TIME FOR CUSTOM CUTTERS?
As I transition from a DSM in Central Alberta to a DSM/RSM for the US Pacific Northwest, it is evident that the 49th parallel does in-fact make a change in how harvest is done!
AGRICULTURE IS AN INDUSTRY DEFINED BY CHANGE
For as long as humans have been paid to grow food there has always been a desire to grow more for less with less effort. This defining goal has been encompassed by one common theme; change. Change is the one constant in every farming career, whether or not each individual farmer chooses to embrace it or fight it determines the success or potential struggles of their operation. Think of the change that agriculture has gone through in the last 25 years; and how much of that change have you embraced on your farm? Early adopters of change tend to also be the some of the most successful farmers in their area.
AG IN MOTION
The newest farm show in Canada débuted this past month just outside of Saskatoon. It is the first outdoor farm show in Western Canada and modelled after the highly successful Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock Ontario. Glacier Media owns both shows and had a wealth of experienced people to plan and set up the show in Saskatoon. Going from a stubble field of canola to a full show site in just 90 days was no small feat. Unfortunately, the early drought affected the grass seeded for the grounds and the plots seeded by many of the exhibitors. This did not hamper the enthusiasm of the growers attending the show or the exhibitors.
PRECISION PLACED FERTILITY
Having been in the fertilizer business for over 30 years in Western Canada and involved in the promotion of innovative technologies such as direct seeding and variable rate application I had become interested in the potential of precision placement that applies fertility directly to the plant.
ROLE OF MOLYBDENUM
So living in an area that pulses are quite abundant, everyone is trying to exceed yields from past years.
SIMPLE IS SOMETIMES BETTER
In today’s farming world, equipment is getting quite complex. Sometimes it pays to keep things simple. In the case of Alpine’s G22 application kits, simple IS better. In a matter of a day, a kit can be put on most drills to supply each furrow with highly available ALPINE G22 phosphorus. A manifold run is put near each tower and a small supply tube follows each seed tube to the shanks. Each seed bed is provided with a constant stream of readily available ALPINE G22 phosphorus and any blend of micros you see fit.
LIQUID FERTILIZER STORAGE
When talking to farmers throughout the year, the topic of liquid fertilizer storage is one that gets discussed. Liquid fertilizer can be stored on farm quite easily and efficiently. Storage tanks come in all sizes from a few thousand liters to over 300,000 liters. The most popular are poly tanks and stainless steel tanks. Liquid fertilizer can be delivered direct to farm with Super B loads during the year but a real benefit to having on farm storage is to be able to take advantage of historically lower fall pricing. Liquid fertilizer stored overwinter is circulated and/or bubbled with air early in the spring when the temperatures warm up. This brings the product back into a homogeneous state and is then ready for spring application.
IF I COULD ONLY TRY ALPINE G22
ALPINE G22 starter no doubt does in most cases completely change the way a farmer must think about starter phosphate. And a couple of the most common remarks are “I wish I could use it on my own farm to try it out with my own equipment”. Or, “it sure would be nice to try this before I invest in this new starter program”.
CAN ALPINE G22 FIT MY FARM
Many growers are not asking why would they use ALPINE G22 but instead our customers are asking why are more guys not using ALPINE G22?
