Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The wheat is off, the crops are sprayed, the pressing field work is behind me.  There is always more to do, but its no longer time critical.  Sure i can pull some weeds in the field, but it doesn't need to be done today.  The wheat stubble needs to be plowed, but no rush, I would prefer a good rain to sprout the lost wheat before I start anyhow.  Sure the free range chickens and turkeys need constant attention, but that has become no different than doing the laundry, its just part of life.  It feels good to have a bit of freedom from racing against the clock to get done what must be done.  

Wheat harvest went well.  New combine to learn, a welcome rain to slow things up, but only a few acres to harvest due to the wet fall and once I got going, the field was off in a day.  It wasn't the best yield by far, in fact almost half of what its capable of.  But most of the loss was from dead spots.  I had tried some new seed but it just didn't yield, will be growing Beacher again next year.  Its  a tough wheat to shell, but where it was standing good, my bin was well filled.

It was nice to combine in a machine with air conditioning, never had that before.  I was living the good life.  And my speed was knife limited, a 20ft head just can't work an R52, but its a good size for me.  Actually, compared to the old MF 540, this combine is a monster.  10 acres an hour was quite easy, and I am used to 20 acres a day.

Now I did have some good help to move that grain.  My wife put it all in the bin for me, and she didn't have the benefit of A/C.  And until the cold front came through, it was HOT.  

Yes, harvest is a family event, even my Dad came out to help, though he didn't do too much, his advice was much appreciated.  Years of experience are very helpful in setting up a combine, in judging the quality of the job.  

Since getting the wheat off, I have been busy moving out the last of my corn.  The bin paid for itself this year.  With the prices on the up swing, I was able to market that grain for a good profit.  Well, enough profit to cover the lease payment of the bin.  

Next week my wheat will be trucked out.  Can't believe that the best price could be at harvest, but its high enough that  I sold it all.  And since i have both roundup beans and IP, the extra bin takes off all pressure for how I keep the grains separate.  Gives me added marketing time for the next crop.

Its still dry in the fields and I hope to get some rain soon, its been about 10 days since the last drink and soon it will be back into drought conditions.  But my crops are not hurt.  When I see photos of the those in the US corn belt its depressing.  Those withered fields were someones hard work, care and hope and they are in ruins.  A recent Globe and Mail article was insinuating that Canadian farmers were finding the silver lining from the drought.  The media just doesn't understand that some crops are already contracted, others at risk and the farmers not willing to pre-sell an uncertain harvest.  Higher prices make a farmer happy, but lost fields, even when they are not yours are never welcomed.  Its a good thing for crop insurance, it allows a farmer to try again, where otherwise a failed crop could be the end to a farmer.  

If that next rain shows up in time, my corn is set to benefit.

There is no shortage of 2 cob stocks and I came across a greedy stock trying for 3!  Nothing is certain, but this crop still has potential. 

The only controllable foe I have at the moment are the weeds in the fields.  Not that I have enough to effect yield, but I hate to see them go to seed.  So for the next few months my time will be spent on pulling weeds.  Yes, I take the time to physically pull out weeds in the field.  There are always a few that the herbicides miss, but if I find them its game over.  I also find a walk though the crops, with a beer of course, very relaxing.  Its nice to love your work, its even more enjoyable to think that you have a small part in feeding the world.  Farming may not be an easy life, but i would call it a good life.

Views: 80

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Secretary Rollins Takes Decisive Action and Shuts Down U.S. Southern Border Ports to Livestock Trade due to further Northward Spread of New World Screwworm in Mexico

Yesterday, Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) reported a new case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz in Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid, on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border. This new northward detection comes approximately two months after northern detections were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of our ports to Mexican cattle, bison, and horses on May 11, 2025. While USDA announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison, and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025, this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7-September 15. There

University of Manitoba appoints Dr. Filiz Koksel as Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein

The University of Manitoba is pleased to welcome Dr. Filiz Koksel as the new Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein, a role that continues to advance sustainable agri-food innovation and leadership in plant and animal protein research and innovation. Dr. Koksel, an associate professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, leads an interdisciplinary research program that aligns closely with Manitoba’s Protein Advantage Strategy. She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Food Engineering and earned her PhD in Food Science from the University of Manitoba.  “My vision for this Chair is to position Manitoba as a global leader in sustainable protein innovation by uniting scientific discovery with industry partnerships,” said Dr. Koksel. “Together, we will create solutions that advance food security and climate resilience for generations to come.” Dr Koksel’s current work focuses on developing novel, environmentally friendly protein ingredients from crops such

Support staff recognized for contributions to Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Each year the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences calls for nominations of a support staff member or team who have made outstanding contributions in support of the teaching, research, service and outreach goals of the Faculty. At a celebratory barbecue to celebrate all nominees held on July 9, six individuals and four teams were recognized for their service to the Faculty. Sheldon Beichter, Technician, Carman Research Station Becky Dueck, Technician, Department of Plant Science Atanas Karamanov, Technician, Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research Minami Maeda, Technician, Department of Biosystems Engineering Finley Makila, Technician, Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research Donna Ryland, Technician, Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences Charlene Hawryluk, Wajiha Shahzad, Uldis Bourne, Jennifer St. Laurent, Dianne Dugald and Vanessa Ryplanski, Departments of Animal Science & Entomology and Glenlea Research Station Minami Maeda, Daniel Benedet an

Some crops look good and other not so good in Saskatchewan

A drive around Saskatchewan provides a wide range of crop conditions, based on rainfall received. Timely thunderstorms, combined with spring rain, are producing decent-looking crops in some locations, particularly the southeast. The poorest crops are in the southwest, but there are areas across the northern grainbelt that are much drier than normal as well. Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report puts provincial cropland topsoil moisture conditions at 55 percent adequate, 33 percent short and 12 percent very short. Many fields are at relatively uniform stages, but there is some inconsistent staging which is making spray timing challenging. Areas that have received moderate to high rainfall over the last few weeks are applying fungicides to some of their pulse, cereal and oilseed crops.

AGRI-FOOD 2050 Industry Event

The Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) is bringing industry leaders together to envision the future of agri-food in Ontario. The inaugural Agri-food 2050 Event will draw attendees from across the broader agri-food sector including representatives from primary agriculture, agri-business, food processing, agri-food research, and government.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service