20 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | January 2025 in past years, so my local elevator decided not to be in the adzuki game this year, and that’s the main reason I decided against growing them,” he shares, explaining that Japan is the primary market for adzuki beans. “It will be interesting to see what the market does in the next year.” His advice for producers thinking about growing adzuki beans is to speak with other growers to get an idea of requirements and make sure there’s a market before planting. “You should check that your equipment, especially harvest equipment, is able to get them out of the field, and you want to make sure you have a contract and a place for them to go before putting them in the ground.” Flax Flax is typically grown in the cooler climate of the Prairies and is known for its fibre and omega-3 fatty acid content. This crop may fit into rotations in lower heat unit regions. A Blue Mountain area flax farmer says that they switched out canola for flax in their rotation due to the lower inputs and earlier harvest. They have been experimenting with flax for 15 years, and it became consistent in their rotation five years ago. “We mostly started growing flax so we could get our winter wheat in. Our beans are later maturing and there’s not much time to get wheat planted. It’s not often that we combine beans before the 20th of September,” says the flax grower, who prefers to have winter wheat planted before that date. “We didn’t like canola because it was so costly. There’s seed cost, all the fertilizer, and the sprays. One year, we sprayed canola four times for flea beetle and didn’t get ahead of it, but flax doesn’t have any insects that like it. We can also keep our own seed back for flax.” Harvesting flax requires forethought. The grower explains that flax can be hard on equipment, and upkeep of machinery can be costly. “It’s not the nicest crop to work with,” they explain. “It likes to wrap on bearings and burn things. If you smell smoke, you better stop. “When it’s standing, it’s okay, but when it’s down, it’s a problem.” The straw needs to be managed after harvest. The growers find it bunches and collects under the tool bar during seeding if not removed from the field. Marketing flax can also be a challenge. The large quantities grown in the Prairies relative to Ontario mean that local buyers may be limited. “There’s no consistent market. You can’t just take it to any elevator and most feed mills don’t buy it. You have to be prepared to hang on to it,” says the flax grower, who notes that the higher price has changed the market. “A few years ago, when flax was $1,700 a tonne, some mills were using it in chicken feed for the omega-3, but now the price is back in the real world. There is a market at a feed mill if you can make the deal, but then you have to have enough to keep them going all year.” If producers are prepared to manage the marketing, flax can offer another option for shorter-season crops. “For the guy who wants to just grow a crop and drop it at the elevator, flax isn’t for them. “It’s been higher priced than canola and has lower input cost. But it’s a Catch-22. If you are going to grow it, you have to go over your header. If there’s anything that will catch straw, it can’t be there, and you have to replace your knives. If you are going to go over 10 acres, it might not be worth the overhaul on your combine to do it.” BF NEW CROP OPPORTUNITIES Flax may be an option for growers in lower heat unit regions. Modella - stock.adobe.com EMILY MCKINLAY Emily lives on a beef farm, raising Red Angus and Simmental cattle. She holds a Master of Science in Animal Biosciences from University of Guelph, with a focus on ruminant nutrition.
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