4 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | July/August 2024 1-888-248-4893 PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PAUL NOLAN ext 202 Paul.Nolan@Farms.com ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LESLIE STEWART ext 265 Leslie.Stewart@Farms.com AGRICULTURAL JOURNALIST EMILY CROFT PRAIRIE CONTRIBUTORS BEV BETKOWSKI RICHARD KAMCHEN Edmonton, Alta. Winnipeg, Man. GRAHAM PARSONS RON SETTLER Prince Albert, Sask Lucky Lake, Sask. NATIONAL CONTRIBUTORS MOE AGOSTINO ABHINESH GOPAL DIEGO FLAMMINI EUGENIE OFFICER ADVERTISING TEAM GLENN RUEGG JEFF McKEE JENNY LONGSTREET SCOTT FARHOOD SAMANTHA RENAUD JOAN SPIEGELBERG ANDREW BAWDEN DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM TANYA MYERS GREG MARLOW SHAUN CLARK ANDREA WILLIAMS www.BetterFarming.com Better Farming Magazine, Prairie Edition is mailed to producers in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Next issue: September 2024. 1-888-248-4893 ext 281 Subscriptions@BetterFarming.com ISSN 2563-9803 (Printed) Copyright ©2024 by AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content without written permission of the publisher is forbidden. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute endorsement of the advertiser, its products or services, nor do Better Farming, AgMedia or Farms.com endorse any advertiser claims. The publisher shall have no liability for the omission of any scheduled advertising. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 90 Woodlawn Road West, Guelph, ON N1H 1B2 Mail agreement #0042518524 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Cover: Enjoy Today Photography photo, Emily Croft photo Follow us on @PrairieFarming INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE “It takes many years to develop superior hybrid canola cultivars, but the genetic research we are doing is important to maintaining the profitability of this crop at the farm level.” - Dr. Habibur Rahman, Page 12 “They had a calf every year and when it sold, I told them they had to put the money in a trust, and they couldn’t touch it until they turned 18. They had a pretty nice little trust fund when they were 18 and they were all pretty happy with that.” - Albert Mutcher, Page 19 “You have to love farming. It’s a labour of love. With the profit margins that you see and the money you put into farming, if you put that money into a stock market you could make significantly more just sitting around the house.” - Dustin Cornelissen, Page 32 “As my Uncle Irvin often told me, ‘Oil is cheaper than repairs.’ Servicing and maintaining your equipment can save you thousands of dollars.” - Ron Settler, Page 46 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ALBERT MUTCHER, 91; NEW MAPPING TOOL “I’ve had quite a few bumps in my time farming. During the second year I farmed on my own, we had some big storms and I got hailed out. I thought that was the end, but I had a banker who had lots of faith in me, and we carried on from there.” That recollection comes from 91-year-old farmer Albert Mutcher, who continues to actively manage his cattle herd in Stephenfield, Man. to this day. Our Emily Croft recently connected with Albert, and her inspiring profile of him starts on Page 18 of this issue. With some beautiful farm photos, taken by photographer Mallorey Bergen. This is Albert’s 73rd year in farming. How great is that? We all know this to be true, but I have to say it again. Our most experienced farmers have so many years of wisdom to share – about the land, the livestock, crops, farm machinery and our weather. They should be key figures in farming families and rural communities, sharing their knowledge with younger generations. Respecting and learning from them strengthens our farms and keeps our traditions alive. A new mapping tool is available to Prairie farmers to help manage Fusarium head blight. Ag reporter Diego Flammini recently wrote on Farms.com that the Fusarium Head Blight Risk Mapping Tool (prairiefhb.ca) is the result of collaboration between government and industry groups to support spring wheat, winter wheat, durum and barley growers. Making the tool synchronized across the Prairies is a benefit for producers. Farmers bordering two provinces previously used multiple maps. “Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba all produced their own individual maps,” explained Manitoba Crop Alliance’s Andrew Hector. “So a farmer could be getting two different risk levels.” With this new tool, all that information is harmonized for them.
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