today, in Govan, Sask., wedged exactly halfway between the capital city and Humboldt in central Saskatchewan. The stakes William shoved into the earth more than 110 years ago represent land that is still both in the family and farmed to this day. Currently the farm is into its fourth generation, soon-to-befifth, thanks to the Hanmers’ children as well as their nieces and nephews. Hanmer brims with pride when he talks about extending the family’s rich agrarian tradition on the now34,000-acre farm. 21
COVER STORY | LEGACY BUILDER
Photo: Brad Hanmer came back to farming full-time in 1996 and has works with his parents and two brothers to make their Govan, Sask., farm both productive and profitable. Photography by Stephanie Styles
“There’s two things that I appreciate in my world: farmland and the people. My parents had the belief to bring their sons back to the farm and did that by using their equity and co-management to do this.” - Brad Hanmer “There’s two things that I appreciate in my world: farmland and the people,” he says. “[My parents] had the belief to bring their sons back to the farm and did that by using their equity and co-management to do this. They know full well it’s not just about me, but it’s about my brothers and all the other people we work with.”
pedigreed seed production in the 1950s, which it has remained to this day. Upon getting his hands dirty full-time, Hanmer was part of one of two large expansions. His initial purchase of land was a single quarter in 1991, bringing the total size to 4,800 acres. However, in 1997 the farm more than doubled to 10,000 acres. As the family has continued to steadily increase its landbase, they had two key expansions over the next 10 years that made the operation financially viable for all the families involved. Of those days, Hanmer recalls, “It just takes a lot more coordination when you are trying to scale up, especially when you don’t have the capital out of the get go. We had to use fewer resources to make it work.” However, not content to just push the same program forward, Hanmer reached a critical mass where his love of people and sharing his agronomic knowledge hit a fork in the road.
Hanmer returned to the farm full time in 1996 after completing a bachelor’s degree in ag economics at the University of Saskatchewan. Kent and Dallas have been on the farm full-time since 1992 and 2002, respectively.
A businessman himself, Hanmer knew there was market demand to fill a role as an independent voice and he set out to create a western Canadian retail chain. He posits there is a strong desire to do business with independent retails and believes that gives him an authentic perspective when dealing with customers seeking product information or agronomic advice.
The farm, which began as a regular grain operation, shifted into
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COVER STORY | LEGACY BUILDER
Photo: Brad Hamner began Synergy AG in the fall of 2016, launching four outlets in
Saskatchewan. Today, there are eight outlets between Saskatchewan and Alberta, all providing an independent retail option to grain farmers. Photography by Stephanie Styles
purchaser of crop inputs myself, we just felt that we could give a unique customized approach to retail,” he says. “When you’re independent and living and breathing in your community, you have a very intimate knowledge of the customer. It’s people dealing with people.” The people aspect of the business, which Hanmer cherishes, made it a natural choice to create a business that reflected how he, Bonnie and their co-founding business partner Dave Fuller work with the broader agricultural community in many areas. They created SynergyAG in the fall of 2016 and launched the next spring, immediately announcing four locations out of the gate. Today, less than three years later, his retail presence has doubled to eight stores, seven in Saskatchewan and one in Alberta. The name itself is likewise a reflection of how Hanmer views 21st century agriculture. The ‘AG’ of SynergyAG stands for his three values: Accelerating Growth, Advancing Genetics and Amending Ground. “The business is about the synergy of people firing together but also a reflection of the concept in ag,” he says. “In order for ag 24
to be successful, it’s a synergy of all the pieces that go into crop production. It’s more than growing a crop or driving tractors up and down the field. It’s people and primary production.” The eight retail locations are strategically placed following careful consideration of where certain pockets of ag are and where they felt there was a market opportunity for independent retail. SynergyAG is a retailor of typical products such as seed genetics, crop protection, traditional and nontraditional crop nutrients. Lately he has jumped into the deep end of the precision ag pool. Precision ag is an umbrella term for getting the most of out any given farm field through advanced tracking and tools. This includes GPS which lends itself to accurate yield monitors, soil testing, tissue sampling, field prescriptions, zone management and data services. As a farmer himself, he and the staff provide first-hand accounts of what seeds, crop protection and crop nutrients will work well as well as where it fits best on farms. Although many people assume their farms must be of a certain size to have precision ag truly integrated on their farm, Hanmer
LEGACY BUILDER | COVER STORY how do we apply them on each individual farm? That’s where we come in.” Precision ag has multiple ways of getting from A to B, such as farm to farm or soil zone. Hanmer and his team dig deeper, focusing on field to field and/or zone to zone management. Further to that, farmers can get even more technical if they so choose and customize how an individual field could look if there are unique features such as drainage issues, hills, nutrient placement and soil remediation. Hanmer along with his team of trusted agronomists work directly with fellow farmers to dissect best management practices that are unique to that area. As well they offer insights into stewardship management, product selection and field scouting all in addition to planning.
Future Focus These days, where Hanmer finds himself really getting excited is when he looks at what modern agriculture will resemble in the next five years. He sees big implications for his retails and the family farm. To say the winds of change are blowing is a gross understatement in Hanmer’s mind. “The innovation that’s about to come into our industry is hyperbolic,” he says. “The rate of advancements of technology is about to blow the lid off it.”
