Cash flow on a dairy farm is affected by a number of factors. Grain and milk prices come to mind as having a direct impact, but there are other, often overlooked factors that can give you a different view of your business. Here are three factors that positively and negatively influence cash flow and are documented in Lactascan.
 

Using cover crops is a key part of caring for two vital resources—the soil and the environment. Selecting the best cover crops and successfully integrating them into your rotation requires setting an objective and developing a sound plan.

Although little known and underestimated, fertilizing residual materials (FRMs) are a cost-saving solution for farmers.

“There’s an FRM for every need, from fertilizing to adding organic matter and correcting pH,” says Simon Naylor, Vice-President and Co-Founder of Viridis environnement. Viridis has a 70% share of the FRM recovery market and delivers 600,000 tonnes of organic matter to 700 farm businesses each year.

Ten years after they were first introduced on a large scale in onion fields in Montérégie, sterilized pink onion flies have successfully replaced a controversial insecticide, while generating a dramatic reduction in the natural populations of onion maggots (Delia antiqua), the main onion pest in Canada.

The sterile insect technique (SIT) works in a surprisingly simple and ingenious way. It essentially uses one pest to combat another. To do so, onion flies that are factory reared and sterilized through irradiation ahead of time are released into fields.

The AgConnexion digital agriculture platform is constantly evolving. Several new features are now available to make farmers and retailers even more efficient in farm management.
 

Connect directly to laboratories

No more downloading and emailing analyses. AgConnexion now submits soil, water and hay analyses automatically. This works with A&L Canada, EnvironeX and AgroEnviroLab.

Sollio Agriculture’s digital team is always on the lookout for agricultural innovations that will really make farm work easier. The connected silo technology available on AgConnexion is a good example.

The technology is very simple: It collects real-time data from silos and sends it to AgConnexion. This lets farmers know how much grain they have, making the procurement process easier.

What is grain worth? How do you know when it’s the right time to sell? How is the market doing? The grain portal on AgConnexion, our digital agriculture platform, helps field crop farmers better manage their crops and maximize their profits.

The comprehensive, easy-to-use grain portal gives field crop farmers quick access to market trends, contracts, tickets and settlements. It also allows farmers to compare selling prices by market area or delivery location.

The first step to a successful corn crop is to ensure that the planting is done properly. Here are some tips and ideas on how to avoid key corn planting mistakes.

1. First Planting Window

Here are some key reasons why growers miss that first good planting window:

• New tractor or new planter not talking to each other;

• Planter has a crimped cable or hydraulic hose that didn’t get noticed.

In the Durocher family, work is a family matter. Marc-Olivier holds a permanent position at Sollio Agriculture, and his career path was heavily influenced by his mother, who has worked there for 10 years herself. Every day, the mother-son duo work side by side attending to the cooperative’s poultry farms.

Agriculture: Like mother, like son

For Julie, it was no surprise when her son decided to follow in her footsteps.

In the Durocher family, work is a family matter. Julie has held her position at Sollio Agriculture for 10 years, and for the last few of them, she’s gotten to work with her son Marc-Olivier. Every day, the mother-son duo work side by side attending to the cooperative’s poultry farms.

Agriculture: Like mother, like son

For Julie, it was no surprise when her son decided to follow in her footsteps.