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SouthWest Ag BINCast at the London Farm Show

SouthWest Ag BINCast at the London Farm Show

Weather INnovations in the SouthWest Ag Booth at the 2014 London Farm Show at Western Fair.

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Albums: London Farm Show at Western Fair March 2014

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Comment by OntAG Admin on March 12, 2014 at 2:50pm

March 5, 2014 - South West Ag Partners and Weather INnovations (WIN) Consulting LP, of Chatham, are pleased to announce that they will be working together to bring WeatherCentral.ca’s BINcast® Program to all growers in Ontario. South West Ag is joining WeatherCentral.ca as the exclusive sponsor of BINcast  and together with WIN, is launching their collaboration at the London Farm Show.


WeatherCentral.ca, developed by WIN, provides site-specific, weather-based agricultural decision support tools – including BINcast® - which utilizes the latest science and technology to assist farmers in managing their farm businesses.  BINcast® is an advisory tool designed to help producers with aeration management and grain conditioning for grains stored on the farm.  Brian Cofell, Retail Grain Manager for South West Ag, says that “BINcast® takes the guesswork out of operating an aeration system and will result in improved grain quality, better managed moistures, improved grain marketability and improved profits.“ 

“We are running our fans when we should not be, and not running them when we should be” says Cofell, “and it is costing farm businesses in both power and grain quality.”  This is largely the result of 2 factors:  lack of understanding of changing weather and it’s daily influence on grain quality, and the inability of producers to plan for, and optimize, the aeration practices of their grain operation on a 24/7 basis.


BINcast® uses a site–specific weather forecast to predict grain equilibrium moisture content at all registered bin locations. “On any given farm, we can offer an accuracy rating of 90% in our BINcast® weather parameters” says Ian Nichols, WIN President.  BINcast® uses the forecast to provide a 5-day, hourly Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) chart. “It basically tells you when you should be running your fans and when you should not, to achieve your desired EMC. You are conditioning your grain with credible science and technology support.”  
Through South West Ag Partners sponsorship of BINcast®, Ontario farmers are able to get access to the basic level of BINcast® at no charge. Registration to the program is very simple and can be done directly on the WeatherCentral.ca website or by visiting the South West Ag Partners booth during the London Farm Show where their staff will set you and your smart phone up on the program.  


Future versions of the BINcast® Program are in development and promise to bring increased levels of accuracy, automation and value to the program.

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

Soybean Fungicide Decisions

As soybean crops move into flowering, questions are sure to be raised about whether fungicide applications are needed. In anticipation, let’s take a closer look at the potential disease threats and what Manitoba On-Farm Network research has told us. What Should We Be Concerned About? Foliar diseases infecting soybeans in Manitoba typically occur at low severity levels and are not expected to impact yield most years. These usually include bacterial blight, downy mildew and Septoria brown spot. Stem diseases generally have a greater impact on yield. White mould: infections begin at nodes along the main stem. Wilted plants may be spotted from afar, within a humid canopy may find white mycelial growth and black sclerotia bodies later in the season. This disease is the main target of fungicide applications. Cool, wet conditions throughout July and August favour white mould. For every 10% increase in the percent of plants infected with white mould, 2-5 bu/ac of yield are lost in soybeans.

Fungicide Decision Tool for Managing Mycosphaerella Blight in Field Peas

When your peas have reached V10 (10th node stage), it is an ideal time to start scouting each field to evaluate if a fungicide application to manage Mycosphaerella blight is warranted. Continue scouting for symptoms from V10 (10th true node) to R2 (beginning bloom), during mid-June to late July. Mycosphaerella (Ascochyta) blight is the most widespread and economically damaging foliar disease of Manitoba field peas. Peas are the single host crop of Mycosphaerella but it can be managed by foliar fungicide. This pathogen can be stubble-, air-, soil- and seed-borne. Spores can travel long distances by air, meaning there is a disease risk even in fields where peas have not been grown previously. The impact of disease severity on yield will depend on how early the disease sets in and how quickly it progresses into the upper crop canopy. Early infections during the bloom to early/mid-pod stages cause the most damage if left untreated. Use this fungicide decision worksheet when scouting to

Manitoba pork, canola producers hold steady amid heavy tariffs

A slab of back bacon from Natural Raised Pork comes with a waitlist. Ian Smith points to tariffs. Since the United States placed levies on imports from Canada, Manitobans have increasingly been calling Smith about his farm near Argyle, some 40 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. “There’s more people wanting to support local and I’m one of few people that do what I’m doing,” said Smith, 62. He estimates 90 per cent of his pork products are bought by Manitoba households; the latter goes to a packing plant. Last year, it was a 50-50 split. Smith works alone, hustling to meet the four-to-six week waitlist that’s accumulated. He keeps hundreds of feeder pigs and a couple dozen sows; it’s a relatively small operation, he noted. “If there’s any mistakes to be made, there’s only one person to blame and that’s me,” he said with a laugh. Smith doesn’t export to China — so he’s shielded from that nation’s levies still hanging over the Canadian industry.

KAP Welcomes Appointment of New U.S. Trade Representative

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) welcomes the appointment of Richard Madan as Manitoba’s new trade representative to the United States. “We commend Premier Kinew and Minister Moses for making Manitoba’s voice a priority in Washington, D.C.,” said KAP President Jill Verwey. “We look forward to working with Mr. Madan to advance the interests of Manitoba farmers and the agricultural industry, ensuring these interests are at the forefront of his work as he forges stronger relationships with American policymakers and trade officials.” Agriculture is an important part of Manitoba’s economy, with $4.29 billion in agri-food exports to the U.S. alone in 2024, and KAP sees the new presence in Washington as instrumental in fostering strategic relationships with key states that are important to our trade interests. “The U.S. is Manitoba’s largest agri-food export destination and is one of Manitoba’s key trading partners on the international stage,” added KAP General Manager Colin Hornby. “

2025 Annual General Meeting

On Wednesday, June 18th, the Ontario Farmland Trust hosted its Annual General Meeting. The meeting was held hybrid again this year, with members and friends joining both virtually and in person.

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