Silver Creek Ag. Ltd. busy helping farmers with spring crop protection

Winter wheat in South Easthope Township had reached the ideal stage for weed control spraying last week. Operators with Silver Creek Ag. Ltd. walk fields before spraying to determine what weeds need to be controlled. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Spring continues to be one of the busiest times of year for farmers across Perth, Oxford and Waterloo counties, and the team at Silver Creek Ag. Ltd. is working long days to help area growers protect their crops during the critical early stages of the growing season.

Located east of Amulree at Mennonite Corners, Silver Creek Ag. Ltd. has been busy spraying wheat, corn and soybean fields throughout the three-county area as farmers work around changing weather conditions to get crops planted and growing.

Like many farmers across the region, custom applicators are balancing long days in the field with unpredictable spring weather.

“There are days you just learn how to juggle everything,” Silver Creek owners Will Sebben and Patrick Miller said. “You have to spray different crops at the optimum time depending on the weather and the stage of the crop.”

Last week, ideal weather conditions allowed operators with the New Hamburg-area company to spray wheat fields for weeds from daylight until dark.

Silver Creek Ag. Ltd. currently operates several spray rigs and employs seven full-time staff members along with three seasonal employees to help ensure crops are sprayed at the proper stage for optimum weed control.

In addition to custom application work, the company also operates as a Dekalb seed dealer along with carrying Northrup King (NK), SeCan and C&M seed products.

Sebben said winter wheat across much of Perth, Oxford and Waterloo counties appears to have wintered well and is looking strong this spring.

He estimated between 75 and 85 per cent of the region’s corn crop has now been planted, while approximately 20 to 30 per cent of soybeans are in the ground.

The planting of coloured beans is expected to begin soon, while dairy farmers throughout the area have already started cutting high-protein triticale and ryegrass for feed.

Thanks to recent beautiful weather with warm, dry conditions, by the end of the week, 95 per cent of the corn is now in the ground and close to 75 per cent of soy beans have been planted, with more warm weather expected.

More information about Silver Creek Ag. Ltd. can be found at info@silvercreekag.ca.