Plenty CEO and co-founder Matt Barnard (right) says his company is now competitive with organic 
competitors but critics say vertical farms are simply too expensive to run.

Are vertical farms ready for prime time?

Indoor farm companies say they're scaling up, but many question their business model

INNOVATION Indoor farm companies say they’re scaling up, 
but many question their business model

Reuters — Leafy salad greens grown under banks of LED lights, with mist or drips of water are having their day in the sun. Several top U.S. indoor farms say they are boosting production to a level where they can now supply hundreds of grocery stores. Plenty, Bowery, Aerofarms and 80 Acres Farms are among young companies that see a future

Pests like the corn leaf aphid could be in areas thought free of it, according to new research.

Crop pests often missed as they move into new areas

Finding where pests exist in the early stages of movement into an area are key to control

Insects and diseases that damage crops are probably present in many places thought to be free of them, new research shows. Pests that have not been reported in a certain area are usually assumed to be absent, but analysis by the University of Exeter shows many pests are “currently unobserved, but probably present” (a likelihood


Faster internet may bring technology to more farms

Faster internet may bring technology to more farms

In 2017, 84 per cent of farmers were using precision ag tech, but half said their internet wasn’t fast enough

Rural internet improvements may have implications for precision agriculture, farm technology — and Netflix binging. “We all hate waiting for that circle of death,” said Trevor Armitage, vice-president of global operations at Farmers Edge, referring to the familiar buffering symbol used while waiting for available bandwidth to catch up to demand. He said user experience drives much

Devin Pouteau with his trusty, Soviet-era Belarus tractor on his farm near Sanford.

Sanford farmer finds happiness by switching fields

Young Farmers: Devin Pouteau chose cattle over a career in chemistry

Devin Pouteau was lining up for a career in the sciences when he heard the farm call. Devin, now 23, hadn’t planned to farm. He grew up on a mixed crop and cattle farm near Sanford and did his time driving the combine, but throughout high school he’d planned to pursue a career in chemistry.


Yvonne Lawley talks cover crops during Crops-A-Palooza in Carberry in July.  
photos: Alexis Stockford

Calculating a good cover crop plan

Set yourself up for success when it comes to cover crops

Farmers will need more than a cursory plan to reap the benefit of cover crops in the Keystone province. Cover crops have gained their champions in Manitoba. The practice is cited among other alternative grazing strategies like bale or swath grazing to extend the grazing season and, arguably, improve soil, according to livestock and forage

Additional bouts of cold air are expected as August winds up, and especially through September.

Early frost risk elevated on the Prairies

One weather specialist says there’s an unsettling weather pattern established for the Prairies

Another dilemma is expected for the 2019 growing season. After a late start, western Canadian farmers could be challenged by an early end. Over the August 10 weekend there were isolated reports of frost in some areas of the Peace River region in Alberta. Other parts of the Prairies may be experiencing similar conditions sooner


Crop yields on Robert Brunel’s fields, near Ste. Rose du Lac, have been well below average so far.

Dry conditions impacting crop yields for some Manitoba farmers

Moisture levels across the province are variable, as are crop yields, which aren’t quite disastrous

Near Robert Brunel’s farm, the Turtle River has run dry for only the third time in recollection for the oldest residents of Ste. Rose du Lac. “We’re extremely dry,” said Brunel, who farms 6,500 acres of cropland. “We haven’t seen any significant rain all summer.” Brunel said his hay is yielding about half a bale

Mental health issues impact every segment of our society, including those in Canada’s agriculture and food sectors.

Mental health in agriculture partnership expands

Do More Agriculture and Farm Credit Canada are building on their mental health awareness and training efforts

The Do More Agriculture (DMA) Foundation and Farm Credit Canada (FCC) are extending and expanding their partnership to bring mental health awareness and training to rural Canada. The two-day training program, developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, is aimed at developing community leaders, said DMA Executive director Adelle Stewart. The leaders are trained


Local dairy farm fire draws national attention

The fire at a Steinbach-area farm claimed four barns and 800 cattle

A devastating fire that claimed four dairy barns and about 800 dairy cows near Steinbach has drawn attention and criticism across Canada. The fire at Pennwood Dairy was reported in the Globe and Mail, as well as several Winnipeg news outlets. Animal advocacy organizations have since called for change to industry regulations. Steinbach fire Chief

Bulgaria has reported more than 30 outbreaks of swine fever.

EU fights ‘urgent challenge’ of African swine fever spread

Of the 10 nations affected, Bulgaria and Romania are hardest hit

Reuters – The European Union faces an urgent challenge in tackling an outbreak of African swine fever which threatens Bulgaria’s pig-breeding industry, a commission spokeswoman said August 8. Ten EU nations are currently affected by African swine fever, with particularly bad outbreaks in Bulgaria and its neighbour Romania. Slovakia was affected by the disease in


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