“In order for ag to be successful, it’s a synergy of all the pieces that go into crop production. It’s more than growing a crop or driving tractors up and down the field. It’s people and primary production.” - Brad Hanmer says it doesn’t matter one iota what you have for fields, soil zones or an acre count. It’s what you do with the information that may boost your farm’s productivity. “Any farm can benefit from precision ag and what it means to their bottom line,” he says. “It’s not ‘just because, oh I am a small farmer, so I can’t be in.’ There’s different levels of what we need to do. We have more output with less input. When we move to more technologies that are scalable, the question is
Innovations and advancements within fertility, genetics and soil bio-stimulants have “game-changing potential” for western Canadian agriculture, according to Hanmer. “The amount of R &D getting dumped into ag is unprecedented. That whole piece is about to get real,” he says. Hanmer cites canola’s yield gains as a primary example over the last number of decades. As the yields continue to climb, it will only trigger more investment according to Hanmer, and that should make all farmers optimistic about the future. Of course, he’s quick to point out that despite new and emerging technological trends within production agriculture, there are many variables a farmer still is unable control from their smartphone. “We get it, things change on a dime, that’s agriculture,” he says. “There’s no industry that relies more on unknowns than we do. Weather and international markets, those are the decisions that farmers face every day.” Like others who have gone before him, Hanmer hopes to continue to position SynergyAG as another independent leader in Western Canada’s ag scene, a positive voice for growth both from a field and precision ag point of view. 25
COVER STORY | LEGACY BUILDER
“I truly am passionate about my family, my farm and the ag industry. Everything that I do above and beyond is centred around that because we are building the future for my nieces, nephews and kids. What I enjoy is the interpersonal aspect of life, it’s how I’m wired.” - Brad Hanmer “We want to be one of the key companies that communicate innovation,” he says. “We love it, it’s a passion.” The passion Hanmer speaks about doesn’t end at the farm gate, either. It’s a common sight to see Hanmer in the morning, blue jeans on, checking crops, getting dirt under his nails and working hard with his hands. The next day, it’s just as common to see he’ll have traded the denim for cotton trousers and a golf shirt, hands clean with a briefcase in one and his passport in the other, on his way to a board meeting to discuss ag policy .His experience is vast and memorable highlights include serving as the chair of the Biodiesel Association of Canada, a board member of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, the president of the Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association and a 10-year stint on Farm Credit Canada’s board. For a farmer managing an operation of this size, you might think its prudent he stay at home, working with the family on crops and fellow staff on the retail side, but that’s just not in his DNA. “I truly am passionate about my family, my farm and the ag industry,” he says. “Everything that I do above and beyond is centred around that because we are building the future for my nieces, nephews and kids. What I enjoy is the interpersonal aspect of life, it’s how I’m wired.” As a successful farmer and business operator, Hanmer deflects credit and instead pays tribute to the men and women around him, eschewing any accolades putting him above another. Photo: Brad Hanmer works hard on both his farm and Synergy AG
retails. However, he is also keen to help shape agricultural policy for Western Canada’s farmers and has sat on numerous producer associations, including the Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association. Photography by Stephanie Styles
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“I have a degree on my wall, but that doesn’t mean anything,” he says. “I have a PhD in networking. My family supported me along the way—my parents, my brothers, my wife and my kids—to give me the support to allow me to sit on boards and shape ag policy. It was a way to satisfy my passion for production agriculture.”
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PRICING FORECAST | COMMODITY MARKETING
Pricing Forecast
Production, global demand and trade politics likely to affect pricing for 2019 harvest By Natalie Noble
Production issues around the globe and increasing trade tensions are building uncertainty within Western Canadian crop markets. Usually a question of supply and demand, this harvest’s prices face more determining factors than the average year as crops come off the combine. Typically supply, in terms of crop acreage and yield, is the bigger swing factor in pricing predictions, where demand tends to fluctuate much less. Today is not so typical. “Since winter there’s been more than usual uncertainty on the demand side with the trade war between the U.S. and China, our own problems with China and our canola and in India with peas,” says Jonathon Driedger, senior market analyst for FarmLink Marketing Solutions. However, FarmLead CEO Brennan Turner says demand for canola outside of China, and the demand for high protein wheat, malting and feed barley has been looking more positive. “Relative to Agriculture Canada’s estimates, I think they’re low,” he says. Here’s how Driedger and Turner weighed in on crop pricing expectations for this fall, and beyond.
BY THE CROP The price outlook on canola is causing concern for a couple of reasons. Despite expectations for a smaller harvest this year, problems with exports to China left a lot of old crop available. In addition, the global soybean market is expected to remain well-supplied. “Even if there are weather issues in the U.S., South America had a big soybean crop,” says Driedger. “As long as relations with China remain murky and supply of soybeans stays strong, there’ll be concerns with canola. I’m a bit guarded to the downside with canola.” However, dry conditions across Saskatchewan likely mean a below average canola yield this fall, and Turner says this could open opportunity for farmers later in the year. “I think we might have a surprisingly low canola production year come September and that could catapult October and November highs for a more aggressive two-to-three-month rally,” he says. “We should be first filling our contracts and then probably not make another sale until maybe early November.” 30
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PRICING FORECAST | COMMODITY MARKETING While Canadian wheat prices will likely be similar to those of last year’s harvest, lower than expected production in key exporting countries like Russia and Australia could mean even better prospects. “The drought issues in Australia are ongoing, so the result is opportunity for Canadian wheat that Australia would usually own, especially in the Southeast Asian markets or even into Australia themselves,” says Turner. Feed barley is also expected to remain reasonably supported as demand looks to remain strong both domestically and internationally into winter.
His outlook for pulse pricing is relatively flat in the shorter term, but supportive in the longer term.
A GLOBAL GAME With so much of Canada’s crop production destined for export, world demand is a key player in the marketing game. Meanwhile trade politics are increasing uncertainty in varied and plentiful ways. For the longer-term perspective, analysts are looking at how the overall trade environment is going to evolve.
“The outlook for corn is stronger than last year and that helps lift grains overall in general. I think we’ll have a reasonably tight feed grain market in Western Canada,” says Driedger.
“Canola, Canada, China, Huawei and Trump; this is the headline stuff, but underneath it all we have an environment that is just less pro-trade than it has been,” says Driedger. “I view it as a structural concern that adds greater uncertainty. It’s hard to quantify how it might play out. We’re certainly watching this with great interest.”
For malting barley, little difference from the last several years is expected.
Developing markets overseas also affect Canada’s harvesttime prices.
“It seems like forever we’ve traded in a sideways range with malting barley and that outlook seems to be similar. The crop will be larger, so that’s not great for prices,” says Driedger. “Harvest quality will come into play, but demand is steady enough and I think we can expect a relatively flat outlook for malt barley.”
“The Black Sea has become more of a player in terms of lentils and pea production,” says Turner. “Their harvests tend to come off a little earlier than here in Western Canada, and this is another reason why around harvest time, we’re expecting prices that aren’t necessarily as attractive.”
Turner adds there were record barley and wheat exports as the 2018-19 season wrapped in July. “With that in mind, it should carry on at least into the start of the 2019-20 crop year and probably throughout it.” Like canola, pulse prices are also a big question mark this year. Canada’s two biggest customers are China, a multi-faceted political hot potato, and India, complete with trade barriers, tariffs and unstable import policies making uncertainty a believable certainty. While China continues to buy a lot of Canadian peas, a positive for the time being, ultimately it is India’s market that decides where prices go. Turner says pulse pricing will be a function of what happens in India for the monsoon season. “They’re starting to get more heavy rains and if there are production concerns in India for their pulse crop, they’ll probably relax some of those import tariff issues or lessen the degree of the severity of those tariffs.” That could mean an improved outlook further into 2020 as demand there and in other countries increases. It could also open the door for red lentils in the longer term. “This may not show up quite yet at harvest, but over time some of that demand may build in some of these importing countries so Canada can come to the global market in a bigger way,” says Driedger. 32
While there have been years with good pulse prices at harvest, it happens rarely and is usually caused by a demand rush or production issues. “Producers should grab those dollars if they see that upswing,” says Turner. “But for the most part, the September timeframe should be more about filling contracts than contracting for the first time.” Production issues around the globe can also open doors for Canada’s ag industry. Unable to satisfy their own domestic demand this year, Australia has had to import Canadian wheat and canola. “Because Canada and Australia tend to compete in a lot of different areas, but mainly barley, wheat and canola, I think there’s a healthy opportunity for those three crops considering that Australia is likely to remain in a drought for this third straight year,” says Turner. “The one area I’m probably most excited for is our wheat production.”
