dairy cattle being milked

Milking it: Israel leads the way in dairy tech

China, India, other Asian countries, now look to Israeli expertise

Decades ago Israeli dairy farmers confronted a quandary — how could they provide milk to a fast-growing population in a country that is two-thirds desert, with little grazing land? They turned to technology, developing equipment that boosted output — from cooling systems to milk meters and biometrics — and have made Israeli cows the most

Peter Gredig spoke to an audience on the 
use of mobile technology in ag at the 
Manitoba Ag Days held in Brandon, Man., 
last month.

Put mobile technology to use on your farm

Spend more time in the field and less time at a desk with the use of 
mobile technology, Cloud computing and agriculture-geared apps

The next time your combine is making an unfamiliar tickety tickety noise, don’t call your machinery repairman – send them a video message so they can see and hear the problem, farmers attending Ag Days in Brandon were told last month. Today’s mobile technology is a perfect fit for farmers. The ability to access business


New charitable foundation launched by SeedMaster

Saskatchewan manufacturer, SeedMaster, is establishing a philanthropic foundation to mark its 10th anniversary. The foundation, Social Entrepreneurship by Design, invites community fundraising groups in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta and the U.S. Midwest to apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. “Instead of just applying SED money to a fundraiser’s bottom line, the funds will

Stress Helpline Goes Viral

After operating a call line and responding to 17,578 calls, Manitoba Rural and Farm Support Services (MRFSS) is marking their 10th anniversary with the launch of their new web services, announced Janet Smith, Farm and Rural Support Line manager at this year’s Ag Days. Their website now has Skype, live chat and direct email to

Stealthy Storm

At midnight it stalks its victim like a white Persian cat on silent paws, pouncing with surprising speed. The landscape has just fallen prey to a fresh snowfall.


Friction Boffins See Future In Plant-Based Oils

There’s one simple reason why Linnaeus Plant Sciences founder Jack Grushcow would rather talk about camelina as a lubricant than as camelina in your tank. Fuel sells for around $1 per litre, but hydraulic fluid sells for $5 per litre. The Vancouver-based entrepreneur told the recent Canadian Weed Science Society’s annual meeting there are a

Quebec’s Maple Industry Makes A Comeback

After four difficult springs, the 2009 season will go down as a historic season, with Quebec maple syrup production hitting 109.4 million pounds. Producers have been thrilled with the news, especially after they produced only half of this volume the previous year. Even though it is impossible right now to predict production for the 2010

New Software Puts Cow Data Close At Hand

“You amalgamate everything into one small handheld computer.” – ROGER HEEG You could say that whenever Roger Heeg walks through his dairy barn, he has the situation well in hand. Heeg uses a specially developed software program on a hand-held Smartphone – a BlackBerry, in this case – to keep tabs on his dairy cows.


CWB Launches WeatherFarm

“This is the future of weather information.” – Ian Whi Te Farmers, whose livelihoods depend on the weather, now have free online access to Canada’s largest private weather network, with more than 700 real-time reporting weather stations across the West. WeatherFarm ( is a collaboration between the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) and WeatherBug, an American-based

weatherfarm from page 1

WeatherFarm , from page 1 Farmers will be able to get WeatherFarm data when visiting AGCanada.comand Producer.com. The CWB and WeatherBug started their network in 2007. The goal was to set up 600 weather stations across the West over three years. The program has exceeded expectations, White said. The CWB has had a weather and