OntAG Admin's Blog – January 2014 Archive (5)

APG Seeks Advisors in All Zones to Grow Pulse Industry

Pulse producers who want to grow the province’s pulse industry while developing their own leadership skills are invited to let their names stand for election as an Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) Advisor at their zone meeting this fall. “Any interested pulse farmers are strongly encouraged to join the APG team,” APG Chair Shane Strydhorst said. “I began as an Advisor like most APG Directors, and the experience has been more rewarding than I imagined. Becoming an Advisor is a great way to get involved in the industry. Each of our five zones has available positions and it’s a good introduction to the organization, working on committees, and making things happen for Alberta pulse farmers.” A team of Advisors leads extension activities specific to each of APG’s five zones. Directors on APG’s provincial board often serve as Advisors first. Producers must have sold pulses and paid service charges since August 1, 2023 to be eligible as an Advisor. Anyone interested in letting their name stand

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Launches Enhanced Pulse Variety Hub: New website delivers advanced tools and data for pulse crop producers

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is pleased to announce the launch of the new and improved Pulse Variety Hub (https://rvt.saskpulse.com/), a comprehensive digital platform that helps pulse crop producers select the best varieties for their specific growing conditions and locations across Western Canada. The Pulse Variety Hub serves as a central resource where farmers can access detailed variety information, compare performance data across different regions, and make informed decisions about which pulse crops—including lentil, pea, chickpea, faba bean, and dry bean—will perform best in their specific geographic areas and growing environments. The enhanced platform represents a significant advancement in agricultural technology, building upon the proven foundation of the previous tool while delivering substantial improvements across all aspects of user experience and functionality. Key Features and Enhancements The new Pulse Variety Hub delivers enhanced value through several significant imp

Manitoba farmers racing to finish harvest

Rain and strong winds in Manitoba’s eastern and Interlake regions and snow in the Northwest slowed the harvest. In its weekly crop report, Manitoba Agriculture Cereal Crop Specialist Ann Kirk said roughly 93 per cent of the crop is harvested, and farmers are getting close to wrapping things up. “Over the past week, we did have fairly good harvest conditions. We did have rain and then snow which put a pause on harvest over the weekend and the beginning of this week,” Kirk said. Harvesting of spring cereals are basically complete and canola is very close to finished. The dry beans are about 96 per cent complete. Soybeans are also very close at about 90 per cent. “What’s left is about 25 per cent of the flax crop, 80 per cent of the sunflowers and about 60 per cent of the grain corn , so we have made good progress, and it’s just those remaining later season crops to come off,” Kirk added. Spring cereals had a very long harvest season, and as a result, some of the crops are of poorer

Agriculture innovation part of TIME’s list of best inventions

An agriculture innovation from a Winkler, Man. based company has been named to TIME’s list of the Best Inventions of 2025. Thunderstruck Ag was recognized for its Razors Edge Concaves. Thunderstruck Founder and CEO Jeremy Matuszewski said the concaves were designed to minimize harvest loss, maximize machine efficiency, and simplify operations across multiple crops. The system’s patented variable bar spacing tightens where impact is greatest and opens where flow matters most delivering a cleaner thresh, reduced equipment overload, and higher yields, all without cover plates or hardware swaps.

Halloween characters suitable for farmwork

Farmers can use all the help they can get these days