Brent McBean has grown malt barley on his farm near Strathmore for decades. He is well aware of the variables and risks that factor into producing a successful end product—one that rewards him with a ...

“Riding shotgun” is a term that was coined during the days when stagecoaches were the fastest means of transportation across rural North America. If the cargo being carried was valuable, then a securi...

Large grain co-operatives in Western Canada began around the early 1900s, but had faded out by the early 2000s—the grain industry had become more competitive and co-operatives lacked the efficiency ne...

Unlocking a new market opportunity for Canadian farmers, food processors and retailers isn’t a process that happens overnight. Turning the potential into reality can take months, even years, of carefu...

The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) released its 2016-17 recommended varieties list and it looks eerily similar to last year’s— Copeland, Metcalfe and then all the rest....

A funny thing happens each day in downtown Winnipeg, high above the city’s bustling core. The staff of the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi), Western Canada’s premier grain evaluation fac...

Mycotoxins can be detrimental to the quality of various grains. When present, they can have negative economic consequences for farmers and millers, as well as a disturbing impact on human and animal h...

Not only was A.E. Cross one of the “Big Four” founders of the Calgary Stampede, but he was also one of the first in the late 1800s to bring beer to the Wild West pioneers of what was then known as the...

Universities play a unique role in agriculture. They not only explore possibilities for the future, but—likely more than any other discipline—they connect possibilities with real solutions and busines...

If you don’t know what MRL stands for, you can be forgiven. Maximum residue limits have been, until recently, not something that most grain farmers in Western Canada have had on their radar. If you bo...