Ontario Agriculture

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Paul Smith's Blog (16)

Learn From The Cash Crop Farmers – Yield Monitors are a High Return on Investment for Veggies

Carrot/Onion/Potato and Sugar Beet growers can learn from their cash crop growing neighbours and gain the knowledge they have been seeing for years.

Yield monitors have long been only available for conventional cash crop growers, until now.  Innovative technology from Northern Equipment Solutions supplier Greentronics, now allows veggie growers to monitor/map and obtain vital yield data.

Growers can now visualize and gain the knowledge about problem areas, and about high…

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Added by Paul Smith on July 2, 2013 at 4:11pm — No Comments

Weed Control Solutions Explained - Advantages & Dis-Advantages

The recent trend toward restricting herbicide use has produced interest in alternative and integrated weed control strategies that include cultivation. As a result, newly developed implements are now available to vegetable growers from Northern Equipment Solutions, but the potential uses of these tools for numerous vegetable crops can be confusing. This describes some of these tools and their advantages and disadvantages.

 

Flex-tine harrows

Flex-tine harrows are…

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Added by Paul Smith on April 3, 2013 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Leading Technology Will Increase Your Yield and Decrease Your Labor Costs

Transplanting has long been re­served for leafy crops, tomatoes, and bare root onions. Automated planting technology now provides a cost ef­fective way to transplant produce from plugs grown in greenhouses for up to 30 percent increased yields and up to 50 percent lower labor costs.

 

Benefits of automated…

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Added by Paul Smith on April 3, 2013 at 7:31am — No Comments

What are the benefits of a automatic sprayer boom height control system

With 4 major manufacturers the automatic sprayer boom height control system, can provide you with a more uniform/effective application of your inputs, increase your productivity and remove the stresses of spraying.  High quality systems are available from Greentronics, Norac, Trimble and Raven.  Information is available at www.northernequipment.ca regarding Greentronics Riteheight, Norac and Trimble boom height…

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Added by Paul Smith on February 6, 2013 at 1:48pm — 1 Comment

Benefits of Tile Drainage

With an accurately designed and installed tile drainage system, you can bring your crop management to a whole new level. Improve yields, improve your soil, and improve the environment around you. It's a good deal for everyone.  You can hire in a professional, or you can do it yourself with great benefits.

Benefits of Tile Drainage

Installing tile drains on your farm will bring you numerous benefits.

Better Yields.

Tile drainage has been proven over…

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Added by Paul Smith on January 9, 2013 at 2:30am — No Comments

Implement steering keeps pulled implements on the right track

                       

It's all very well setting up virtual guidelines for a tractor's visual guidance or automatic steering system to follow, but what if the implement being used doesn't run true?

After all, a large part of the justification for GPS autosteer is its ability to maximise implement output by minimising overlaps and allowing…

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Added by Paul Smith on January 4, 2013 at 6:46pm — No Comments

How to Maximize Potato Planting Stands and Yields

Numerous studies have shown that an average potato field, contains 7% missing or misplaced seed placement causing a total loose of production.  These errors are more commonly referred to as misses and doubles.  This is just the in-row misplacements of skips and doubles, not the row to row errors that are present within the fields from guess row areas.  Guess rows can be corrected easily with the addition of assisted GPS steering systems.

What does this mean to you, would you be…

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Added by Paul Smith on January 3, 2013 at 5:24pm — No Comments

Camera’s and their uses around the farm

With the ever rising costs of equipment, inputs and pretty much everything on the farm, protecting your investment is becoming very critical.  Stolen tractors, implements, tools and anything else a thief can sell quickly, or overseas, is becoming common place in our rural communities.  Cameras are an excellent deterrent to stop would be thieves from violating your business and life.  With many farmers living at their place of business, thefts can feel violating to your entire…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 28, 2012 at 3:30am — No Comments

Forgotten Points Of Vegetable Harvest Efficiency

With harvest finally over for most producers throughout Ontario, many farmers will reflect on how to improve on the results of last year.  These points are often over looked ways to improve harvest efficiency.  I have listed what my experience shows as the most overlooked, but still very important.

  • Pre-Season Inspections- Ensure your equipment uptime is maximized, downtime is very costly during the short harvest season.
  • Evenflows ensure a constant flow of product for…
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Added by Paul Smith on December 21, 2012 at 1:30am — No Comments

GPS Corrections and Their General Uses

After many years of precision agricultural use, many questions still exist of what is the correct correction for each operation.  I have listed the corrections available and a brief description of their uses.

Wide Area Augmentation Signal (WAAS) –

Accuracy: < 6-8”

Initialization/Convergence: Standard*

This free service provides performance suitable for agriculture applications in which accuracy and repeatability are not of the highest…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 19, 2012 at 5:30am — 3 Comments

Camera’s and their uses around the farm

With the ever rising costs of equipment, inputs and pretty much everything on the farm, protecting your investment is becoming very critical.  Stolen tractors, implements, tools and anything else a thief can sell quickly, or overseas, is becoming common place in our rural communities.  Cameras are an excellent deterrent to stop would be thieves from violating your business and life.  With many farmers living at their place of business, thefts can feel violating to your entire…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 19, 2012 at 2:30am — 4 Comments

High Quality Soil Is The Beginning To High Quality Crops

Imagine harvesting a bumper crop, in perfect loose soil with no trash, clods or rocks.  Many would say that this will never be possible here in North America.  Northern Equipment Solutions is now offering the equipment and knowledge needed to take advantage of this tried and proven technology from Europe.  Improved shape, quality, size uniformity and yield are all now possible.

