Check out the "Kernels of Hope" Blog with all the latest info at www.kernelsofhope.blogspot.com
June 27, 2010
Farming in the Canada is often in the news. Seldom as much as this spring where abnormally huge amounts of rainfall have struck in many places from Ontario to Alberta. We might do well to invest in an umbrella distribution business also. Crops are like people, where the right amount of nutrition and liquids is the most healthy, too much or too little of either can cause problems quickly!
Here's an update on how things are going so far in our Kernels fields.
Darren and Cheryl Tiede at Strathmore, Alberta had some snow in late spring but the timing of seeding the wheat there was good and it is thriving. They would have sprayed for weed control during the week of June 13 to 20. Things are looking good there!
Gerald at Kinistino, who is also a repeat Kernels (real) farmer, says the canola seed is in the ground there. We have 60 acres of canola there. He said some of it is drowning though! A plants roots need to have oxygen and if they stay under water too long it will kill the plant.
Canola prices for the fall have recently been climbing partly because of new canola crushing plants and increased capacity in existing plants as well as the amount of acres that just couldn't get seeded or that will drown after it has been planted. China is a huge player in out canola market and they have been threatening to keep Canadian Canola out of China because of a disease called Blackleg that they are afraid would transfer to Chinese canola. It seems that they are not so worried at the moment and have said they will take canola from us right until July 2011! Hmmm... perhaps it is a marketing ploy! If we locked in canola prices in the Brandon area for September delivery on Friday we`d get $9.30 per bushel. It is time to price some ...who knows,,, send me your opinion tho!
Jim & Bryan Sandstrom just got their wheat seeded about ten days ago at Minnedosa. They had almost given up when they saw a light at the end of the tunnel and they determined it was sunshine!
You can see The Jardine Family Farm canola on the website... It is 5020 (that's the variety ) It is an Invigor variety and is generally one of the biggest yielders.
Steve and Loni Marvin are nurturing 10 acres of Dekalb canola for us. The variety is 7265 . It is struggling now with the moisture. Canola is a crop than can survive and adapt to many adverse weather conditions. We`ll be fine there...unless it hails! They had some in that area last year! This is the field we have the Crop Camera in. It is taking one picture a day for the whole season which we will show you as a video with all the single shots merged together. Virtual farming at it`s best!
Rock and Nicole Munson are back as real farmers at Norquay, Saskatchewan. There is a ten acre field of canola just south of the church there. It is well advanced.
Kendell and Jodine at Melfort, Sk bought some real farmland within the town limits and are planning to use it for Kernels of Hope production. The rains rarely stopped there this spring and it did not get seeded. There hasn`t been a field like this in that area before so it will just give us an extra year to create awareness of how we are helping people and we`ll be out of the gate and running hard in 2011!
There are several people involved in Kernels again this year in the Norquay area that are giving ten acres of their produce each to us through the Helping Feed the World program. We benefit from their crop and don`t pay any of their expenses!
We are on the third year of the 3 year program helping people in South Awiel County in Sudan to buy tools and seed and fishing equipment as they get resettled on land they had been chased away from in recent civil wars.
Thanks so much to those who have already sent money to help pay for expenses on our farms. If you are thinking about helping again or for the first time.... We are suggesting costs for seed, fert, chemical etc of about $200 an acre but partial acre and multiple acre sponsorship are always welcome! Also please pass this email on to people you think might like to be involved. You are making more of a difference than you will ever know ( on this earth, anyway )
CIDA is still matching any of our donations by $4 for every $1 we produce and we are able to give charitable donation receipts to all Canadians! Cheques should be made out to ECCC (write Kernels in the note line ) and mailed to ECCC Box 34025 RPO Fort Richmond , Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5T5
I`ve quit sending pictures on these updates because you can now see lot`s of them on the site www.kernelsofhope.blogspot.com
Just click on that and it should take you to our site.
Thanks for helping when you can! It`s a good thing you are doing.
Please go to the Kernels site to see how much the "Helping Feed the World" initiative contributed last year.
Passion and creativity have been abundant again this year in the different ways people have been able to help.
Just click on this www.kernelsofhope.blogspot.com or type that in as the website address
When you go to the site check these items also....
Double click on the Cluster Map and you'll see where in the world people have been following the project from !
Click on the archives to see stories and updates as we progressed this year.
Find out more details contact Ray the Grain Guy at 204-867-5341 or email at raybaloun@hotmail.com
To get involved and be a virtual farmer or contribute to Kernels of hope use the
Online Giving button on the left then on the Canada Helps web page click the button
Donate Now then find Kernels of hope under Fund/Designation:. Thanks for your help.