Picture a popcorn machine — or better yet, an old-fashioned bingo machine. The balls, or hailstones, are continually moving up and down due to the strong updraft.

Hail and other damaging summer weather

Alberta’s topography makes it more prone to hail than, say, Manitoba

Last article we talked about summer heat waves and tied in the idea that heat is a form of severe summer weather. Not too long after that, I came across an article that listed the deadliest summer weather across the United States and, you guessed it, heat-related deaths came in at No. 1. Sure, tornadoes

While the DOT autonomous platform (shown here at a recent seeding demonstration at the Olds College Smart Farm) is scaled for large farms, others are designed for small operations, such as vineyards and orchards. But both represent important milestones in the evolution of farm equipment, say experts.

DOT earns passing grades at college, but not straight A’s

Fuel and labour are issues but the driverless implement shows plenty of potential in trials

Is the DOT ready for a full-time job on your operation? It might be too early to say, but researchers know the self-propelled, driverless tractor-minus-the-tractor finishes what it starts. “Every mission we started with DOT we were able to finish with DOT,” said Joy Agnew of Olds College. “There was never a catastrophic failure or


Three priority areas are available under a research and innovation stream: green energy and energy efficiency, precision agriculture and bioeconomy.

Federal government offer details on Clean Tech funding

More efficient grain dryers are a major part of the planned spending

A program aimed at reducing climate change on Canadian farms could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to one megaton, according to federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau. Details on how to apply for the federal government’s Agricultural Clean Technology Program were made available earlier in June. While a variation of the program

Net government program payments to Canadian farmers, excluding farmer premiums and money from private programs, totalled $2.4 billion in 2020.

Canadian farm net cash income higher in 2020

Government payouts to farmers went up too, but there’s a good reason

Canadian — and Manitoba — farmers saw a jump in government program payments in 2020, as well as higher gross revenues and net cash income. Increased government payouts might seem counterintuitive, but much of the money came to farmers through crop insurance and AgriStability due to poor crops in 2019. “Direct program payments rose 10.8



Canary seed growers will benefit from greater legal protections due to the changes.

Canary seed being added to Grain Act August 1

The change means farmers delivering canary seed will be covered under the CGC’s payment protection program

Starting Aug. 1, 2021, western Canadian canary seed growers will have the same payment protection as exists for 20 other grains regulated under the Canada Grain Act. The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), which administers the grain act, announced June 9 canary seed will be added to the act when the new crop year starts. In addition to payment protection,


Storage tanks at a PBF Energy refinery at Delaware City, Delaware on Aug. 21, 2015. (File photo: Reuters/Charles Mostoller)

U.S. refiners amass biofuel liability as Biden mulls relief

Open RIN positions could hit refiners' earnings

New York | Reuters — U.S. merchant refiners have amassed up to a US$1.6 billion shortfall in the credits they will need to comply with U.S. biofuel laws, according to a Reuters review of corporate disclosures, an apparent bet that the Biden administration could let them off the hook or that credit prices will fall.

A DOT (now OmniPower) autonomous unit at work on the Olds College Smart Farm. (Olds College video screengrab via YouTube)

College farms, GFM Discovery Farm to get smarter together

Two Alberta colleges sign on for new CAAIN-backed network

A pair of Alberta college farms and Glacier FarmMedia’s Saskatchewan farm are the first to plug into a national network of “smart farms” to improve the ag sector’s smart technology experience. The Olds College Smart Farm will lead the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network, which will also include Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm at Langham, Sask. and


Editor’s Take: The court of public opinion

It could be a case of be careful what you wish for. In recent days, many in the Manitoba agriculture sector have been lauding the passage of two pieces of provincial legislation intended to protect farm operations. There’s the enhanced trespassing laws that remove the requirement to confront trespassers and limit liability if a trespasser

Weather: Hot temps likely to continue

Forecast covering the period from June 16 to 23

As we reach the summer solstice, which is the longest stretch of daylight on a single day of the year, we find that summer has definitely taken hold. This usually means easier forecasting as the general weather pattern becomes less active. In the last forecast we saw it begin with several rounds of severe weather