what’s emerging in our community
issue 7 spring 2015 what’s in this issue • get your seed ready for spring • emerging markets • we want to make your job easier
You Are Your Own Researcher By Pat Toner
O
ne late
sunny
afternoon
December,
one
in
affiliations may be best abbreviated as
of
“B.Sc.”
my most “conversational”
that day was typical agronomy chat. While everyone faced challenges (and
Next, the conversation quickly diverted
some very frustrating), the success stories
him Bob) came into the office and
into
performance,
relentlessly come to the fore as well. We
introduced me to his son who was home
achievements, and challenges. 2014
talked about the encouraging responses
for the holidays. The introduction went
proved to be a challenge in marketing,
consistently found by applying the right
something like, “Bachelor of Science,
driven primarily by the fact it was also a
fungicide to lentils, the performance of
Professional Agrologist, and Certified
challenge in disease mitigation, resistant
relatively new chemistry for weed control
Crop
immediately
weed management, and plant nutrition
and crop safety in field peas, the late-
by a humbling debate that professional
and health. All in all, the conversation
season outbreak we saw of Sclerotinia
customers
Advisor,”
followed
(let’s
call
on-farm
crop
in
not
When I think about the skill set I offer to
measure your fungicide performance,
devastating due to crop advancement at
canola
(which,
luckily,
was
the farmer customer, I admit there are
with or without a foliar nutrition partner?
the time of infection), and of course some
three main sources of information. One
Field trials can be difficult, but they can
recently adapted practices that will soon
is an educational background, which
also be easy. Some companies insist on
become standard in both canaryseed and
endorses professionalism; the second is
trials according to their own specifications
durum.
the annual ritual of seminars, chemistry
complete with replications and scaled
education, and product introductions
yields and separately graded samples. But
Through the months of October to
that give us an “awareness,” if nothing
if your trying something “just for yourself”
December, amidst a busy schedule of
else, about the newest technology; and
it doesn’t have to be that complicated.
soil sampling and nutrition planning, we
the third, and most important, is the
relentlessly talk to growers like Bob about
testimonials, good or bad, from our
“Pat,
a year in review and lessons learned. The
growers reviewing their own on-farm
on________?” Chances are, 80 percent
months of January to March, I would
experiences.
of the answers you hear will be from
personally regard as a time for bits and
what
does
research
show
the experiences of your own friends and
pieces of educational leave. We travel to
The Farm Trial…What would you like to
neighbours, 18 percernt will be from
seminars, we formulate our own business
try? Maybe try topping up the sprayer
educational seminars and manufacturer
plans, and we gather information from
tank with Manipulator PGR and a foliar
endorsements, and only 2 percent may
our numerous representatives as to the
treatment? Maybe try a comparison of two
come
newest and most effective chemistries
or three different ways to mitigate nitrogen
Whose data would you trust more than
and cropping practices.
volatolization? Maybe try a check strip to
your own?
from
professional
affiliations.
Emerging News
W
e are excited to announce
somebody wants to stop in and chat. We
merely tastes better…It is just that simple!
that we have moved into
will be having a grand opening BBQ at
With a Traeger, your imagination is your
our new head office in
some point this spring. A date hasn’t been
only limitation. We have a variety of grills
Eston. During the last
set yet, but once we get that firmed up we
and accessories to meet everyone’s back
weekend in February we started moving
will inform everyone when they can stop
yard grilling preferences, so please feel
our belongings across the yard into our
by for a BBQ lunch on us.
free to stop by one of our offices to take
new office space, and transition has gone
a look and see for yourself how a Traeger
well. Many customers have dropped in
Speaking of BBQ, we are pleased to
will transform your grilling
already to say hello, have a coffee and
announce we are the newest authorized
experience.
take a tour. Having the extra space has
dealer of Traeger Wood Pellet Grills in
been great already; all of us here finally
West Central and South
have space and offices to accommodate
West
meetings with our valued clients.
