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Walter Schwabe Spoke on AI at Crossroads Conference. He suggests the AI is coming to agriculture, and those that use it will move ahead of those that don't. My thoughts, are that qualifying and integrating the information will be the challenge, I think opportunities will be in weather forecasting, probabilities of decisions (like a fungicide or an insecticide risk vs reward of use.) Many ag decisions are made on experience, gut feel, or preventative decisions to lower risk. AI could make these decisions easier and better.
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Carlo Dade of the Canada West Foundation spoke at Crossroads about the perception of Canadian trade. It's perceived that we don't have the same ability to make things happen that we used to. Also there is no long term strategy to address trade. We can produce it but we have perceived or real issues connecting to customers. I always enjoy listening to Drew Learner of https://worldweather.cc He’s thinking maybe a dry start to the season and at some point transition to wetter mid summer. The weather trend will have a lot to do with the transition from El Niño to La Niña (typically when that happens = moisture) This could also mean a wetter fall vs last few years. The Bow River Irrigation District has published a note stating they will allow water allocation trading and selling for 2024. Total allocation of water per ac will be known in April 2024. 
The Alberta Government published a drought document with a precipitation map from 2023:
 Outlook on field crops from AAFC
https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/crops/reports-statistics/canada-outlook-principal-field-crops-2023-12-15 Terrence Koshman from Viterra speaks on recent market events. It is a great commentary on where and how crop markets are moving as well as new crop moves: https://storage.pardot.com/864682/1706017594IaLzmUK8/Weekly_Audio_Commentary___January_23_2024.m4a
Kris Moric from Johnstons Grain sent me new crop mustard prices. Contact Kris if you are interested: Cell/WhatsApp: 5878994441 [email protected] www.johnstonsgrain.com : Yellow - #1 CW - Max 9% MC - SSA - Sept 2024/July 2025 - Act of God upto 10 bu/acre - first and last right of refusal - $0.60/lb Oriental Mustard - #1 CW - Max 9% MC - SSA - Sept 2024/July 2025 - Act of God up to 10 bu/acre - first and last right of refusal - $0.42 (Cutlass only, limited availability) Brown Mustard - #1 CW - Max 9% MC - SSA - Sept 2024/July 2025 - Act of God up to 10 bu/acre - first and last right of refusal - #1 0.45 / #2 43 / #3 0.40 / #4 0.36 Act of God, Sept 1/2024 – July 31, 2025 delivery period. For mustard seed contact Blair Balog at 403-634-4349 (call or text) or [email protected]  We will be carrying a NEW hybrid mustard called AAC Guard. We don't have too many details yet, but it will not produce seeds as long as its not near a flowering brassica crop when the cover is flowering. It will cover the ground about 20% faster versus regular mustard meaning it could produce 20% more glucosinolates = better disease and nematode control. It is a brown mustard so that can be a host for the sys nematode that impacts sugar beets. By not producing seed AAC Guard hybrid brown mustard would be less of a contaminant risk as a cover crop option. We hope to have pricing on this in a couple weeks.  Surge Spring Triticale School Next week - Friday February 2, 2024 9:00 AM 2024 TriCal and Canterra will join us to talk about triticale production for forage and how the new varieties can impact your farm with TriCal Surge launching now. We will talk about forage yield and TDN comparisons vs. corn and soft wheat's and barley, use rates, standability, and lower water use with triticale. Add to your Calendar: Outlook Calendar (.ics) Join here: https://www.stampseeds.com/events.html  Praire Fava from MB is looking to contract irrigation acres of faba beans for this coming season in Alberta and may consider all areas in AB. We have had the pleasure of working with this company for over 5 years. Prairie Fava wants Fabelle and also may consider a very small amount of Allison faba bean (a new variety we can supply for you as well) Contact Hailey Jefferies at Prairie Fava at 2047214715 [email protected] For seed contact Blair Balog at 403-634-4349 (call or text) or [email protected]  We attended the Irrigated Crop Production Update in Lethbridge last week and it was a great event with speakers ranging from farmers, researchers, to irrigation district managers. The Southern river basin impacting mainly the SMRID is the most impacted with 20% lower snowpack levels and low reservoir levels relative to the need. Other districts further north are going into winter with normal winter reservoir levels but 30% lower snowpack trends as well. Irrigation policy and trends were talked about as well as trends in more efficient use and delivery of water.