OVERCOMING UNCERTAINTY Even in challenging markets, opportunity is there for the taking for the prepared and proactive. One solution is to avoid typical seasonal lows through contracting. At harvest time markets are typically so well-supplied, prices tend to decline in early fall. “The first dynamic is that you shouldn’t really be selling off the combine. You should be filling contracts,” says Turner.
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PRICING FORECAST | COMMODITY MARKETING “There’s always a doubt around not being able to sell something until it’s actually produced, but when was the last time you didn’t produce at least 20 per cent of what you expected? Contracting even 20 per cent of expected production and capturing that higher premium available around May and June is what people should be looking to do. If you don’t, you’re bound to be locking in prices well below those values because of supply coming into the market in late August and September.”
Good marketing plans and risk-management approaches can also help farmers find opportunity through market volatility. “When markets do pop higher, farmers can create good selling, risk management and hedging opportunities even in a generally lacklustre price environment,” says Driedger. “Over the course of a year, you’re going to see decent selling opportunities at different times for the different crops on the farm. It requires discipline, attentiveness and a good farm plan, but opportunities do pop up.”
Western Canada seasonal canola prices courtesy of FarmLead
Western Canada seasonal HRS wheat prices courtesy of FarmLead
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Digging into discounts for fertilizer By Geoff Geddes
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Fertilizer is about N, P and K, but getting the best deal on it may be more about “ASAP.” If the early bird gets the worm, can the early buyer get dirt at a discount? Like most farmer expenses, fertilizer costs continue to rise, so discounts for buying in a timely manner are worth a look. “When you reflect on past years, farmers filling their fertilizer needs in the summer have typically saved $75 to $100 per tonne over buying the following spring,” says James Bauml, general manager of G-Mac’s AgTeam in Kindersley, Sask. “Logistically, it would be impossible to move all the required fertilizer to farm if all farmers waited until spring to take their fertilizer.” For that reason, fertilizer manufacturers tend to discount their product in the summer, fall and winter months to provide incentive for retails and farmers to take product prior to spring. “Having said that, the only certainty is that prices will change from summer to spring,” said Bauml. “Exactly when they change, and by how much, only time will tell. Factors like supply, logistics and foreign exchange can also play a role.” For farmers considering a fall purchase in the coming months, Bauml says they should expect to pay more than if they bought today, but less than waiting for spring. Though guarantees and hard and fast rules would be ideal to many, those elements are rare in farming, and the fertilizer field is no exception.
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Photo: Storage is front and centre at G-Mac’s 20,000 tonne, rail side, fertilizer distribution facility, opened April 1, 2019, in Brock, Sask. Photo credit: G-Mac’s AgTeam
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“Fertilizer is a globally traded product, so the realities of free trade and dynamics of supply and demand can sometimes throw the industry a curve ball,” says Dan Mulder, fertilizer director at Federated Co-operatives Limited in Winnipeg, Man. “The good news is that history tells us if you buy in the summer or fall at competitive prices, the odds are in your favour of paying significantly less for fertilizer on a per tonne basis than if you played the waiting game.”
Show me the savings How much can you save by planning? Like feed prices, that is hard to anticipate from year to year, and Mulder has seen savings “all over the map,” ranging from $20 to $25 per tonne to more than $100 per tonne. “If you look at the last couple of years, we were in a supplydriven marketplace where supply far outweighed demand on a global level,” says Mulder. “This year, we have moved more towards a supply–demand balance globally, and those buying in the early stages may see some good opportunities with urea and possibly phosphate.” Then there is the case of ammonium sulfate, which serves as a prime example of how world events can impact the farmer seeking savings. In 2018, Agrium and the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan merged to form Nutrien, now the world’s largest fertilizer company. Soon after, the company announced the shutdown of their phosphate production at the Redwater facility and conversion of that line to additional ammonium sulfate production. “This is changing the regional supply–demand dynamics for both these products going forward in opposite ways, increasing ammonium sulfate and eliminating phosphate. Consequently, we are getting mixed signals on ammonium sulfate,” said Mulder. “As a result, we are unsure how the forces of supply and demand will play out, so producers would be wise to exercise caution this year.” These days, caution could be the touchstone for farmers relying on the “buy early and pay less” method.
A world of difference “It used to be that fertilizer prices were domestically driven,” says Kelvin Feist, managing director of Canada for SackettWaconia and a 30-year veteran of the fertilizer business. “A farmer could buy fertilizer in the fall and be almost assured of getting it at the lowest price for that year. Today, you can see the latest price for urea instantly on your smartphone and it’s all governed by the global marketplace. Koch trades every day on urea, so you might buy it today and find it is $50 cheaper tomorrow and you’re out of luck. Technology has sped up the 38
“We have a full-time analyst that assesses the marketplace and provides weekly updates on developments in western Canadian, North American and global markets. Producers can then take that data and make an informed decision on the best time to buy.” - Dan Mulder cycles and made it harder to guarantee yourself the best deal. Now it’s more about timing the world markets than always acting in the summer or fall.” Timing can also be an issue when it comes to storing fertilizer for extended periods if it is purchased in advance. Long-term storage can cause fertilizer to harden and make it hard to extract without damaging the bin itself. “The main culprit in cases of longer storage times is humidity,” says Mulder. “When it’s quite humid, you must be aware that each fertilizer product draws moisture at a different relative humidity, and the lower their relative humidity, the more moisture they will draw. This means that products like phosphate with a high relative humidity are rarely a problem in storage, whereas ones that are slightly lower such as ammonium sulfate can sometimes cause trouble.” The real problem may occur with certain blending of products, as is the case with urea and ammonium sulfate. “When you blend these two substances, the relative humidity of the blend drops to a lower level than each of these products individually,” says Mulder. “To combat this, growers in more humid areas like Manitoba often hold off on taking fertilizer until the fall, when humidity tends to drop and they can safely put the fertilizer into storage. In provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta where humidity is less of a problem, they will often acquire fertilizer throughout the summer months and be okay.” While the product you’re storing is a key factor in preserving fertilizer, your means of storage is also important. Certain companies recommend a high-performance fertilizer carrier and drying agent. Such methods may improve flowability or reduce clumping often associated with humid conditions.
