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Producers learn new ways to optimize harvest at EMILI’s annual Producer Day

Producers only get one chance at harvest, and to get the most possible yield from their crop their combine needs to be calibrated just right. This is what brought close to 50 producers, from across Manitoba and as far as Quebec, to EMILI’s Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert on June 11, 2025 for EMILI’s Producer Day with Bushel Plus Harvest Academy. Attendees learned more about their machines and how to calibrate various combines to reduce yield loss during harvest. The day was jam-packed with information and featured a mix of classroom-style learning that took place inside the shop at Innovation Farms centre, and demonstrations on Claas, Case IH and John Deere combines, with plenty of opportunities for interactive, hands-on instruction with experts from Bushel Plus. Marcel Kringe, founder and CEO of Bushel Plus, and Tyson Sanderson, product specialist at Bushel Plus, walked attendees through the inner workings of several parts of the combine, including the header, threshing system

Rapid Crop Emergence Offsets Slow Moisture Rebound

Alberta’s 2025 crop is off to a flying start, with emergence and early development well ahead of schedule across the province — but dwindling moisture reserves are starting to cast a shadow. According to the latest crop report, emergence for major crops has reached 95%, outpacing both the five-year (84%) and ten-year (86%) averages. Spring wheat and dry peas are nearly fully emerged (100%), while barley (96%), canola (89%), and oats (85%) are all well ahead of seasonal norms. Crops aren’t just emerging fast — they’re developing faster than usual, too. Spring wheat and barley have already entered mid-tillering stages, when early tillering is more typical for this time of year. Oats are showing late-stage leaf development, again a jump ahead of the five- and ten-year benchmarks. Dry Conditions Raising Red Flags Despite the impressive start, soil moisture is not keeping pace, especially in deeper layers now crucial for sustaining the crop’s rapid development. Provincial surface moistur

Montana Spring Wheat Rating Still in Decline

The US spring wheat crop has rebounded from its second worst start to the growing season on record, but things are still going downhill in Montana. Monday’s USDA crop progress report pegged the Montana spring wheat crop at just 16% good to excellent as of Sunday, down from 25% the previous week and now 20 points below the season’s first condition rating on May 26. As shown on the graphic below, it is the worst start for the spring wheat crop in the state since 2022, when an overly wet and late start to the growing season meant only 15% of the Montana crop was rated good to excellent in the first spring wheat condition report on June 12. This year, it is the exact opposite problem for the Montana spring wheat crop, which is struggling amid dryness and drought. According to the latest US drought monitor, more than half of Montana (59%) was being impacted by some form of drought as of June 10, the highest since November 2024. (In 2021, the Montana spring wheat crop started better bu

New University of Manitoba Research Chair Named to Advance Beef Production Sustainability

Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), the University of Manitoba (UM), along with its partners at Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Agriculture, and Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives, is proud to announce the establishment of the BCRC Chair in Beef Cattle Economic Sustainability. “It’s important for our industry to understand beneficial management practices that boost productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability—including those related to greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and biodiversity,” said Craig Lehr, BCRC chair and Alberta beef producer. “This new Chair will focus on viable solutions for Canadian beef cattle producers with innovations that improve economic sustainability while reducing environmental footprint.” The beef industry faces mounting challenges, including volatile input costs, climate-related risks, and limited access to equitable risk management tools. These pressures have made it increasingly

It’s Local Food Week!

A week of celebrating fresh, healthy, and local Canadian food is here! Local Food Week is a time to recognize the hardworking farmers who grow the food we enjoy every day. It also encourages us to think about the impact of our choices as consumers.