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Farmers and ag equipment operators in Illinois don’t need a license to drive the equipment

A sharp jump in fuel and fertilizer prices has Canada’s agriculture producers engaged in a pricey game of chance. Prices for diesel and fertilizer have nearly doubled since the war involving the U.S, Iran and Israel, as the stalemate has choked vital oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. That’s impacting commodities down the line, and a shortage of fertilizer could make this upcoming crop year a gamble for farmers. The families of Bruce Bird and Dave Reid have had farms in Cremona, northwest of Calgary, for more than a century. Both men threw the dice last fall and pre-purchased both fuel and fertilizer to get them through this growing season, with seeding about two weeks away. “We’ve tied up hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Bird, 48, who farms about 1,300 hectares. “Had I not been able to justify the cost involved, I would have been a minimum of $100,000 further behind for exactly the same product, the same rates, the same everything.” Bird said even with t

As fertilizer costs spike in response to global unrest, a University of Guelph agriculture professor says exploring more efficient fertilizer use will help farmers manage price volatility.  

Mélanie Ouellette runs the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library from her home in Orleans, Ontario. This all began when she asked “What’s preventing people from growing native plants in our region?”

In this episode, Mélanie shares the logistics of how the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library works. How hundreds of volunteers harvest the seeds, pack seed packs, fulfill orders, and attend events to distribute the seeds to gardeners. We talk about the importance of genetic diversity, the difference between straight species and cultivars, and the importance of reciprocity in community stewardship.

In the deep dive, Mélanie and I focus on growing swamp milkweed for seed. We explore how it is a host plant for monarch butterflies, the technical nuances of harvesting and cleaning milkweed’s fluffy seeds, and the importance of cold-moist stratification to ensure successful germination.

Enjoy the conversation!

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Support the Seed Farmer Podcast https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast

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Episode links Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library website https://wildflowerseedlibrary.ca/

Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library on Instangram https://www.instagram.com/ottawawildflower/

Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CV6G1cvGY/

🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 News links

May 16: Seed Library Conference: Sustaining a Seed Library https://givebutter.com/sustaining-a-seed-library?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Register for the Harvest System Design Course https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//harvestsystems

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Stay in Touch Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/

Get my weekly seed newsletter https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only) https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/

Get my new book The Seed Farmer https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook

❤️ Thanks for listening!

14-year-olds can operate equipment with a Class 8 license

If the equipment travels on public roads, a license is required

A Class C license may be required in certain circumstances

John Deere and Fendt equipment received the highest bids

Distracted driving increases risks on rural roads. Farmers can reduce accidents by adopting safer habits, supporting strong laws, and following the Drives 5 principles.

Today’s minisode is all about getting ready for the season- farm photo season, that is!

Whether you want good visuals for the crops on your online store, or you want to document your breeding selections, or you’re writing up standard operating procedures for your crew; having the right images makes all the difference.

Those pictures don’t happen by themselves, you need a Farm Picture Plan!

In this episode, we’ll get into…

• How to use your photo archives to understand your farm

• Figuring out what pictures you’ll wish you had this fall

• Setting up your Picture Plan spreadsheet

• Tips for making sure you actually take the shots you need

Enjoy the minisode!

🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

Support the Seed Farmer Podcast

https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//supportpodcast

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News links

Tourne-Sol’s new sweet corn variety

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWlyiE4jlvm/?img_index=1

Register for the Harvest System Design Course

https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com//harvestsystems

🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

Stay in Touch

Follow the Seed Farmer on instagram

https://www.instagram.com/danbrisebois.farm/

Get my weekly seed newsletter

https://www.farmerspreadsheetacademy.com/seeds

Order Tourne-Sol seeds (Canadian orders only)

https://fermetournesol.qc.ca/

Get my new book The Seed Farmer

https://danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook

❤️ Thanks for listening!