4 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | March 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 STACY BERRY RICHARD KAMCHEN Parkland County, Alta. Winnipeg, Man. RON SETTLER ERICA YASKOWICH Lucky Lake, Sask. Kindersley, Sask. NATIONAL CONTRIBUTORS MOE AGOSTINO ABHINESH GOPAL DIEGO FLAMMINI STEPHANIE ROGERS 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: April 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: Jesse Williams photo, wikoski/iStock/Getty Images Plus 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 “When planning the next crop, producers should keep in mind recropping restrictions and herbicide carry-over from previous years. Crop rotation is important and beneficial in many areas, including rotating herbicide groups.” - Erica Yaskowich, Page 42 “We have a full-time farm and two full-time jobs and two kids. We are pretty much working on the farm all the time. We don’t have any wild passions outside of ag. Once you are involved in ag, all your passions seem to evolve around ag.” - Jesse Williams, Page 34 “Rumour has it that when the seat belt light technology was first introduced, an irate driver was tired of looking at it and smashed out the light with her high-heeled shoe.” - Ron Settler, Page 48 “When the funds are as short as they are, that’s when markets can quickly turn around with a short covering rally and climb higher.” - Moe Agostino, Page 52 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR NEW PULSE PLANT; SCLEROTINIA WATCH Louis Dreyfus Company’s recent announcement of a new pea protein isolate production plant at its existing site in Yorkton, MLA Jeremy Harrison said it takes the province “one step closer to achieving our goal of processing 50 per cent of the pulse crops produced in Saskatchewan.” Indeed, this is good news for pulse growers across the province. “Be on the lookout for sclerotinia as it can survive over winter at the soil surface and in stubble.” That advice comes from Quinton Cubbon, crops extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. While recent data shows that Sclerotinia Stem Rot was less severe last year than in 2022, many canola growers will still have to contend with the white mould in the months to come. Cubbon reported that in 2023 there were “hot spots scattered around Meadow Lake, Prince Albert, Yorkton and in a couple small areas in Rural Municipality 253 and 162. “The reason for these hot spots is linked with wetter conditions and spotty rains.” The North Battleford-based agrologist noted that “it is important to identify apothecia (small mushroom-like structures that create the ascospores that germinate on petals) before determining whether a fungicide should be applied.” Cubbon’s full report can be found on Saskatchewan.ca. The world has seen dramatic farmer protests in the past few months. In France, buildings were torched and farm tractors shut down major highways. German farmers dumped manure on the streets of Berlin over subsidies for diesel in farm vehicles. Similar protests have been staged in Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and other countries, many with attribution to measures to address climate devastation, and some farmers feeling they are being asked to do or pay more than their fair share. That’s an oversimplification. But the issues are complex, and the conflicts have been intense.
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