Traeger grills are built to
Saskatchewan.
give you the ultimate allThis space will allow us to conduct
in-one outdoor cooking
business much more efficiently. In the
experience. Use it as a
short time we have been in the new
grill, BBQ, smoker, or a
location we have already had a couple
wood-fired
of grower meetings in the boardroom,
Steak,
something we were unable to facilitate in
hamburgers,
our previous office. We invite everyone to
veggie kabobs, pizza, even
come by for a visit; the coffee is always on,
cookies and biscuits are so
and we always enjoy the company when
simple! Food coming off a Traeger grill
convection
brisket,
oven.
prime
pork
rib,
loin,
emerge.ag
Emerging Business Positivity can lead to a happier and possibly more successful life - By Matt Owens
W
hen dealing with all
habits all we need to change are our
people in our lives that not only see the
the
of
thoughts. Positive attitudes are a habit.
glass half empty, but they make it their
farming, we tend to get
Unfortunately, bad attitudes can be a
mission in life to remind everyone within
stressed out and forget
habit as well.
earshot. Bad attitudes are contagious. In
uncertainties
to focus on the big picture. Farming is one
the same way we catch the flu, we can
of the most magnificent ways of life that a
The first hour of your day is the most
catch a bad attitude and allow it to plant
family could possibly enjoy. On the farm,
important for setting the tone of your
seeds in our minds.
we bring our kids to work; we create so
daily
many memories of “picnics” in the field;
first fifteen minutes guide your daily
Try to experiment by only hanging
we teach our kids how to work and
attitude - good or bad. The problem we
around people who are happy and
contribute; they get to enjoy a wide-open
encounter is that we do not protect that
see how happy you end up being.
playground and learn to drive when they
time. Instead, we let others set our tone
Hang around people with a positive
can see over the wheel; we go through
or daily temperature through a variety
attitude and see how you start to see
our trials and successes together with our
of mediums such as: e-mails, social
the positive spin on things. Think about
loved ones; we witness first-hand how
media, television, phone calls, and the
who has had the greatest impact in
amazing and extreme nature really is;
Internet.
your business and your life; ask yourself
attitude.
Even
more
so,
the
we see the most beautiful sunrises and
what they did to create that influence.
sunsets; the solitude, glory, peace, and
It has also been said that “You are the
Now ask yourself what your intent is as
privacy and being alone on the farm. It
average of the five people you spend
you approach your business and your life.
is a shame to get caught up in negativity
the most time with.” What does this
and miss out on such a marvelous gift!
mean? Your salary is within 10 percent
If you have never heard of these
of your five closest friends. Your sales/
ideologies, you might think of it as hokey!
In farming and in life, we all have a
business/personal beliefs are deeply
Nevertheless, I challenge you to give it a
powerful force behind what we do
rooted within the circle of your five
try. Hang around people who are happy
daily. This force can be good or bad,
closest friends. More importantly, your
and have a positive attitude and see how
but it all starts the same way. That force
attitude is often in line with the attitudes
happy you end up being and how you
is familiarity. We take comfort in what
of your five closest friends.
start to see the positive spin on things.
a good thing. The key to changing
You need to choose your friends wisely.
I also urge you to write out your first
bad familiarity is to understand its
If you want to be a happy, successful
fifteen, so you get to decide how you are
source and eliminate the issue before
person (in life, family, and business) you
going to start your day. Then write what
it plants roots. This means we have to
need to align yourself with people who
you will do next and so forth. The more
understand the road map that leads to
are successful in those areas. They think
detail you can include the better, and don’t
our habits and ultimately our destiny.
differently and see the world differently.
be afraid to experiment until you find what
The good news is that it can rub off on
works best with your daily routine. Execute
you if you give it a chance.
this plan as close to waking up as possible
we are familiar with, which isn’t always
Thoughts
turn
into...Actions,
which
create...Habits, that if unchecked will
to avoid external distractions creeping in,
become our...Destiny! This means
We also need to eliminate (or at least
(before checking emails, reading news, or
that what we think about (or
lessen) the time spent around those who
listening to any possible negativity at all).
expose ourselves to) each day
are not contributing to our future success.
the
Or, do one better and try to influence
Give it a try. All you have to lose
steps we take, good or bad.
them to be positive, happy people and
is negativity and downfalls in your
So, if we truly want to change
see their own lives change! We all have
business and life!
will
ultimately
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affect
We’re for above and b e y o n d At Emerge Ag Solutions we’re dedicated to going the extra mile for your success.