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©2019 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. , TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Offers valid in Canada only from September 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020. The terms and conditions may vary depending on your province, and these offers are subject to termination or change at any time without notice. See an authorized BRP dealer for details. † GET UP TO $1,800 ON SELECT 2019 DEFENDER MODELS: Eligible units are select new and unused 2019 Can-Am Defender models. Eligible buyers are agricultural businesses approved under the BRP AGRICULTURE & RANCH/FARMER PROGRAM. The eligible buyer of an eligible unit will receive a rebate of up to $1,800. Rebate amount depends on the model purchased. While quantities last. Other conditions may apply. See your dealer for details. †† GET 3-YEAR COVERAGE ON SELECT 2019 MODELS: Eligible units are select new and unused 2019 Can-Am Defender models. The buyer of an eligible 2019 model will receive a 6-month BRP Limited Warranty plus a 30-month B.E.S.T. Coverage. B.E.S.T. service contract is subject to a $50 deductible on each repair. For complete details, please see the BRP limited warranty and the B.E.S.T. contract at an authorised BRP dealer near you. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Carefully read the vehicle’s operator’s guide. Follow all instructional and safety material and observe applicable laws and regulations. Ride responsibly and safely. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. For complete details, see your authorized BRP dealer and visit can-am.brp.com.
FERTILIZER | ACT NOW
Photo: Early buying requires lots of storage, like these white fertilizer hopper bottom bins at the new Clearview Co-op retail site in Steinbach, Man. Photo credit: Federated Co-operatives Limited
Low-stress success Warnings aside, issues with long-term fertilizer storage are rare in Western Canada. Mulder can count on one hand the problems he sees, and most of those involve blends with urea and ammonium sulfate. He feels most farmers should be fine as long as they are aware of the blend, the time of year and the humidity conditions. Between the number crunching and product clumping, there is much to consider in forming your buying strategy. Perhaps the most critical element is one that farmers often try to avoid: asking for help. Mulder encourages people to speak with those whose job it is to keep up on such trends. It’s the same reason believes in having that information on hand when farmers coming calling. “Producers can then take that data and make an informed decision on the best time to buy,” he says.
“I know growers who bought smooth-walled hopper-bottom bins to store their fertilizer, and saved enough on buying product to pay for those bins.” - Dan Mulder says Cordelle Bell, manager of retail for G-Mac’s AgTeam. “You should then work with a retailer to set target yields and gauge the nutrients remaining in your soil. It’s a lot to cover, but the payoff is worth the effort.” Perhaps most importantly, farmers should not allow the unknowns around fertilizer buying times to keep them from reaping the rewards.
Farmers rarely build a strong business without planning, and the same applies to success with fertilizer.
“Farmers who have done early purchasing probably wind up ahead in eight out of 10 years,” says Mulder. “I know growers who bought smooth-walled hopper-bottom bins to store their fertilizer, and saved enough on buying product to pay for those bins.”
“If you know what you are going to grow next year, get a soil test and use it to assess the nutritional needs of your crops,”
It’s not often you get a “win-win” in farming, but for the early bird, it sure beats a worm.
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FARMING YOUR MONEY | ZERO TILL SAVES THE 2019 CROP
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Zero Till Saves the 2019 Crop The 2019 crop is not in the bin as I write this, but at least there is a crop that we can anticipate. A good portion of the prairies had dry conditions this spring. In June, most areas received rain. Some of the crops had suffered permanent damage at that point, but most were just delayed.
Paul Kuntz Paul Kuntz is the owner of Wheatland Financial and offers financial consulting and debt broker services. He can be reached through wheatlandfinancial.ca
There is no doubt that if conventional tillage practices were in place in 2019, there would have been significant crop damage by the time the rain came. With our minimum disturbance seeding systems, seeds were able to access the limited moisture that was there and begin the growing season. There would have been zero moisture if the fields were cultivated first. The seeds would have been placed into powder. As I drive around noticing the crops we have this year, I think about the history of seeding technology, specifically, how it has driven profitability and efficiency. Farms would not be where they are today and our agriculture industry would not be what it is without the advent of new seeding technology. Saskatchewan did not invent zero till seeding; however, Saskatchewan has, taken the seeding industry to the next level. There is no other region in the world that has affected large scale planting the way Saskatchewan has. For a province of just over one million people, we have been punching above our weight for over 30 years in the seeding equipment arena. Conserva Pak, hailing from Indian Head Saskatchewan, first displayed a zero till air drill at Farm Progress Show in 1984. That company went on to impact the seeding industry for many years. It still exists today but under a different name. In 2007 John Deere purchased the company. Flexicoil has been in the farm equipment manufacturing business since 1954. They started with a
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harrow packer machine but later went on to make air seeders and air drills. The Flexicoil 5000 air drill was a staple on many farms. Saskatoon is still home to a manufacturing plant but the company was sold to CNH in 2000. Bourgault has been a huge player in many types of farm equipment but they are known for their seeders. Operating in St. Brieux, Saskatchewan, this company first began in 1973. In 1981 the first air seeders from Bourgault were available. In 1995 they unveiled the mid row bander concept that was used on their zero till drills. This farm implement manufacturer started by Frank Bourgaut is still going strong today with the facilities in St Brieux. In 1992 Seed Hawk was formed in Langbank, Saskatchewan. That same year they displayed their machine at Farm Progress Show in Regina. Orders began to come in and manufacturing began. In 2007 they launched the 84’ drill which was the largest of its kind in the world. In 2008 they showed the farming world that overlapping during seeding would end forever with the release of their Sectional Control technology. The air drill would shut off sections once it went over a piece of ground that was already seeded. The company was sold in 2013 to Vaderstad Industries but the manufacturing plant remains in Langbank.
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Morris Industries is deeply rooted in Saskatchewan. This company was founded in 1929 by George Morris who was from Bangor, Sask. Although the company was based on the Rod Weeder product, they later went on to produce air seeders and now air drills. Manufacturing facilities are still in Yorkton, Sask., as well as other locations. In 2002 Seedmaster began. This Regina based manufacturing company produces zero till air drills. In 2017 they released DOT. This is an autonomous power platform that couples with other pieces of equipment. To go along with DOT, they have a 30’ Seedmaster drill implement. Saskatchewan is home to the first developed air drills and now we have the first autonomous unmanned air drill. Saskatchewan has been the birthplace of zero till air drills. It is impossible to go anywhere in the developed world where there is large scale agriculture and not find an air drill made in Saskatchewan. I would be proud if we had one company that manufactured air drills. It would be unique if we had 2 or 3 manufacturing plants. To have the number we have is simply amazing! The above list is just a small portion of companies that manufacture farm equipment in this province. The creative nature of Saskatchewan farmers is overwhelming. If necessity is the mother to inventions, Saskatchewan has an abundance of necessity! 43
SPRAYING 101 | DOES THE PULL-TYPE SPRAYER HAVE A PLACE ON OUR FARMS?
Does the Pull-Type Sprayer have a Place on our Farms? Tom Wolf, PhD, P.Ag.