Many Farms within Europe have seen the benefits of soil conditioning and quad planting, with its…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 17, 2012 at 2:46pm — No Comments

Tips To Lowering Bruise Rates – It’s A Full Season Process

Before Planting

• Select fields that are best suited for growing potatoes and are free from excessive rocks.  Investigate the soil conditioning technics presently adopted throughout Europe, if unavoidable.

• Avoid tillage practices that create clods that will not break down during the growing season.  Rotary tillage methods prevent clods in clod prone soils.

 

During the Growing Season

• Use a balanced fertility program to keep vines green…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 17, 2012 at 3:00am — 15 Comments

Variable Rate Technology – What Is It, Can I Do It?

Inputs prices are high and so are crop prices. Managing costs and yields is critical to success on your farm. With commodity prices high you cannot settle for average yields. The use of variable rate precision ag products and services helps farmers to do just that. Placing the inputs in the intended prescribed areas has become very popular and makes a tremendous amount of sense for many producers. With the use of satellite imagery, plant health data, soil testing and harvest data, some very…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 14, 2012 at 2:00am — No Comments

The Future of Agricultural Technology, Today

Veris Technologies has become a name known as the go to tool for advanced soil information.  Offering 3 different sensing systems Veris Technologies can provide information on Soil Type, Organic Matter and PH levels individually or in any combination of the 3.  Here is the 3 types of soil sampling systems available and how you can benefit from knowedge gained.

Soil EC Sensing- Is soil electrical conductivity, a measurement of how much current your soil…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 12, 2012 at 3:00am — No Comments

How To Choose A Precision Ag Dealer or Brand- And The Misconceptions Involved in Your Purchasing Decision

As a precision GPS specialist, I am amazed when my initial conversation with a new customer starts with a few common comments about precision GPS systems and the brands that represent them. My return to all of these comments is the exact same statement, but I have decided to list what someone with years of precision knowledge has to say about these mis-conceptions and not the canned my product is better that many…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 7, 2012 at 9:15pm — No Comments

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

Innovation Saskatchewan Invests Nearly $460,000 in University of Regina Research Advancing Water, Waste and Antimicrobial Innovation

Innovation Saskatchewan is investing $459,095 in three University of Regina (U of R) research projects through the Innovation & Science Fund (ISF) to advance solutions in water security, environmental sustainability and antimicrobial resistance.   The investments match funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), effectively doubling the resources available to U of R researchers to accelerate their work.   "The U of R is leading research that's making a real impact and helping shape a stronger, more sustainable future for our province," Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Warren Kaeding said. "These investments help ensure Saskatchewan stays at the forefront of innovation and is ready to tackle challenges with solutions developed right here at home."   The projects build on U of R strengths in climate science and population health, advancing Saskatchewan's priority research areas of life sciences, agriculture and energy:  

Enrol now in AgriStability

About AgriStability AgriStability is an important tool to help you manage risks and financial losses due to tariffs, poor yields, low commodity prices, or rising input costs. AgriStability provides support when you experience a large margin decline. AgriStability is delivered by the federal government in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories and Yukon. Use the Benefit Estimator to help you understand how the program works and how benefits are calculated. Learn more about the AgriStability program or access My AAFC Account to sign in to your account or create a new account. Benefits of participating Provides support when risks are beyond your capacity to manage Offers personalized and affordable coverage Helps you manage your farm during periods of market downturns, falling market prices and rising input costs Protects your farm against drought, flooding, poor yields or other unexpected disasters Can be used to secure financing Prov

WCC/RRC Meeting Update

The Western Canadian Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee (WCC/RRC) met in early February to review candidate cultivars and make key decisions that help guide canola and rapeseed variety registration in Western Canada. These meetings play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the canola quality system and ensuring new cultivars entering the market meet established standards. The WCC/RRC is an independent committee comprised of all sectors of the value chain including researchers, industry representatives, farmers, sector experts and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Variety Registration Office as a non-voting observer. Its primary role is to evaluate candidate cultivars against defined quality and performance criteria to determine whether they meet the requirements for canola or rapeseed registration. In addition, on behalf of the WCC/RRC, the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) staff coordinate testing and inspection of pre-registration varieties, public blackleg trials at

Manitoba Canola Growers Announces Board Election Results and Executive Appointments

Manitoba Canola Growers is pleased to announce the results of its board elections held this winter, as well as executive appointments made during the organization’s recent reorganization meeting. During the 2025 board election process, three members put their names forward for four available director positions. As a result, Warren Ellis, Jackie Dudgeon MacDonald, and Jay Derkach were all acclaimed to the board. With one seat remaining vacant following the election, Manitoba Canola Growers initiated a board application process, inviting members to submit their names for consideration. The organization was pleased to receive a strong number of qualified candidates. Following a shortlisting process and interviews, the board is pleased to announce that Brad Crammond has been selected to join the board for a four term. “We’re really encouraged by how much interest our members showed and by the strong group of candidates who put their names forward,” said Warren Ellis, Chair. “It’s great

How to cover all the bases with a land rental agreement

It doesn’t make sense to pay to use a piece of land, invest time and effort into raising a crop, and not even have a paper outlining an agreement with the owner. Yet it’s something lawyer James Steele, of Robertson Stromberg LLP, says he sees repeatedly, as well as handshake agreements and handwritten rental deals. Across the country, none of these informal agreements are sufficient if there's a disagreement and the rental matter ends in court. Overall, having a written land rental agreement in place is a critical, yet often neglected, piece of farm business that could save both parties time and money if anything with the rental ever went wrong. Include all the details A rental agreement needs to be longer than a one—to two-page document and include as many details as possible. Steele says he often sees producers show up with an agreement where the term and rate have been determined, but not much else. A rental agreement document must spell out the obligations and consequences, and

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