McCain foods has launched Presia Ag Insights, a firm that will use artificial intelligence to advise growers.  Photo: McCain Foods

McCain launches new predictive ag firm

McCain Foods has formed a new digital agriculture subsidiary, Presia Ag Insights. The move builds on McCain’s 2022 acquisition of a “predictive crop portfolio” from Resson, a Fredricton, New Brunswick firm that uses artificial intelligence to advise farmers on crop management decisions. McCain, in a media release, said the Presia launch is “the result of

Jason Cardinal talks market gardens and tech to attendees of the Indigenous Ag Summit at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina. (Lisa Guenther photo)

At Agribition: Northern community integrates tech, education into market garden

Flying Dust working to improve operation's food distribution

Riverside Market Garden, operated by Flying Dust First Nation, started in 2009 with two people and an old alfalfa field. Today it employs about 20 people, plus summer students; provides food for the community and some wholesalers; and gives youth a chance to learn about agriculture. Over the years the First Nation, just north of


Dirk Vandenhirtz, CEO and founder, left, and Darrell Bailey, North American business development lead with Crop.zone.  Photo: John Greig

Agritechnica update: Give a big shock to weeds

Farmers are being pushed to find an alternative to desiccants to burn down crops, as companies are increasingly leery of herbicides approved close to harvest. People have been shocking weeds with electricity for 100 years, but the return on the electricity invested and the technology required to do so safely haven’t always worked. Crop.zone is

“Early emergence was the one thing that stood out. The potatoes were up and out of the ground quicker than they normally would be because we had some warmer weather in the spring.” – Susan Ainsworth.

Manitoba potato harvest expected to hit records

After a string of hard years, 2023 looks decidedly friendlier to the potato sector

After several years of below-average to poor harvests, Manitoba potato growers have finally caught a break. “There have been some challenging years, so it’s nice to have a strong, good-quality crop,” said Susan Ainsworth, general manager of the Keystone Potato Producers Association. “They were due for a good crop.” Why it matters: Potato yields were


Pastures green up with recent rainfall, but limits harvest progress

Pastures green up with recent rainfall, but limits harvest progress

Manitoba Crop Report: Issue 22 (week 41)

Overview  Limited harvest progress over the last week due to widespread rainfall across the province. Harvest progress sits at 86 per cent complete across the province, which is ahead of the 5-year average (81 per cent). Harvest has wrapped up for most of the spring cereal crops, with barley at 100 per cent complete, oats

Hungry potato beetles in southern Manitoba in June 2023.

New potato pesticides announced

The products cleared Canadian registration in September

Potato growers will have two more crop protection options next year. Two pesticides, a joint fungicide-insecticide seed-piece treatment dubbed Emesto Complete and a fungicide-nematicide called Velum Rise, passed Canada’s regulatory bar in late September. Both come from Bayer Crop Science and are based on previous products. The company announced the Canadian registrations Sept. 19. The


Farmers, your political engagement matters

Farmers, your political engagement matters

This election, don’t lose the chance to bring farming to the forefront

I have a message for every farmer in Manitoba, no matter what crop they grow or type of animals under their care: Now is the time to engage with all local candidates. Governance matters. On Oct. 3, Manitobans will elect 57 members of the legislative assembly. Every one of them will influence, for good or

Chad Berry of Under the Hill Farms speaks at a 2020 field tour of his potato operation.

Potatoes see big benefits from water stewardship project

Farmers studied the benefits of in-field and field edge projects for themselves and the community

Improved water stewardship on potato fields in the Lake Winnipeg basin could provide a surprising amount of community benefits, a recent project showed. “Those numbers were way bigger than I would ever expect,” said farmer Chad Berry. Berry, who owns Under the Hill Farms near Cypress River, was one of four farms (covering 34,000 acres)


Potatoes can grow around foreign objects, causing a food safety risk.

Keep an eye out for field trash when harvesting potatoes

Potato producers asked to clear non-tuber objects prior to harvest

One of Manitoba’s major potato processors is asking producers to ensure their soil surface is clear before bringing in spuds this year. Scott Graham, J.R. Simplot’s raw agronomy manager, urged producers to watch for foreign objects in their fields and among potatoes. The issue of foreign objects arriving at the plant was brought up during

Pink rot symptoms on full display.

Potato processor warns against pink rot as harvest gets underway

There are a number of strategies to avoid pathogen spread and potato spoilage in storage

One bad potato can spoil the batch, which is why processor J.R. Simplot is reminding producers to beware of pink rot as they begin harvest. “If you know there’s rot in there, tell your harvest operator, ‘when you come to that low spot, pick up the harvester, drive over, and don’t harvest those certain areas,’”