Horticulture checklist for January

Jan 16, 2020

Robert Spencer, commercial horticulture specialist at the Alberta Ag-Info Centre, has published a 'to do' list for the month of January.

Consider specific training courses for both yourself and staff, such as first aid, advertising, electronic bookkeeping, record keeping, etc., and book it!

Are all of your licences or certificates up-to-date?

Review your insurance coverage. Do you have sufficient coverage for your activities? Are all the items or activities that happen on your farm covered? Has anything changed?

Review your project to do/wish list from the end of last season. What are some of the things you identified?

Start thinking about and planning your field layouts for the coming season. Does your current set-up work for any new crops? Do you have sufficient space for everything you have planned, such as headlands, activities, parking, etc.? Consider field orientation, irrigation systems, shelterbelts and traffic movement – foot, equipment, vehicles, etc.

Have you ordered the plant material that you will need for the next season? Planning and ordering in advance can save many headaches in the spring.

Are you ordering transplants? Growing your own? Cleaning up the greenhouse might also be in order.

Update, tidy up and repaint sales sheds and signs.

Source : Alberta.ca

Video: USDA Feb Crop Report a WIN for Soybeans + 1 Year Trade Truce Extension

USDA took Trumps comments that China would buy more U.S. soybeans seriously and headline news that the U.S./China trade truce would be extended when Trump/Xi meet in the first week of April was a BIG WIN for soybeans this week! 2026 “Mini” U.S. ethanol boom thanks to 45Z + China’s ban of phosphates from Feb. – August of 2026 will not help lower fertilizer prices anytime soon! 30 mmt of Chinese corn harvest is of poor quality and maybe a technical breakout in wheat futures.

*Apologies! Where we talk about the latest CFTC update as of 10th Feb 2026, managed money funds covered their net short position in canola to the tune of +42,746 week-on-week to flip to net long 145 contracts and not (as we mistakenly said) +90,009 wk/wk to 47,408.