Mowers were the most-demonstrated piece of hay equipment at the recent Ontario Forage Expo.

PHOTOS: Everything was coming up forages

Ontario Forage Expo showcases the evolution of haying equipment

The Ontario Forage Expo, hosted by the Ontario Forage Council and local soil and crop improvement associations, is held in a location in western and eastern Ontario each year. This year, the western edition was held near Monkton at Pendora Dairy.

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie hay shortage on horizon

MarketsFarm — While rain across the Prairies has eased concerns of an all-out drought, worries of a hay shortage going into winter haven’t ceased. Darren Chapman, a Virden, Man. producer and chair of the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA), explained that regrowth following the first cut of hay has been strong. First-cut hay crops […] Read more

A parade of haybines moves across the field at the Ontario Forage Council’s Forage Expo.

Quality first cut, not a lot of second cut

The Ontario Forage Council’s Forage Expo gave farmers a chance to check out almost 40 pieces of equipment

Ontario’s hay crop has both benefited from and been challenged by the weather extremes this summer. Early in the season the extended spring rains resulted in good first cut growth, and then some clear weather around maturity meant more dry hay harvested in much of the province than has been possible for several years. Why […] Read more

(File photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Forage supplies starting to dip on dry Prairies

CNS Canada — Forage supplies are starting to dwindle across Western Canada following a long, cold, winter and rain is needed soon to make for a good forage crop this year. “People tended to kind of blend hay this year and they managed to get through. But the prolonged cold spring really I think put […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Saskatchewan, B.C. areas up for livestock tax deferrals

Livestock producers in several more parched municipalities in Saskatchewan and British Columbia will be able to defer income from sales of animals on their 2017 tax returns. The federal government on Tuesday announced its final list of designated regions for 2017, including 20 more municipalities in Saskatchewan and seven in British Columbia. The initial list, […] Read more


Horses that escaped from an enclosure onto a road near an RCMP checkpoint in an evacuated zone at Williams Lake are calmed and walked to safety on July 17. (WilliamsLake.bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca)

AgriRecovery in place for farms in B.C. wildfire zones

Farmers and ranchers whose operations were hit or evacuated during British Columbia’s particularly destructive wildfire season can expect up to $20 million in AgriRecovery funds toward repair, rebuilding and livestock feeding costs. The federal and B.C. governments on Tuesday laid out more details for the 60-40 cost-shared program, which was announced in principle in mid-August. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie forage crops perk up with precipitation

CNS Canada — It’s been a slow start for forage crops growing across the Prairies, but the much-needed precipitation is better late than never. “The rain has been a huge help,” said Karin Lindquist, forage specialist with Alberta’s Ag-Info Centre in Stettler. “There are still some areas that could use a bit more, but so […] Read more

(MasseyFerguson.us)

Hay prices stabilize in Sask., Man.

CNS Canada –– Timely rains have drastically improved the forage crop outlooks for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, while also putting prices back into their normal ranges. “Skyrocketing hay prices have stabilized… supplies are good,” said Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial forage crop specialist in Regina. Prices are mostly back down into the $80-$100 per tonne range, he […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie forage crops to benefit from early spring weather

CNS Canada — Forage crops in Western Canada are in a much better place this spring compared to a year ago, as spring’s early arrival will benefit crop development. The milder winter was also beneficial in preserving forage supplies, with feed stocks adequate to good in many regions, said Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial forage specialist […] Read more