The self-propelled sprayer revolution is complete in western Canada. Almost all sales of new equipment are self-propelled. In fact, the once thriving sector of Canadian-made pull-type sprayers, and the innovations they brought to spraying, has disappeared. In its place we have self-propelled sprayers that offer plenty of power, large tanks, high mobility and comfort, and of course, the clearance required for late-season sprays. These features come at a cost: high capital expense, weight, fuel consumption and drift potential if the speed or boom height are not controlled. The self-propelled machines are nice; however, customers are becoming concerned about overall value. Sure, the sprayer is the most-used piece of equipment on the farm, with the average field being treated four to five times per year. Does that justify the $500 to $700 k purchase price? To answer this question, we need to evaluate the alternatives. Even though we’ve lost most North American pull-type sprayer makers, a few, such as Top Air, are left. In addition, there are now several European manufacturers looking at our market. These bring large capacity, sophisticated booms plumbing and a narrow transport width. Let’s look at the issues:
Capacity Not a problem. Top Air features tanks up to 2400 gallons and 132’ booms. Amazone builds a 3000-gallon tank twin axle sprayer (UX11200) with 132’ booms. The 230 gpm on-board diaphragm pump can fill the sprayer in 15 minutes. The Hardi Commander offers tanks up to 2600 gallons with 132’ booms. The Horsch Leeb 8GS is at 2100 gallons with 138’ booms. Equipped with air brakes, these sprayers can be trailed at up to 50 km/h.
Clearance The pull-types themselves have adequate clearance for most crops. The limiting factor will be the tractor and the hitch point. The availability of a high hitch point, and an 80 mm ball, on 44
European tractors is a boon for this. Although it may be necessary to shield the low standard drawbar and belly, pull-type owners report no long-term effects from the lower clearance.
Tractor The pull-type sprayer makes most sense if it allows the repurposing of an existing tractor. The common yard tractor isn’t enough, as the high capacity sprayers may require >200 hp with front wheel assist, especially in softer ground or hilly terrain. Another requirement is that the track width match the sprayer, and the European standard of a 2.25 m track width (centre to centre) can be hard to match in North America. New rims on the sprayer can push the width out, but the resulting increased axle stress may be problematic; these issues should be considered in advance. Fortunately, powerful front wheel assist tractors are finding a place on farms, even as seeding tractors. The changing over from one implement to another during a busy time can be a hassle, with a dedicated rate controller requiring additional cab real estate. But with the lower capital cost of a pull-type, a new tractor that also has other utility on the farm may be justified.
Productivity We’ve long maintained that productivity gain through increased travel speed creates more problems than it solves. It is virtually unavoidable to use somewhat higher booms with faster speeds, and it’s been proven that spray drift potential increases with travel speed. Instead, the sprayer features that save time are faster fill and clean times (reduced downtime), larger tanks (fewer stops to fill) and wider booms. Wider booms are easier to keep steady with slower moving equipment. So how do typical self-propelled sprayers stack up against pull-types? We compared two sprayers, a large pull-type with 3000 US gallon tank and a typical self-propelled with a 1200-gallon tank. Travel speeds were 10 and 15 mph, respectively, and fill times were 15 and 10 minutes. The slower pull-type turned in one
The specific design features of a sprayer may create additional productivity. For example, the ease of tank rinsing and cleanout can save time. European sprayers typically have lower remaining volume values, which increases the speed of tank rinsing and can eliminate the need for dumping tank remainders on the ground. Ease of filter inspection may seem trivial, but it permits more frequent confirmation that the system is clean and thus avoids potential future problems. An on-board pressure washer on the Amazone makes boom hygiene easier. It’s important to account for all these seemingly small gains because they add up.
Service The success of any agricultural equipment relies on the equipment durability, fast availability of parts and service. Any new market entry will need to establish a dealer network, parts distribution system and superior service. This is no easy feat in a time of dealer consolidation.
Cost and Value Prices vary, but a pull-type sprayer will usually cost less than half of a similar-sized self-propelled sprayer depending on the options selected. With European equipment, the plumbing system will be more sophisticated, often offering recirculating booms, steering axles that follow in the tracks of the sprayer, narrow transport widths for greater road safety, an improved boom suspension and levelling performance. It is safe to say that in terms of features, these sophisticated machines offer good value and many good design ideas. Operating costs are almost certainly lower, with better fuel economy and less drivetrain trouble. The pull-type sprayer continues to have an important place to fill on our farms. With trade and weather anomalies lowering farm income, farmers are wary of being over-capitalized. It is conceivable that lower-cost and feature-rich alternatives to self-propelled units will have a fit. They certainly make sense on smaller farms that may not be able to utilize the full performance of a self-propelled, or on a larger farm that needs extra capacity but doesn’t want to bear the capital cost of a second expensive sprayer. The inherently slower working speeds allow for lower booms, less drift, overall improved deposit accuracy and uniformity. They’re worth a closer look.
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On half-mile runs, our “Productivity Calculator” at agrimetrixapps.com showed 129 acres per hour for the selfpropelled and a respectable 119 acres/h for the pull type. The value of fast but infrequent fills and the more efficient turns made the difference for the pull-type. Use the app to compare other tank sizes, travel- and fill-speeds, or boom widths.
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Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. These products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from these products can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for these products. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate. Roundup Ready® 2 Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. LibertyLink® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glufosinate. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your local crop protection dealer or call the technical support line at 1-800-667-4944 for recommended Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System weed control programs. Insect control technology provided by Vip3A is utilized under license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG. FOR CORN, EACH ACCELERON® SEED APPLIED SOLUTIONS OFFERING is a combination of separate individually registered products containing the active ingredients: STANDARD offering for corn without SmartStax® Technology: fluoxastrobin, prothioconazole, metalaxyl and clothianidin. STANDARD plus DuPont™ Lumivia® offering for corn: fluoxastrobin, prothioconazole, metalaxyl and cyantraniliprole. STANDARD plus Poncho®/VOTiVO® offering for corn with SmartStax® Technology: fluoxastrobin, prothioconazole, metalaxyl, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus I-1582. COMPLETE offering for corn with SmartStax® Technology: metalaxyl, clothianidin; prothioconazole and fluoxastrobin at rates that suppress additional diseases. COMPLETE plus Poncho®/VOTiVO® offering for corn with SmartStax® Technology: metalaxyl, clothianidin, Bacillus firmus I-1582; prothioconazole and fluoxastrobin at rates that suppress additional diseases. COMPLETE plus DuPont™ Lumivia® offering for corn: metalaxyl, cyantraniliaprole, prothioconazole and fluoxastrobin at rates that suppress additional diseases. Class of 2019 and 2020 base genetics are treated with BioRise™ 360 seed treatment. FOR SOYBEANS, EACH ACCELERON® SEED APPLIED SOLUTIONS OFFERING is a combination of separate individually registered products containing the active ingredients: BASIC: prothioconazole, penflufen and metalaxyl. STANDARD: prothioconazole, penflufen, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. STANDARD plus Fortenza®: prothioconazole, penflufen, metalaxyl and cyantraniliprole. FOR CANOLA seed treatment offerings can include: Prosper® EverGol® seed treatment containing the active ingredients clothianidin, penflufen, metalaxyl and trifloxystrobin. Fortenza® Advanced seed treatement consisting of Fortenza Seed Treatment insecticide containing the active ingredient cyantraniliprole and Rascendo® Seed Treatment insecticide containing the active ingredient sulfoxaflor. Helix® Vibrance® seed treatment containing the active ingredients thiamethoxam, difenoconazole, metalaxyl-M, fludioxonil and sedaxane. Jumpstart® XL inoculant containing the active ingredient penicillium bilaiae. Acceleron®, BioRise™, Bayer, the Bayer Cross Design, DEKALB and Design®, Prosper® EverGol®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design™, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup Xtend®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, Trecepta™, TruFlex™, VaporGrip®, VT Double PRO® and XtendiMax® are trademarks of Bayer Group, Monsanto Canada ULC licensee. DuPont™ and Lumivia® are trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its Affiliates and are used under license by Monsanto. JumpStart® and Optimize® are registered trademarks of Novozymes. Used under license. Agrisure, Fortenza®, Helix®, Vibrance® and Viptera® are trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design, Poncho® and VOTiVO® are trademarks of BASF. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. ©2019 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.
