Lyndsey Smith is currently on maternity leave. If you've got a story idea or question you'd like to see answered in Grainews, please contact her replacement Leeann Minogue at leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com

It's mid summer, and that means I spend many of my days out at various field days. Just yesterday I toured a field near Elfros, Sask., that was growing a gorgeous stand of yellow peas. Sure, there were ugly spots where ponding had knocked back the crop in the early season, but overall it was a very good stand. Then, we went to see one of the nicest flax fields I've ever had to wade through. Both of these fields started in less than ideal conditions, and both share some interesting management challenges.

At this particular field day, we discussed how important it is to be planning ahead when it comes to fertility management. Peas, of course, fix their own nitrogen and leave a good deal behind to be released over the coming year or two. If conditions stay wet (this crop still had ample moisture but was no longer considered wet), there's not much you can do to protect the residual N from losses due to leaching or denitrification, however you could use a product such as ESN to protect a portion or all of the N you put down in the spring or fall, if you were seeding winter wheat. Depending too heavily on residual N could prove a poor choice if the wet cycle continues in this area.

In the flax field we discussed how flax needs phosphorus, as does any crop, however this crop's roots dive straight down and don't branch. Really, you need phosphorus directly below the seed but how are you going to get it there? The suggested solution was, yes, to put a safe level of seed placed P, but also to plant flax on fields with ample background P already in the soil and ready to be released and used. It could mean bumping P rates the year before flax, knowing that you won't lose it in the current year and it'll be available to the crop next year.

These are simply two examples of all that was discussed on this day. Do you think about fertility for next year's crop while this year's is still growing? Do the yields you achieve this year change your planned fertility levels for next? Look for more on this topic in the September issue of Grainews!

Ballots for the plebiscite concerning the future of the CWB have been mailed to farmers, according to the CWB.

Farmers who have a CWB permit for this year or last, and delivered wheat or barley in the past five years, should receive their voting package by July 22. If not, they should contact MNP, the vote coordinator, at 1-877-780-VOTE (8683).

Farmers without a CWB permit who have grown wheat or barley in the past five years can also apply for a ballot before Aug. 8. Ballots must be returned by August 24. More information can be found at http://www.cwbvote.ca

Research and in-field evaluations have shown that canola growers lose up to five bushels per acre out the back of their combines, according to the Canola Council of Canada. That skims a lot of profit off the top and adds to volunteer canola costs in following years.

Alberta Canola Producers Commission and the Canola Council of Canada will host a Combine Performance Clinic at the Agricultural Grounds at Westlock July 18 and 19 to help farmers learn how to properly measure and reduce these losses. Space is limited to 500 people and pre-registration is required.

Attendees have three sessions to choose from: Monday, July 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday, July 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Tuesday, July 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Les Hill, manager of business development and technical services with the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute (PAMI), leads off with general solutions for common harvest loss issues. Hill will explain, for example, why watching the harvest loss monitor isn’t enough. "Unless you get out and measure loss on the ground, you have no idea what the monitor is telling you," he says.

After Hill’s talk, attendees will break into groups and get a hands-on lesson from five combine manufacturers. Representatives from Case IH, John Deere, Lexion, Massey Ferguson and New Holland will have combines on hand to explain how to make adjustments for greater efficiencies.

Cost is $100 per person, including GST. Lunch is included for the daytime events. Snacks are included for the evening event. To register, please visit www.canolacouncil.org and click on the Combine Clinic box at the bottom of the home page, or call 204-982-2122.

Sure, you can recycle them, but Richard Petersen at Rose Valley, Sask., shares how his RM councilor saved this road this spring by using a used grian bag held down with used grader blades. Now that's clever!
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Grainews field editor and editor of Cattleman's Corner, Lee Hart, will be holding court at the RBC Innovations Showcase area Thursday from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm at the Western Canada Farm Progress Show. Lyndsey Smith (that's me!) will be there Friday during the same hours to answer questions, talk shop or just share a cup of coffee.

Stop by and say hello!

If you're looking to learn new beef production techniques and don't mind having to spend a few days on a bus to do it, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture invites you to join them on its Breeding for Profit bus tour.

The tour runs June 19 to 24, and leaves from Moose Jaw. Those attending will stop in North Dakota, South Dakota and then spend a few days in Nebraska, visiting ranches and research facilities that highlight top herd and rangeland management, as well as the importance of top genetics in production.

The cost of $450 (per person, based on double occupancy) includes transport, accommodations and nearly all meals for the tour. Those interested should register with Saskatchewan's Agriculture Knowledge Center at 1-866-457-2377. And if you go, let Lee Hart, Cattleman's Corner editor, know. He'd love to hear about what you learn.

A Conservative majority caught me a little by surprise, I'll admit. I believed Jack Layton would gain seats, but not the number his party managed to capture. While I don't consider myself a Dipper by a long shot, I will forever be thankful to Mr. Layton for his booting of the Bloc from parliament, but that's another matter.

No matter who you voted for, we now know that we have four years of a Conservative government ahead of us. In all the post-election coverage, I've found an interesting thread. On one hand, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced to the public that he was keen on earning the public's trust, and that sweeping changes were not in the wings. On the other, this story on CTV.ca about the CWB monopoly certainly qualifies as "sweeping changes" in my books.

Good or bad, right or wrong, changes are coming. I know how the board supporters feel. I know how happy those opposed to the monopoly are. But, and maybe I'm wrong, I believe there is a huge swath of farmers out there who land somewhere between these two extremes. Those are the farmers whose thoughts I'd like to hear. How do you think losing the monopoly will change things? Good, bad, indifferent? Do you think it should be put to a vote?

Two interesting things happened this week. One, Grainews is now on Facebook! Yippee! You, dear readers, made it clear that commenting and asking questions on this blog was difficult. Seeing as a stated goal of this blog is to get and keep conversations going, that proved a big problem. Now, blogs will be posted here, but also linked from our Facebook page, where you can comment easily and for many others to see. That should get a conversation going!

Which brings us to the second part of today's blog title. I received an email on April 1, asking if I had heard about the Manitoba Canola Growers asking for opinions on moving canola to the Canadian Wheat Board (read more here). I, of course, laughed this off (did you see the date?), until this week when I see this is all over the news. I made a comment to a colleague that this likely started years ago when canola prices were in the tank and there was no processing to speak of. Lo and behold I read that conversations around this started in 2006. Which brings up an entirely different discussion — change takes forever, doesn't it? But that's for another day.

Regardless of what I think of this (canola has a functioning futures market and domestic processing, this whole ideas seems backwards to me), I want to know what farmers think. Do you want to see canola marketed through the CWB? Like us on Facebook and start the discussion!