Another day, another straw board scam.

[woodland]

Just going on the straw I spread for neighbor who bought old bales from plant when it closed. Alberta rat free so not a problem go for it. It could bring more $ for guys with extra straw but I think the best thing to make boards is still trees !

Last time I checked there doesn’t seem to be a tree shortage out here. The prices at the lumberyard say otherwise though............ up 250% over a year ago😉

Why monkey with OSB, particle board, straw board when plywood is superior and cost competitive?

[blackpowder]

Blaithin. Is there really that much extra straw in that area?
I never could see the reasoning and still can't.

[Old Cowzilla]

Phone rings off the wall guys looking for straw. I let some go but need some myself and try to help neighbors. On hot sunny days there's not much straw left from the newer combines and straw choppers make good job of it. Some land I just have to put it back, and kinda ticks guys off.

[Blaithin]

Blaithin. Is there really that much extra straw in that area?
I never could see the reasoning and still can't.

Not usually put into bales. 100,000 mt of grain elevator within 10 miles of the straw plant... it’s grown here, but most put it back on the field. Feedlots seem to take the rest.

Plant also only uses wheat straw, still working on formulas for barley and canola straw.

Think the article said they’d use something obscene like 800,000 tonnes of straw annually. But they were surveying farmers to see if they’d produce the straw required to support the plant here so obviously enough replied that if the price was right they’d bale it.

Also located on highway 21 so not that hard of a shot down to irrigation land either, I guess.

[wmoebis]

I was wondering why they wouldn't build closer to irrigated land? Think the gov'ts both Fed and Provincial are supporting irrigation.

[Blaithin]

I was wondering why they wouldn't build closer to irrigated land? Think the gov'ts both Fed and Provincial are supporting irrigation.

Maybe not enough wheat in the rotations? Up here it’s mainly just the big three plus some peas, not a lot of crop variety. Close enough to irrigated to use the wheat they grow, but still in an area that is more wheat focused.

[MBgrower]

I was wondering why they wouldn't build closer to irrigated land? Think the gov'ts both Fed and Provincial are supporting irrigation.

20 years ago, the red river valley was the best place to build a straw plant due to the lush growing conditions and problems dealing with excess straw. Back then most farmers windrowed the straw and burned it. but with ever growing burning restrictions and the advent of better straw management, vt's, protills, and bigger stronger combines that pulverize the straw, there is little burning here now, most straw is worked back into the land, some custom baler crews around for USA straw markets, mushrooms, etc. I cant see a plant in Alberta being feasible nowadays, there wont be enough farmers willing to supply it for a reasonable cost to the straw plant.

[sawfly1]

Years ago hopped on a bus to tour
One near Foresburg. The samples in
The office looked great. But they were from Germany. The board they were pressing out looked pretty sad
Lots of bad batches laying everywhere .
Somebody got to sell a lot of machines, and fancy glue.
Luckily it went under before anyone around here got suckered in.
I asked why they were not running that day. And why all the reject. The man said wheat kernels in the straw screwed up the process , had to be removed before pressing.and it was difficult.
I suggested they not get straw from John Deere owners.

[GDR]

I'm roughly 40 miles west of the area. I would venture a guess that last year 80% of cereal acres baled here. Monster stacks of big squares on every quarter. Been more and more bales every year. I was sure guys would get stuck with it by spring but the stacks are mostly gone and I got neighbours pestering me for my bales as running short for bedding. Just amazing where it all went. Some years I sell a bit but try to just bale what I need and chop the rest.

[Hay Farmer]

Also west of the area the plant is going in. Like others have said, most of the straw is already being baled to the west and exported over seas or to Ontario and Quebec. The price the plant is offering for the straw dropped seems like enough but what they are offering to bale and stack didn’t seem like enough to entice me to bale for them. They also claimed they want the straw fairly dry and either shedded or tarped. I have a few customers I sell to already that need really dry straw. There is a lot of years in this area where there is only a handful of days to get the straw dry enough especially when most farmers are using dryers now and dropping really wet straw. Sounds like they plan on having an incredible amount of balers and stackers running themselves but it will still be interesting to see if they can bale the amount of they want.