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NEWS & INNOVATIONS | THE FARMER’S NEW WORKHORSE
THE FARMER’S NEW
WORKHORSE It’s understandable that sometimes the Can-Am Defender HD10 is misunderstood. It’s easy to call it a sharp and popular UTV, but it’s not just that. The specific design, specs and features were developed in close consultation with farmers and make the Can-Am Defender HD10 much more than a UTV. It is a tough and powerful workhorse for the farm and on the ranch, doing the rough, down-and-dirty and demanding stop-and-start work of modern day agriculture. Maybe it’s the 976 cc, V-twin Rotax engine. With its four-wheel drive and rear differential lock, the Defender has ample traction (including in deep snow) getting more than enough power from its V-twin, 72 horsepower engine to power through tough conditions. Farmers are particularly impressed with the ability to better control low-end speeds because of Defender’s throttle-by-wire system. The Quick Response System enhances low-speed riding with smooth power delivery. Defender has four modes of traction: a two-wheel drive, a locked or open rear differential and an also locked or open four-wheel drive differential. There has also been enthusiastic mention about Can-Am Defender 2,500-pound (1,134 kilograms) towing capacity, the 4,500-pound (2,014 kilogram) winch capacity and the 1,200-pound (544 kilogram) payload capacity. With both a front and rear hitch mount maneuvering a trailer or auger becomes much easier. There is terrific farmer feedback about the Defender HD10’s cargo bed, with 1,000-pound (454 kilograms) capacity, it is loaded with innovative and practical features. The features include four
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tie-down points in the corners and four shallow recesses in the floor to better secure the farmer’s typical load of “5-gallon buckets”. Bags of seed, minerals for the cattle or a load of wood are all easily handled and save on taking the farm truck where it was never meant to go. Added to the farm-workhorse performance of the Defender HD10, Can-Am’s consultation with farmers also helped create various work-enhancing features and options. Some options are Wall Extenders (hinged, for full or half-height settings) which fit into the cargo bed, extending extra height to the Defender’s cargo box sides. The top half of the extender can also be completely removed. Another ease-of-use feature is that the rear door of the extender can be locked open or removed. The Defender also offers a Headache Rack to protect the cab space from shifting cargo in the box. There are several farmer-friendly features and innovations. For example, the bench seat with space for three passengers, arranged in a 40/20/40 configuration, and the seats folding-up to create additional floor space. The Defender’s “toolbox” is not only clever but functionally practical. Instead of a glove box, Can-Am has redesigned the space to hold a removable toolbox large enough to hold a handful of tools. Sometimes the work is just an evening drive to check the crops or enjoy some of the beautiful prairie days and outdoor activities. The ability to drive around your farm and not just past your farm on the roads makes this machine not only practical but something to appreciate on many levels.
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THOSE WILY WEEDS | HARVEST IS YET ANOTHER SCOUTING OPPORTUNITY
Harvest is yet another scouting opportunity By Tammy Jones B.Sc., P. Ag.
Harvest is a great time to plan. Sure it can be a time to reflect on the year and hopefully celebrate the rewards of a fruitful harvest, but if you can tear your eyes away from the yield monitor, the scouting opportunity is incredible. A favorite quote from a fellow weed scientist Jason Bond, Research/Extension Weed Scientist at Mississippi State University says, “We are either in the process of killing weeds or we should be thinking about how to kill them.” The travel over the field for harvest helps to assess if the crop/ herbicide program from this year worked effectively, map out problem spots, take note of the weed spectrum and decide if there is an opportunity or need to address any weed issues this fall. The way the combine is chewing through the crop is an indication of future weed issues. Are there weeds lurking under the crop canopy, just waiting for an opportunity to grow and set seed? Or are there patches of weeds that may be harvested separately to prevent excessive dockage grain, and avoided to reduce the spread of that patch? Just because a crop has been harvested, the weeds don’t stop growing, and that isn’t just meaning perennial weeds. Annual weeds such as green foxtail, kochia and redroot pigweed will germinate late in the season, when temperatures are nearing 30 C, and can set seed before a killing frost. One study conducted in 1967 near Edmonton, showed that green foxtail seeded on July 24th was headed in 38 days and produced up to 20,000 seeds per m2. It’s no wonder that green foxtail continues to be a prevalent weed. Photo: Post-harvest herbicides help to effectively control perennial weeds and avoid spring weed control issues.
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While those weeds are setting seed, they are using up valuable soil moisture and nutrients. A Russian thistle plant growing in a
HARVEST IS YET ANOTHER SCOUTING OPPORTUNITY | THOSE WILY WEEDS
“We are either in the process of killing weeds or we should be thinking about how to kill them.” - Jason Bond wheat crop will use about 18 gallons of water, even after the wheat is harvested that plant will use another 26 gallons before maturity or a killing frost. Soil moisture can be used from a 5-foot radius of the plant and up to 3 feet into the soil profile. Most of that moisture is used for transpiration, so it is simply lost into the atmosphere. Post harvest weed control can help with challenging perennial weeds and winter annuals, as well as minimizing the use of soil moisture and nutrients. Fall weed control options include planting a cover crop, tillage and herbicide application.
Plant a cover crop From a weed control perspective, cover crops can provide shade to reduce weed seed germination, can compete with
weeds to reduce their vigour and may be allelopathic. Fall rye is a common cover crop that is typically terminated in the spring prior to seeding. It has been shown to reduce weed biomass by 50 per cent compared to bare soil and provides the added benefit of protecting the soil from erosion. When other annual crops are used for cover crops, winter terminates the stand, leaving a mulch that may suppress weeds in the spring, but typically the suppression is not enough to control perennial weeds.