Irrigators drought outlook from Alberta Environment & Protected Areas:
I always learn something from looking at other provinces seed guides. These are from the 2023 season. PDF's here:
This Braintrust AG an article on whole farm planning (understanding the dynamics of the farm family), accrual vs market balance sheets and the do's and don'ts of business partnerships.
https://braintrustag.beehiiv.com/p/newsletter-17-farm-family-balance-sheets-business-partnerships John Deere has chosen Starlink as a internet /data partner for areas with poor cell service: https://archive.ph/2024.01.15-191955/https://www.wsj.com/business/telecom/john-deere-meet-elon-musk-spacex-satellites-to-link-farm-giants-equipment-e0936668 Another interesting link is from the CES (non ag tech show) where they show people managing machines remotely. Is this the future of allowing one person to manage a fleet of machinery? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4l5KHrYwng or watch below: We still have seed of AAC Yellow 80 composite yellow mustard (if we get an average year or on irrigation it is the yellow to grow) and GS Dunn at Bow Island has contracts available, email: Blaine at [email protected] .
For mustard seed contact Blair Balog at 403-634-4349 (call or text) or [email protected] Chuck Penner of LeftField gave an all crop outlook on January 11th, 2024 at the Sask Mustard AGM in Saskatoon.
Chuck Penner of LeftField showed this crop returns comparison and scorecard ranking crops net returns on January 11th, 2024. Chuck Penner of LeftField gave a mustard crop market outlook January 11th , 2024 at the Sask Mustard AGM in Saskatoon. Supplies of mustard are larger this winter due to larger acres grown in Canada in 2023. The USA is growing more mustard (mainly yellow) so that may limit yellow sales from Canada to the USA and limit pricing. Chuck is thinking aces will be down 17%, I think its possible that they do go down a little as there are less contracts available this season but, I don't think it will be that much due to the fact that if crop insurance coverage kicks in, due to drought it may still pencil out ok vs. other crops and weather will play a big factor in next years pricing and anticipated 24/25 mustard supplies. I was able to go to the Sask Mustard AGM and learn about new varieties, and research work in mustard. There is plans for a non GMO Clearfield oriental mustard so you would be able to control canola volunteers in it as well as some weeds. A new hybrid brown is also coming called AAC Brown Elite with similar or better yields to AAC Brown 18 but milling characteristics similar to Centenial brown. Irrigation reservoir levels as of Jan 1st 2024 compared to 2001 another low water level season. Snowpack and spring rains will play a large part of how this season finishes off. The image is courtesy of Will Muller, keep in mind most districts have expanded irrigated acres changed reservoir sizes and crop types and water use intensity.  Last season we tried Winterberry winter pea but it did not survive the winter (it was a though winter for other fall crops as well). The peas got quite big last season and had tillers growing as large as the main stem which may have hurt it over winter. This season we are trying Winterberry again and they are smaller going into winter as you can see in the picture above. with tillers just starting. The goal of trying winter peas would be to change water use patterns allowing for bigger yields per unit of water or rain as well as have a crop that rotates well with winter crops allowing similar times of water use and or a silage blend companion. We do see a lot of nodules in the fall but the picture up top doesn't show the nodules well.   We dug some plants from our demo plots on January 2nd since it was not frozen yet. These were seeded on Sept 20th and it was amazing to see the root difference between these 3 winter cereals. Rye plants are considered scavengers of moisture and fertility and looking at this picture you can see why. Fall crops and rye and triticale specifically can help you achieve more yield per unit of water. More details on hybird fall rye water use and agronomy https://www.stampseeds.com/hybrid-fall-rye.html  Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Ventures Inc via Saskatchewan Pulse Growers has a post about the Statistics Canada's adjustment of 2023 pea supply up 15% and lentils 8%! The trade / consultants had anticipated these yield numbers so I don't think it will impact prices much but does say something for StatsCan numbers... Details here: https://saskpulse.com/resources/outlook-for-canadian-peas-lentils/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social-organic&utm_campaign=market-report
The newly launched service for mental health is here: https://www.agknow.ca
If you or someone you know needs help, this is a farming specific resource to connect with. |
AuthorsBlair Balog - Seed Specialist at Stamp Seeds Archives
March 2025
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