We’re for you
growing. confident. solutions. ©Copyright Emerge Ag Solutions 2014.
emerge ag so l u t i o ns emerge.ag
emerge.ag
Get Your Seed Ready For Spring
W
hen preparing for the
The
Saskatchewan
testing is only an advisory test as it is not
spring planting season
Agriculture recommends testing seed
recognized as an accredited test by the
it’s important to ensure
lots for germination in the spring
Canadian Food Inspection Agency even
Government
of
that your seed will have
because seed quality can decrease in
though labs make an effort to follow
the best possible chance of becoming
the bin over the winter due to many
standardized procedures for isolating
established and growing into a thriving
factors
and identifying Fusarium species.
crop. A couple of ways to work towards
sprouted seeds, and seeds damaged
a great crop is to start with clean seed
during harvest.
including
immature
seeds,
Seed treatments are a tool that can help protect seed viability by providing
that has been tested for germination. Some labs provide vigour testing, which
improved germination, better stress
What does “clean seed” mean? This
is a measure of germination of the seed
tolerance, and increased vigour, but
term refers to a seed lot that has been
in less than ideal growing conditions.
seed treatments will not fix a poor seed
run through a seed cleaning plant to
Labs germinate seed samples at low
lot. Some seed treatments are designed
sieve out the damaged and shrunken
temperatures
to protect a seedling from root infection
seeds, small seeds, and other dirt and
spring
the
and early leaf diseases and some
debris. This type of process will remove a
Prairies. The results of these vigour tests
treatments are designed to be effective
large proportion of the dirt, undesirable
are very valuable in providing insight
before the seedling emerges.
seeds, and particles from the seed lot.
into expected seed performance in field
Some seed cleaning facilities also have
conditions.
that
growing
simulate
conditions
typical in
If spring growing conditions are less than ideal, which they usually are, the
equipment that will colour sort the seed removing another level of undesirable
Understanding if a seed lot has seed-
benefits of using a seed treatment will
seeds, off-colour, and green seeds.
borne disease present will help you
be evident in its positive effects on plant
Seed cleaners and colour sorters can be
determine if you should be using a
emergence, stand and yield.
used to remove diseased seed, which
fungicide seed treatment or not. Seed
is often discoloured and shrunken or
labs can assess the levels of seed-borne
Talk to you Emerge Ag Solutions
shriveled.
pathogens including Fusarium and true
representative
loose smut. According to Government
treating and cleaning services and
of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Fusarium
our state-of-the-art colour sorter.
Testing
a
seed
lot
for
disease,
germination, and vigour will serve as an indicator for the quality of the seed in the lot. It is best to do these tests after the seed lot has been cleaned. Testing “dirty” seed samples will not give a true indication of seed viability and quality.
emerge.ag
about
our
seed
Emerging Markets Risk
Management
By Lacey Gerbrandt
buyer lined up? You could be left hanging
prevent heating. Last year I witnessed
on these costs. Some businesses will be
durum heating and downgrading to
able to weather that storm. Others will
feed. The growers had been checking
here are so many methods and
suffer from having already spent the
the bins regularly, went away for a
calculations to measure risk
money to produce the shirts, packing and
couple days and the next time they
in any business or investment.
storing the shirts, operating their business
looked was too late. I also learned
Naturally, there are so many
on credit moving forward, and having little
of some peas heating last summer.
ways to evaluate risk on a farm. The
to no opportunity to invest their proceeds
Barley loses quality over time. Lentils
principle remains that potential return
in higher returning investments.
lose colour and downgrade if left in
FarmLink Marketing Advisor
T
rises as risk increases.
the bin. We all know the possibility of This is a comparable situation to growing
oilseeds heating.
One of the first risks we are faced with
and selling a crop. If you are growing a
is growing a crop and not being able
crop and have the opportunity to lock it in
sell at a profit and invest those funds
to sell it for a profit. I was recently in a
at a guaranteed profit, there is still a risk
into something else if you don’t need
conversation debating the risk of forward-
to that. What if you get hail, disease, frost,
them for income or cash-flow.
selling grain. Clearly all farms have
etc., and you’re left with down-graded
different views of risk, different financial/
product or nothing left to sell? The buyer
Therefore, (in my opinion) it is wise to
storage situations, and various techniques
has already sold your product, so you are
follow market signals, sell in the top
to conduct their sales.
faced with discounts and/or contract buy-
range of prices, and turn your crop over
outs. In 2014, these penalties were quite
frequently.
