Jack Payne

Bits and pieces from the start of the morning at the 2026 Agronomy Challenge! #PrairieCCA #AgronomyChallenge #CCA #PrairieAgriculture #AgCanada

South Country Co-op @SouthCountryCo filled the ballroom today at their Grower Event. Tom Wolf presented a wealth of info on sprayer applications followed by Brent Nilsson of Corteva & a fertilizer market update by Matt Krutzfeld of FCL.

For nearly two weeks this was base camp. I’m sorry but I just can’t resist the temptation to put a line in the water when you’re this close to a big pond. We found time to explore some Mexican scenery and some historic areas further inland.

The perks of having an alternate office in the truck. The view from the office window at lunch time. Even better is listening to waves lap against the rocks while you have a sandwich. And then there are old buildings you see when driving off the beaten path.

I can remember Joe Carter’s homer in the ‘93 World Series. Tonight’s homer by George Springer is right up there with it. Way to go Jays we’ve waited a long time for this.

With snow and rain coming this weekend we pulled up the 2025 garden. One of the longest runs of tomatoes we’ve had. The celery experiment was a success so that will be in the plan next summer.

The first half of our trip is behind us. There’s nothing like ball park hotdogs and popcorn. It’s an acquired taste I developed watching the Eston Ramblers play the Kindersley Klippers. Go Jays!!

It was a somber mood as we drove from Brooks to Jenner. We had the opportunity to see the devastated crops in this area. I have never seen hail damage of this scale. It’s bad when you drive by a field and can’t tell if the crop was wheat, canola, barley?

This is not good. I have relied upon Canola Council Agronomists for second opinions and recommendations because they see way more canola than I do. Just like a family doctor who relies upon medical specialists in special situations. It’s professionalism.

The British Militaria Forum, Alberta Shoot was a resounding success. This gathering is akin to summer camp for historical shooters and living historians. Shooters fire vintage cartridge & muzzleloading rifles at various ranges out to 300 yds.

Dad was insistent that after seeding & spraying, we needed a physical and mental break. Hence the tradition of a fishing trip in mid June. This year Kamloops trout were bigger than average. Hot Shots, Pumpkin Head flies and Bingo Bugs produced.

There are hoards of hungry flea beetles chowing down on mustard and canola in southern and central AB. So much for the concept that flea beetles don’t like hairy leaves. Some mustard fields are taking a pounding.

Maybe it’s because I’m a soils geek or maybe I’m part badger, but people tell me I’m always digging holes. Scouting for cutworms in Forty Mile County I just had to check soil moisture conditions. Variable, ranging from 18 to 36 inches of moist soil.

That’s scary when thresholds are 2 - 5 /m2 depending on the crop!

I don’t get to soil sample as much as I would like to. But last minute changes in a crop plan gave me a chance to ride shotgun and help pull samples with @SthCntryCoop in Vauxhall. The AgZone app worked flawlessly.

How can you tell when we are hosting a PD workshop for our @SthCntryCoop Grow Team? We’re in the home stretch for our winter staff development. Spring is on our door step and it’ll soon be full throttle for #Plant25.

I’m just going to leave this here. Few words needed.

Being an ag nerd I’m always infatuated by the flora & fauna of other countries. Costa Rica hasn’t disappointed me. We’ve had a number of encounters with the giant red-winged grasshopper. When I first saw it flying at night, I thought it was a small bat.

A big thank you to @GorimLinda for the opportunity to speak to your #UofA PLSC 210 students today. It was a great opportunity to share ideas around weed management and to introduce your students to the CCA program.

Congrats Argos! #GreyCup champions.