Archive for October 2007
Water is a precious commodity
What we take for granted here in Canada has become literally a life and death matter in parts of the southern United States. I have just returned from a few days in south Florida and local newspapers outline the desperate situation residents are facing. Severe drought has created a major water shortage for six million Floridians, with water levels at record low levels. This has left both state and local politicians scrambling to find solutions. The drought has driven home the point that they must begin to develop and implement smarter water conservation efforts, in order to maintain sustainable safe drinking water for residents. The restricting of watering of lawns and car washing measures they have initiated are a good start in order to help alleviate the water shortage, but sustainable long term solutions must still be developed in order to be successful.
We are spoiled here in Ontario surrounded by all the fresh water available to us. Assuming that it will always be here in an unlimited supply, would be a huge mistake. If you believe that global warming is taking place – and I do, we must recommit our efforts to protect this precious resource we take for granted. We may think water is a limitless resource, but it isn’t and we need to manage it at all levels of government. Most importantly though, is that each of us start right in our own homes treating this valuable resource with the respect and care it not only deserves, but demands. I am pretty sure that if 20 years ago you had told a resident of Florida that they could run out of drinking water, they would have said you were crazy. They sure wouldn’t say that today.
Fall harvest a pleasant suprise.
This picture was taken at the grain receiving area of the AGRIS Co-operative Chatham branch. Pictured standing next to his load of corn is Chatham area farmer Dan Snobblen and checking the grain going into the hopper is elevator employee Paul Chepeka.
This past spring, growers particularly in south-west Ontario experienced some of the best planting conditions in recent memory. Warm dry weather during these two months made excellent conditions for planting corn in May, followed by soybeans in June. Unfortunately, it seemed for most of the summer it stayed unusually hot and dry, with only scattered showers when it did rain. This did not create the ideal growing conditions farmers were looking for, with a significant lack of moisture required for these crops.
As farmers headed into the September/October harvest for soybeans and corn, predictions were for well below average yields. Mother Nature has fooled the experts again! During a conference call this morning, AGRIS Co-operative crop specialists were reporting that both soybean and corn yields were much better than expected, although still somewhat lower than last year. With most of the soybean harvest complete, crop specialists were reporting some yields of 30 bushels/acre soybean, but most reported the average was closer to 40 bushels/acre with some reaching 50 bushels/acre. Corn harvest is just now nicely started and was much the same with low end estimates of around 130 bushels/acre, but most reporting in the 160 and some up to 200 bushel/acre yields.
This news, combined with modestly higher commodity prices, should make this a pretty good fall harvest for most farmers. One other note from this mornings conference call, is that all areas were reporting a high amount of fall wheat acres being planted. With July/August 2008 delivery showing wheat trading at around $5.39 a bushel, http://www.agris.coop/index.cfm?show=11&mid=25&theLocation=1&cmid=all&layout=1 it may be another opportunity for farmers to receive a long overdue reasonable return on their 2008 wheat crop.
