Avoid losing half your crop before you start

On average, only 40 to 60 per cent of canola seeds put in the ground actually survive to become plants. If a grower spends $50 an acre on seed, typically only $25 of that seed survives to contribute to the success of the crop. Growers can use the following tips to increase seed survival, achieve

Ready? Set! – GO over this checklist before seeding

The first step in growing a profitable crop is getting a good plant stand established. There’s nothing worse than a poorly seeded crop, so it’s worth the time to make sure that equipment is ready to perform when it’s time to seed. Things to check before going to the field to seed: Hydraulic rams If


Boom times for farmers a century ago were good for equipment makers, too

It’s one thing about farming that hasn’t changed 
with time. It’s one thing about farming that hasn’t changed with time

Last year was a pretty good one for most Prairie grain farmers — but things were hopping a century ago, too. This 1912 photo of the American Able Company storage yard in Winnipeg is proof not only of good times, but that farmers of that age — like their modern counterparts — were quick to

Farmers seldom retire but the risk of a serious accident soars in the golden years

Portage farmer says his tragic tale should be a lesson to older farmers 
to think safety and take simple precautions

Roy Vust suspects it was his foot slipping off the clutch that probably caused the tractor he was driving to rear up and tip over backwards. But he’s certain that if his Allis Chalmers D19 had a rollover protection structure on it, he wouldn’t have been pinned between the tractor and the 10-foot Woods mower


The quest is on to improve rate of canola emergence

Canola seeds may be tiny, but they don’t come cheap. That’s prompted more farmers to use row-crop precision seeders in order to get more bang for their buck. There are many row-crop seeders on the market, but the problem is none of them do a perfect job, said Pipe-stone-area farmer Frank Prince, who offered his

Thoughts on Valentine’s Day

The elderly farmer is watching a show where they are restoring old tractors. His eyes have a spark and I can see the love for farming on his face. A number of years ago he moved off the farm but was still able to put in a full day’s work. Now he is housebound, has


Devloo Roto Mudscraper takes first prize in Inventor’s Showcase

Two farmer-invented solutions for seeding through muck and trash 
were recognized as top innovations for 2013

Call it the battle of the mud scrapers. Two farmer-invented devices for keeping packer wheels from gumming up in adverse seeding conditions took home the top honours in the Inventor’s Showcase at Ag Days. Winner of the 2013 Top Invention Award, Mark Devloo, said his father originally came up with the design for a rotating,

What’s new? At Ag Days, plenty

New products are always interesting and there are always plenty to check out at Manitoba Ag Days. Some equipment dealers will have additional signage at their booths that indicate they have opted to include their products in the 2013 New Products feature and will be vying for the annual best new product award presented at


Don’t forget your map — there are 500-plus exhibits

One of the most read pages in the Manitoba Ag Days program is the Ag Days map. With more than 500 exhibits under one roof, it’s an essential aid for navigating the show and making sure nothing is missed. Farm equipment is always a crowd pleaser and Ag Days features displays from just about every

OUR HISTORY: November, 1928

The front page of the November, 1928 issue of The Scoop Shovel featured information on the Campbell Farming Corporation in Montana, which had 95,000 owned and leased acres, with 65,000 acres plowed and 45,000 in crop each year. It owned 56 tractors, 500, 14-inch plow bottoms, 60, 12-foot drills, 50, 10-foot discs, 72 binders 100