•
You may be missing an opportunity to
Here is an example of how I view it:
severe for some farms.
Let us say that you are a manufacturer of
On the other hand, if you don’t take
other risks, please visit our website:
t-shirts. You have an order for 250,000
the opportunities to lock in product at a
www.emerge.ag.
shirts that you can sell for a guaranteed
guaranteed profit, there may be severe
profit. You sign a contract to produce the
consequences, as well:
Global Ag Risk Solutions empowers
250,000 t-shirts before they are actually
•
you to be a risk-taker!
For the full version of my article, exploring
You may end up having to move
made. What happens if your shop burns
product at a loss just to get the cash-
down or your material supplier raises your
flow.
“To get profit without risk, experience
You may have to wait a long time to
without danger, and reward without work,
just be able to move the product –
is as impossible as it is to live without
period.
being born.”
costs or goes out of business or all your
•
staff quit and you can’t produce that many t-shirts to fulfill your contract objectives? Now what? What if the buyer of those
•
You may have to operate your
shirts has already used them to fill orders
business on credit while waiting for
Go ahead and take all kinds of risks and
in their own shops? Now they will have
sales to happen.
reap all kinds of rewards!
to buy other shirts to fill their orders and
•
they may have to pay more money and,
The price of your commodity may not reach your target for a long time.
I wish you all the very best in the
If you carry grain over, you are at
upcoming Crop Season! Enjoy all
a huge risk for downgrading and
the amazing benefits of farm life!
On the other hand, what if you are
spoilage. You need to pay the price to
Be profitable! And, of course,
to spend the time/money to produce
have extra storage room and monitor
remember to be safe!
250,000 t-shirts to sell and you have no
bins and/or have air circulation to
therefore, charge you a penalty.
•
emerge.ag
We Want to Make Your Job Easier
A
s crop production becomes more complex and technically challenging, partnering with an agronomic specialist can
be a valuable relationship for a farmer. Having a trusted partner available to offer suggestions and solutions to ongoing issues and challenges to improve crop production and profitability as well as the overall health of the land is valuable. Agronomy
is
more
than
advice
on
pesticide; it can encompass crop choices, rotation choices, variety selection, soil management, crop nutrition, as well as total farm management. When farmers share their crop production plan
with
agronomy
specialists
they
will receive advice on the best ways to
may be used in the area to receive advice
Consultative Agronomy Services
that is relevant to the region.
Our knowledgable, experienced staff is
plant, harvest, and cultivate the planned
here to help your every step of the way.
crops to receive the highest return on
At Emerge Ag Solutions our goal is to
From agronomic advice to our tailored
investment possible. Agronomists stay
make your job easier. We are dedicated
crop nutrition plans specific to your crop
current with new developments in crop
to being a support system for our growers
and farming operation and frequent crop
production and incorporate them into
in any way that we can, and providing
inspections and recommendations, we
the recommendations they make to the
the trusted partnership that can be so
will ensure you are equipped with all of
farmer.
valuable.
the information you need to produce the
These
recommendations
can
improve economic returns, as well as help
best crop.
protect environmental sustainability of the
Here are some of the services we provide
cropland.
to help you get the maximum potential
Product and Custom Services
out of your land this season:
A big part of making your job easier is
Farmers who are considering partnering with
an
agronomy
specialist
should
having the technology and equipment Farm Planning Solution
available that you will need for cleaning
understand all the services the company
Our Farm Planning Solution software is a
and treating seed, treating seed on-farm,
can provide and the level of knowledge
fully detailed, fully integrated electronic
custom applications, fertilizer blending,
farm
etc.
of the agronomist before selecting a
business
management
tool
service provider. It is important to
ensuring sustained, elevated success on
ensure the service provider has the
each and every one of your fields. Your
Contact your Emerge representative
expertise working with the soils
fields have a lot of information to store,
to learn more about how we can serve
and climate, the crops grown,
and FPS can help manage and organize
you this season.
and the production systems that
emerge.ag
your data.
We’re for free trips! If you buy 64 bags of DEKALB® canola seed this season you will earn a FREE trip to St. Louis. Talk to you Emerge sales representative for details.
We’re for you
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DEKALB ® is a registered trademark of Monsanto.
©Copyright Emerge Ag Solutions 2014.