Fall Tillage For weeds that are present in the field at harvest time, tillage can help to ensure viable seed set is eliminated or reduced. Rainfall following cultivation could increase weed seed germination, especially for any seeds that lack dormancy, such as volunteer wheat or canola. Dr. Rob Gulden at the University of Manitoba evaluated the effect of different management practices to control volunteer canola. Timely fall tillage stimulated volunteer canola seedling germination, which reduced the volunteer canola seed bank over winter. Timing was more important than tillage type — even a low-disturbance tillage pass such as a tine harrow resulted in fall germination and subsequent control of the volunteer canola when winter arrived.
Main office: Phone: (306) 382-8088 Fax: (306) 382-8319 admin@saskatoonlivestocksales.com www.saskatoonlivestocksales.com Located 10 km west of Saskatoon on Highway #14 (towards Biggar).
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Saskatoon Livestock Sales Gearing up for Another Strong Run
PRESORTed Calf & Yearling Sale Starting at 10:00 A.M. Please consign ahead September 6th (Featuring Yearlings) September 20th (Featuring Yearlings) October 4th October 11th October 18th (Featuring Charolais) October 25th November 1st November 8th (Featuring Angus) November 15th (Featuring Speckle Park) December 6th
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THOSE WILY WEEDS | HARVEST IS YET ANOTHER SCOUTING OPPORTUNITY
More aggressive tillage is required to control winter annuals, as the tillage operation needs to uproot them. This may result in the loss of soil moisture, but may be balanced out by the amount of moisture those weeds would use for growth in the fall and spring. I think we forget how many weeds can act as winter annuals. This list includes stinkweed, shepherd’s purse, flixweed, cleavers, scentless chamomile, narrow-leaved hawk’s beard, bluebur, stork’s-bill, ball mustard, peppergrass, downy brome, dog mustard, wormseed mustard, chickweed, knawel, night-flowering catchfly and common groundsel. For other weeds, tillage is not always the most effective control option. This is particularly true for some perennial weeds, such as Canada thistle, quackgrass and yellow toadflax which are easily spread by root fragments and tend to remain in patches without tillage. Other perennial weeds like foxtail barley, dandelion, perennial sowthistle, and white cockle require intensive tillage for control, which is not ideal for moisture and soil conservation. An effective post-harvest herbicide application can be the ultimate tool for perennial weed control, as the weed is sequestering sugars for the winter and the herbicide is pulled down into the root.
Herbicides Post-harvest herbicide applications can be effective, as long
Photo: Winter annuals can be effectively controlled with post-harvest tillage or a herbicide application.
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as the weeds are actively growing. For weeds that are cut off with harvesting operations, if there is no regrowth there is no way that the herbicide will enter the plant or control it. Newly emerged winter annuals and perennial seedlings such as dandelion are ideal to control in the fall with an appropriate herbicide. A killing frost will halt annual weed growth, but typically perennials and winter annuals will continue to grow after a light frost and can still be effectively controlled.
Tips for post-harvest herbicide application: 1. 60 per cent of leaves should still be green after a frost to indicate actively growing plants. Ideally for Canada Thistle or quackgrass, 3 or 4 new leaves will ensure effective herbicide uptake. 2. Use multiple modes of effective action, as with any herbicide application, but realize that there may be re-cropping restrictions next spring. 3. With shorter day lengths, potentially drier conditions and cooler temperatures, plant growth is understandably slower and thus herbicide activity will take longer to be evident. 4. Leave a check strip. It will help you assess whether the herbicide application worked or not.
NORTH AMERICA’S FULL-LINE AGRICULTURE MANUFACTURER | NEWS & INNOVATIONS
NORTH AMERICA’S FULL-LINE AGRICULTURE MANUFACTURER Across the Prairies the CLAAS name brings a variety of responses from little familiarity to some perception of its involvement/partnership with one of the more familiar North American brands. CLAAS has been a household name in the European market for more than 100 years since the company was founded in 1913 by August Claas and even today, one of his descendants, Cathrina ClaasMühlhäuser, is chairwoman of CLAAS’ advisory board. With more than 11,000 employees globally, CLAAS has recently entered the classification of being a full-line ag equipment dealer. The full line of CLAAS equipment features LEXION combines, self-propelled JAGUAR forage harvesters, XERION and AXION tractors, as well as a wide range of balers and hay tools, all created to increase operational efficiency and provide higher throughput. New lines to North America for fall 2019 include the new LEXION 8000-7000 series combines, the AXION 800-900 series tractors, the JAGUAR 900 series TERRA TRAC forage harvester (925 HP) as well as several additions to balers and hay tool ranges. According to Eric Raby, CLAAS of America president and GM, the goal will be to double the sales of CLAAS over the next five years. The history of CLAAS has in some ways confused the customer with the way they have come to market. The LEXION combine was being sold under the CAT brand recently (Massey Ferguson and Ford years back), while the haying equipment and forage harvesters were sold through various distribution channels that fractured the CLAAS lines and brand. Western Canada now has 12 CLAAS-branded locations to serve the Prairies. The direction of CLAAS is to ensure premium aftersales support for all the equipment they manufacture. Moving forward, CLAAS will unite its brand into one that becomes well-known and understood in the North American market.
Its “Be Brighter” campaign was launched Aug. 1, 2019, and will deliver a strong customer message. CLAAS has traditionally delivered a “features message” to potential clients, but you will now see the “value proposition” from CLAAS and how it will make your operation more successful by saving you more time and making you more money. According to Daryl Theis, head of marketing, the target audience for CLAAS is the business-minded ag professional that is demanding top-tier equipment. “They are farming, yes, but they see it as a business first,” he says. “They’re technically a farmer, but they probably see themselves as a farm operation or a farm enterprise or a farming business.” Be Brighter is designed to help the business-minded ag professional to be sharper, be brighter and be a better, more successful business person. “We know they are in a commodity market. They are price takers and sometimes they are boxed between the market and the environment,” says Theis. “So, what are the things they can do within those two guardrails to make them a stronger business person?” CLAAS encourages potential business customers to look at the sticker price, the cost of operation, cost of opportunity, performance and longevity of the machine. The buying decision should be based on a three-to-four-to-five-year profitability scenario over several measurements. This is a cultural change for CLAAS and for many of its potential customers, yet for many of the business minded ag professionals they have thought this way for some time. CLAAS is looking to the business discussion as the basis to sell equipment. CLAAS is also offering additional new service options to serve the agriculture community at large. “On Your farm Parts™” is a unique program that will deliver an inventory of pre-selected parts for your specific machine to your farm at the beginning of the harvest season. 51
NEWS & INNOVATIONS
ATB ATB Supports Olds College with $250,000 Donation Olds College is thrilled ATB Financial has committed $250,000 to support agriculture technology research and education. The five-year financial commitment will be used to grow the college’s high-tech Smart Farm, and sponsor AgSmart, a two-day ag technology expo that took place Aug. 13-14, 2019, at the college. “The Olds College Smart Farm provides an environment where producers, industry partners, college researchers, faculty and students can explore the challenges and opportunities facing the ag sector and together investigate solutions and determine how we can use technology, data and expertise to evolve our existing agriculture practices,” says Stuart Cullum, president of Olds College. “On behalf of Olds College, I would like to thank ATB Financial for investing in the future of agriculture and our students.” “At ATB, we understand agriculture is as important to our future as it was to our past,” says Curtis Stange, president and CEO of ATB Financial. “We know the industry is rapidly changing with technology playing a growing role and we are proud to support initiatives like the Olds College Smart Farm that harness technology and innovation in such an integral sector. This will further position Alberta and its producers as leaders and keep
them competitive while producing world-class products.” The Olds College Smart Farm is an exciting initiative that incorporates the latest technologies aimed at improving productivity, while efficiently and sustainably using resources. It is a living lab for hands-on learning; a place for innovation, validation, demonstration and scaling of smart connected agriculture technology. Working with industry partners, local producers and students, the Smart Farm provides valuable research that is evolving and shaping future agriculture practices. Co-produced by Olds College and Agri-Trade, AgSmart is a two-day event that provides farmers with an opportunity to interact with cutting-edge high-tech ag players and experience the latest innovations first-hand. Through educational workshops and demos, the show will look at how farmers can grow profits with data. For more information, visit https://agsmartolds.ca/.
