Recent content by ajl

  1. A

    Self sufficient

    The article seems to say that canuckistan is self sufficient in food. That is total BS. We produce lots of some things like grains and beef but import a lot of fruit and vegetables from California and Mexico. Some of that production is from domestic greenhouse as natural gas is usually...
  2. A

    Would we be mad?

    I don't know the property market over there but this is how I would go about it here. First try to get the rental secured and then sell the existing small holding for a small property in proximity to the rental farm. Would that work in your situation?
  3. A

    Winters on an arable farm

    Be glad your winters are not as long as they are here. Do run out of things to do as well and get board at times too. There are things like book work, seed cleaning, grain hauling, machinery maintenance, and farm meetings to do but they do not keep me busy full time. My shed is not heated so...
  4. A

    Best country to be a farmer ?

    Mostly canola but some wheat and Barley on the custom farmed acres. Around 300 acres total. We are small time operators for Alberta. This year everything needed a grain dryer which is very unusual in this area. Large farms have them but not every farm. Wet harvests have been a problem...
  5. A

    Best country to be a farmer ?

    Your joking right? Weather here has been horrible for a number of years in a row, still have 75% of 2019 harvest out in the field. Then ad in market access issues as the Chinese trade war is affecting us more than our US counterparts. Then consider that our exports have to navigate a 1000...
  6. A

    Is The Whole Job Just Completely Buggered?

    To the OP: yes the job is pretty much buggered. Due to the availability of cheap debt, trillions of pounds, dollars, loons, yen, yaun etc. has been invested in food production all around the world. This new production has inevitably produced surplus. Since debt is still cheap and very...
  7. A

    canada

    Nope. All froze to death. Just set some new record cold temperatures at Brandon.
  8. A

    Dealing with depression - suicidal thoughts - Join the conversation (including helpline details)

    Edmonton Alberta Canada area. 20 inches of snow total between mid September and mid October from 3 separate storms. That is prime harvest season in this area.
  9. A

    Dealing with depression - suicidal thoughts - Join the conversation (including helpline details)

    Most of the symptoms of depression are present around here as well on this side of the pond. Thank to this post we are not as bad off as most of you but 2018 marks 3 disappointing years in a row. This is most financial as the weather here has been crap 3 years in a row. Outlook for 19 is...
  10. A

    Working in Canada

    Winter is slow for me. I haul my own grain to the elevator, (takes a few days) do paperwork, trade stocks and investments, and relief drive school bus when needed. Machine repairs can happen if you have heated shop. Some farmers have cattle in the area but the only way to make money on them...
  11. A

    Working in Canada

    I am from the Edmonton AB area. Lots to do here in the summer, nothing in winter other than leave. Season starts in early April and typically goes to end of October.
  12. A

    Fancy Rat Sh!t in your Food

    No rat sh!t in Alberta wheat. We keep the rats confined to the legislature here. Seriously there is a rat patrol here that does watch for an exterminates rats if they are found within the province. Never seen one myself. Now granted the other items could likely be found in wheat from here.
  13. A

    Wheat yields 2018

    Yields don't sound too bad given the drought talk I am hearing. I expect my spring wheat to run 1.1 t/ac which is on marginal land here in western Canada. Better land in the area I expect to go 1.5-1.7 t/ac. I lost yield due to dry summer conditions as a good crop would be 1.5 on my type of...
  14. A

    Where in the world?

    To the original question: west central Saskatchewan Canada. Could buy decent land for $50-60K CDN per quarter section) (160 ac) in 1990, now between 500-550K per quarter.
  15. A

    Shoestring

    This kind of farming is not just confined to the UK, it goes on around here in Alberta Canada as well including on my farm. Farm does not make enough money to replace equipment but things will continue until they cant. The only job opportunity out there for 50 year old guys is driving truck or...
Top