Harvest Sample Program back in swing as harvest continues across the prairies

Sep 18, 2024

Canadian farmers can take advantage of a program that can give them a leg up this harvest season through the Canadian Grain Commission's (CGC) annual Harvest Sample Program.

Through that farmers get an unofficial grading from the CGC which they can use to help market their commodities.

Program Manager of Analytical Services Kerri Pleskach talks about the program and how it helps out Canadian producers.

"The Harvest Sample Program is a program that the Canadian Grain Commission has been running for over 95 years now and it is no cost to the producer. So the producer can sign up for the program and what we do is they tell us what different commodities they're growing and we send them a packet with envelopes in it and at harvest time, they fill the envelopes up with their commodity, pop it in the mail."

"We receive the samples here at the Grain Commission and we will give them an unofficial grade on the sample that they submitted as well as different analytical tests based on which commodity they send us. They will get a report with all of this information on it and it will help them market their grain when they go to sell it."

With the grading producers can have a way to prove that their grain is good to go to the market, says Pleskach.

Click here to see more...

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.