4 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | September 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 JOURNALISTS MARY LOGGAN EMILY MCKINLAY PRAIRIE CONTRIBUTORS ALLIE NOBLE RON SETTLER Prince Albert, Sask. Lucky Lake, Sask. NATIONAL CONTRIBUTORS MOE AGOSTINO DIEGO FLAMMINI ABHINESH GOPAL ROWAN HOLLINGER MATT JONES 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: October 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: Pristine Prairie Organics photo, Canadian Tractor Museum 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 “The number of skilled trades coming into the industry is tremendous. Agriculture isn’t just ‘American Gothic’ – that painting of the couple with the pitchfork – anymore. It’s such a diverse opportunity but we don’t talk about it to our kids.” - Steve Brackenridge, Page 15 “While some regions are poised for a successful harvest thanks to favourable weather, others continue to face significant challenges.” - Mary Loggan, Page 30 “I don’t like to take too much time off. I get farmers’ guilt. You feel guilty for not being at home. When I take time off I don’t disconnect completely. I like to drive around and look at cattle and crops.” - Bryce Lobreau, Page 34 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR RAILWAY STRIKE; #HARVEST24 AHEAD At press time, a potential rail strike continued to be a serious threat at a terrible time for Prairie producers, and the country’s two main railways began blocking shipments ahead of a possible strike or lockout. Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have been negotiating with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, and an Aug. 9 ruling by the Canada Industrial Relations Board found that a work stoppage between the two sides would not pose an immediate threat to public health and safety. Which meant a strike could occur as soon as Aug. 22. We are featuring an in-depth report from Matt Jones in this edition, looking at how this possible “worst-case scenario” happened, and what could have been done to avoid it. The article begins on Page 24. The core issues between the union and the railway companies include wages, crew scheduling, hours of work, and fatigue management. These sticking points highlight the critical balance needed between fair labour practices and the operational demands of the railway industry. The outcome holds significant consequences for grain farmers, who rely heavily on rail transport during the harvest season. Any disruption could severely impact their ability to deliver grain on time, affecting both their financial stability and the broader agricultural economy. We are also running a harvest outlook from Mary Loggan. A challenging task, given that the 2024 growing season has varied widely across the Prairies. The article features some interesting updates from readers, with “lots of unexpected rain” being a theme. A recent survey of online comments at Agriville.com produced a similar variety of expectations. “It will be a below-average or average Sask crop. The bumper is long gone.” “Heat and no rain taking yield, yet markets keep dropping.” “The trip south and into Alberta shows combines will be used in all areas, but I fear the production will be same or similar to crop insurance guarantees.” “I firmly believe early seeded crops (pre-May 10) are going to be borderline crop insurance coverage levels, and later will be better.”
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