Ag News

The Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award was announced this week during the Canadian Beef Industry Conference.

Reg Schellenberg, a rancher from Beechy, Saskatchewan was President of the Canadian Cattle Association when he passed away suddenly in December of 2022.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations to be made through the Canadian Cattle Foundation to support the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) Program.

The hot, dry conditions in many areas have meant that grasshoppers have been a key challenge for producers again this year.

Conventional farmers and organic producers have seen significant damage from grasshoppers over the last couple of years.

Marla Carlson, the executive director of Sask Organics says they did a grasshopper survey this year between June 30th and July 16th to try and gauge the impact.

Motorists may have seen an increased number of combines and farm machinery take to rural and major highways, as harvest is in full swing in most areas of Saskatchewan.  

Due to the size of combines, sprayers, and other equipment, motorists will need to use extra caution when approaching one this harvest season.  

Harvest operations are underway in the province with three per cent of the crop in the bin.

That's on par with the five-year average

Anne Kirk, the province's cereal crop specialist says a general rain delayed the harvest last week but things are back on track.

With crops dried out for harvest, that can also pose a decent fire risk that farmers in their combines should be ready for.

Whether through a mechanical breakdown, the machinery running too hot, or just a freak accident, fires should be something every farmer is prepared for.

Mike Kwasnica, President of the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, details some of those tips.

The federal government has announced new funding for grain research in western Canada focused on a number of topics.

Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, announced the investment of over $4 million to the Western Grains Research Foundation.

That will go towards the WGRF's AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The Canadian Cattlemens Association announced their nominees for the TESA awards, looking to give recognition to those producers who help with the local environment.

The Environmental Stewardship Award has been given out for 26 years, with the CCA "recognizing beef producers who explore innovative ways to protect, preserve, and enhance their operations and the environment simultaneously".

The nominees hail from seven different provinces and include:

Saskatchewan is playing host to this year's Tri-National Agricultural Accord, a series of meetings between American, Mexican, and Canadian agriculture interests.

After yesterday's welcome reception at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel in Saskatoon, the three countries will engage in talks throughout the day with concurrent meetings.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit says that the event is important to highlight the current and future relationships between countries.

Nitrogen is one of the most important parts of farming, with producers making sure their crops end up getting the perfect amount.

One program dedicated to making sure producers are aware of some best practices is the 4R method.

Thom Wier, a consultant for the Canola Council of Canada, details one upcoming presentation that'll let farmers know what the system's all about.

An application has been filed with the Natural Resources Conservation Board for proposed changes at a confined feeding operation in the MD of Willow Creek.

The application has come from the Cayley Hutterite colony.

They want to change the layout of permitted pens on the site.

They're also looking at changing the location and dimensions of the permitted catch pond and extending the deadline for construction until the end of November.

A written response can be filed with the NRCB by anyone deemed directly affected by the plan.