TEEJET New 530 Plunger Valve Manifold Family from TeeJet Technologies The new 530 series of plunger valve manifolds are available from TeeJet Technologies for sprayer boom section control. The 530 is currently available in three configurations: 2-way manual, 2-way electric, and 3-way electric. Plunger all versions feature a durable plunger valve design for positive shutoff and long service life. Valve designs can be advantageous over ball valve designs when working with solutions that may be gritty or contain suspended solids. The manual and electric versions have an identical footprint and mounting details, allowing either version to be easily installed or interchanged on the sprayer. The 530 valve family is rated at 290 psi (20 bar) with a flow rate of 10 gpm (37.9 l/min) for each valve. This allows the 530 to support a wide variety of sprayer types, boom sizes and pumping/plumbing systems. A choice of flanged- or quick52
connect inlets and quick-connect outlets allows for easy connection to existing plumbing systems. If desired at a later date, manual versions can also be updated to electric by simply swapping out the valve cartridge, while keeping the manifold system in place on the sprayer. The compact size and modular design are also ideal for sprayers with a large number of boom sections and is compatible with a wide variety of automatic section control systems.
NEWS & INNOVATIONS
AIRGUARD Inventor Brian Cruson has always looked for simple ways to make life easier on farmers during seeding. “One of the problems that we have identified from many farmers is that air-seeder hoses tend to pull off when the shanks move up and down,” says Cruson, owner and director of research and development at Airguard Incorporated. “Openers can snap down with a huge amount of force when tripping over a rock, which tends to cause issues with hoses. I have been trying to think of a simple solution to this problem as it can cause missed strips in the fields during planting, contributing to reduced yields.” The solution was a hose clamp with integrated teeth, called the Sabre Clamp. This new, patented clamping technology is simple yet effective. Each clamp has a series of four sharp teeth and a square tooth in the centre to hold air-seeder hoses more securely. “Our testing has shown that this new Sabre Clamp can handle more than two times the pulling force when compared to a
regular hose clamp. We had a customer who pulled out 100 hoses last year, but with the Sabre Clamp installed this year not one single hose pulled out during seeding,” says Cruson. “When we show farmers our new clamp, the overwhelming response is, ‘why did no one think of this before?’ While it was designed specifically for air seeders, we also have people interested in using them for other applications where hoses are difficult to keep in place.” Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. Sabre Clamps are available in multiple sizes for primary and secondary air-seeder hoses. For more information, call Airguard Incorporated at 1-604-744-0070 or visit www. airguardproducts.com.
Right Show. Right Time. Right Location.
NOVEMBER 6-8, 2019 NEW! BIGGER SHOW! More than 325,000 square feet of the very best in agriculture equipment, technology, service and products. PRESENTED BY:
For more information visit Agri-Trade.com
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NEWS & INNOVATIONS
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA New Agri-Food Immigration Pilot On July 12, 2019, the federal government announced the launch of Canada’s New Agri-Food Immigration Pilot This is a three-year economic immigration pilot that will fill labour shortages, particularly in meat processing and mushroom production, within the agri-food sector and help meet Canada’s ambitious export targets. A maximum of 2,750 principal applicants, plus family members, will be accepted for processing in any given year. This represents a total of approximately 16,500 possible new permanent residents over the three-year duration of the pilot. Employers in the agri-food sector who intend to be part of the pilot will be eligible for a two-year Labour Market Impact Assessment. “This pilot is another example of how immigration is helping to grow local economies and creating jobs for Canadians,” says the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food.
The agriculture and agri-food industry is an important contributor to Canada’s economic growth and vitality, supporting one in eight jobs across the country. Agricultural exports hit a new record in 2018, reaching $66.2 billion. Over the past several years, industries such as meat processing and mushroom production have experienced ongoing difficulty in finding and keeping new employees. This new pilot aims to attract and retain workers by providing them with an opportunity to become permanent residents. The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot complements Canada’s economic immigration strategy, which includes the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, the Global Skills Strategy, a revitalized Express Entry and an expanded Provincial Nominee Program.
VÄDERSTAD Väderstad appoints new VP Sales and Marketing in North America Things are going well for the agricultural machine manufacturer Väderstad, one of the world’s leading companies within tillage and seeding. The Swedish company is growing, and simultaneously the company hired Jason Strobbe to the position of VP Sales and Marketing in North America. Strobbe joins Väderstad from a Canadian based agricultural equipment manufacturer as a North American sales manufacturer. “We have had a strong growth on the North American market, and we now invest even more. Therefore, we are very happy to have Jason Strobbe on board as our new VP Sales and Marketing. Jason has extensive experience and knowledge within the agricultural equipment business, as well as within marketing and sales. We wish him the warmest welcome to Väderstad,” says Mattias Hovnert, senior VP of global sales and marketing The quality, design and efficiency of Väderstad’s agricultural machinery and methods have been at the forefront since the very beginning. The company has shaped the market when it comes to innovation and new concepts. Väderstad’s target is set on 54
growing further on the North American market, and to be an important supplier of machines within the segment of seeding, planting and tillage. “We are expanding our business with the aim of being an innovative company working in close proximity to our customers. We always aim for a high service level in supporting and helping farmers become more profitable, says Hovnert. Together with the North American sales and aftersales team, Strobbe will continue to expand and grow Väderstad’s business in North America. The sales team also has a close cooperation with their production and development facilities in Langbank, Sask., and Väderstad, Sweden.
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To learn more visit agsolutions.ca/InVigor or call AgSolutions® Customer Care at 1-877-371-BASF (2273).
Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions, and INVIGOR are registered trade-marks of BASF. © 2019 BASF Canada Inc.
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