Alberta Farmer Participates in #fromthefield Spotlight Series

Jun 18, 2013

Alberta Farmer Participates in #fromthefield Spotlight Series

It is time to shine the spotlight on growers who have not only been doing an exceptional job at farming, but multitasking to be self-reporters from their fields. Brandon Gibb is one of those farmers who have been tweeting #fromthefield sharing pictures of his crop progress. I encourage you to take the time to read his profile and follow his tweet reports.

Farm name: R&B Gibb Farms LTD
Twitter handle: @rbgibbfarms
Location (i.e. state, province or region): Southwestern Alberta
Types of crops grown: Wheat, barley canola and hay

How has using Twitter enhanced your farming business?
Since using Twitter, access to information has become easily accessible. I find that questions can be answered much quicker and being engaged in topics helps me to learn new ways of doing things.

What is an interesting fact about your farming operation?
I am 31 years old, and we are a 5th generation farm. I bought the farm four years ago with help from my parents and we have since doubled in size. We are currently at around 1,000 acres and also run 40 cow calf pairs. I also do field management for what I believe is the largest grain farmer in Canada. Hengerer Farms LTD. This farm operates roughly around 80,000 to 85,000 acres - it keeps me busy in addition to my own farm. I do all my own spraying and harvesting, as well as raising a family with my wife and two young sons ages three and one.

On a side note, I went to University at BYU- Idaho and got a B.S. in Agronomy. I have had the opportunity to work in intensive potato production in Michigan and Idaho - this taught me a lot about intensive farming.

What makes you proud to farm?
What makes me most proud to farm is the growing processes of seeing seeds planted develop into a crop that can be harvested.

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.