In a year with plentiful rainfall, pastures remain lush and continue to grow throughout the summer. It always is encouraging to see green grass in August, rather than having all fields brown and needing to feed hay. However, pasture gains in these wet years often are a little disappointing. One […]
Gary Sliworsky – Agricultural Report
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo The Farm Property Class Tax Rate Program allows eligible properties to be taxed at the Farm Property Class tax rate of 25 percent of the municipal residential tax rate. The farm residence, and one acre (0.4 ha) of land surrounding it, will continue to […]
This is the time of year to review your cow inventory and identify candidates for culling. Here are some culling tips: Your list of candidates should start with open cows and heifers. Pregnancy checking and culling open cows has shown to return about $30 per cow exposed. There is no […]
Here are some considerations on marketing your calves from Naomi Paley, regional livestock specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture: •Advertising/promotion Typically, local auction markets are the predominant market avenue for smaller producers, with larger producers using alternative strategies. However, with a little co-operation and planning, smaller producers can take […]
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo You can’t capitalize on what you don’t market. A sound marketing strategy allows a producer to capture added value in a group of calves. All too often, producers leave dollars on the table by not having a marketing plan in place for a group […]
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo As we approach the winter feeding season, it is an ideal time to be thinking about next year’s pasture season. Even if the ground is frozen and covered with snow, there are things you can do over the winter to improve pasture growth in […]
Occasionally there are questions about whether soil sample values can change depending on the weather in a given year, or the time of year the sample was taken. There is no easy answer. Soil test values do vary over time. But for most soil tests, the variation is relatively small […]
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo Every year there are questions about whether it is better to apply fertilizer in the fall, or wait until spring. The answer, as in most things, is that it depends. The one nutrient where the answer is clear is nitrogen (N). With Ontario conditions, […]
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo The following is Part 2 of an article providing information on weaning calves, continuing with potential problems: 8. Feed change Avoid drastic feed changes. A change in diet requires the growth of different organisms in the rumen to digest the feed. Depending on the […]
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo Production and death loss of calves at weaning is second only to the losses at calving. Weaning is a very stressful time and bovine respiratory disease (pneumonia, shipping fever, etc.) is a common problem. Coccidiosis and other digestive problems, such as acidosis (grain overload), […]
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo The key to successful marketing is providing what the buyer wants. Adding value to calves can be of benefit to the calf producer and the feedlot operator, and much of the benefit is from reducing stress on the animals. The calf producer is selling […]
By Gary Sliworsky Ag rep, Emo With increasing fuel and production costs, more economical and yet still viable alternatives are playing a larger role in conventional agriculture. Pasture long has been accepted as a source of forage during the summer months. However, with proper management, stockpiled pasture can be a […]
