Farmers are tough like football players says former Rider

Nov 17, 2023

Saskatchewan farmers are tough like professional football players, and demonstrate leadership skills in the same way, former Roughrider Luc Mullinder told an audience of producers and business owners at the Weyburn Chamber’s Ag Appreciation Night on Nov. 7.

Currently the vice-president of the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan, he played for nine years in the CFL, eight of those years as a defensive lineman with the Riders, including as a member of the Grey Cup team of 2007.

He was the guest speaker for the Ag Appreciation banquet at McKenna Hall, and passed on his take on leadership styles, encouraging farmers to make sure they adopt the style that suits them best as they lead in the agricultural community.

Telling producers he has a tremendous amount of respect for them, Mullinder said, “The Golden Sheaf Award is really cool. There’s no other industry that aligns with pro football like ag does. They require similar characteristics, and you have to be tough s.o.b.’s – but I’m preaching to the choir here,” he said.

Noting he’s friends with farmer Mark Overbye of the Lake Alma area, he told about how the farmer had fallen off a ladder and shattered his shins, and army-crawled all the way to the house to call for help.

“The only thing he was worried about was who was going to care for the farm the next day,” said Mullinder. “You guys are another level of toughness … I don’t think I have the stamina to handle what you guys handle.”

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.