Ryan Barrett
@rbarrettpei.bsky.social
Agriculture professional from PEI. Here for ag chat, comedy, music, sports, and more. PEI Potatoes and Canadian Miking Shorthorns.
Beautiful Colomba potatoes, straight from the field to the packing line this morning. Was out wiring with the farm to ID potential for bruise using a SmartSpud sensor
September 12, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Beautiful Colomba potatoes, straight from the field to the packing line this morning. Was out wiring with the farm to ID potential for bruise using a SmartSpud sensor
This Payette Russet plant had 2 years of alfalfa ahead of it without reducing N. Yield was 75 cwt/ac less today due to too much N, delayed maturity. Working with producers to better credit legumes in rotation... take better advantage of the free N!
August 26, 2025 at 11:37 PM
This Payette Russet plant had 2 years of alfalfa ahead of it without reducing N. Yield was 75 cwt/ac less today due to too much N, delayed maturity. Working with producers to better credit legumes in rotation... take better advantage of the free N!
Terrific crowd at our first AIM BBQ today... people were particularly interested in Chad Mooney's drones, including the Agras 50 sprayer drone. Thanks to everyone that came out. Elmsdale tmrw, New London on Thurs.
August 26, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Terrific crowd at our first AIM BBQ today... people were particularly interested in Chad Mooney's drones, including the Agras 50 sprayer drone. Thanks to everyone that came out. Elmsdale tmrw, New London on Thurs.
Not hard to ID the zero N plot in this field of Targhee Russets, but hard to see a lot of other difference between 100%, 75% and 50% N in this field. Dry weather likely obscuring some differences. Part of ACS Living Labs trial in partnership with AAFC, UPEI, and PEI Dept of Ag
August 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Not hard to ID the zero N plot in this field of Targhee Russets, but hard to see a lot of other difference between 100%, 75% and 50% N in this field. Dry weather likely obscuring some differences. Part of ACS Living Labs trial in partnership with AAFC, UPEI, and PEI Dept of Ag
The first 360 Rain system irrigating potatoes is rolling along in PEI. For this long and narrow field with some variable elevation, it seems to be working well. Cool tech.
August 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The first 360 Rain system irrigating potatoes is rolling along in PEI. For this long and narrow field with some variable elevation, it seems to be working well. Cool tech.
Doing some drone imagery of trials today, and this photo of a large strip cropping field showcases the "standard" PEI rotation...barley, potatoes, and alfalfa/grass forage.
August 1, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Doing some drone imagery of trials today, and this photo of a large strip cropping field showcases the "standard" PEI rotation...barley, potatoes, and alfalfa/grass forage.
Celebrating Canada Day with two of my fav East Coast bands, The Joel Plaskett Emergency and Two Hours Traffic. Lovely day!
July 2, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Celebrating Canada Day with two of my fav East Coast bands, The Joel Plaskett Emergency and Two Hours Traffic. Lovely day!
Taking advantage of the best weather day this week to get a Nitrogen trial planted on a farm in West Prince, ably assisted by my Junior Agronomists, a Dal AC student and 3 students from UPEI.
May 22, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Taking advantage of the best weather day this week to get a Nitrogen trial planted on a farm in West Prince, ably assisted by my Junior Agronomists, a Dal AC student and 3 students from UPEI.
Happy to be speaking at the ON Potato Conference today. Ahead of me was my old poker buddy Jason Deveau from OMAFRA, following me is good friend Darin Gibson from Gaia Consulting in MB. Looking forward to test of the agenda.
March 6, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Happy to be speaking at the ON Potato Conference today. Ahead of me was my old poker buddy Jason Deveau from OMAFRA, following me is good friend Darin Gibson from Gaia Consulting in MB. Looking forward to test of the agenda.
My current status after watching Trump's address to Congress...
March 5, 2025 at 4:32 AM
My current status after watching Trump's address to Congress...
Thanks to Claudia Goyer and Rick Peters of AAFC for joining us this week for AIM Winter Workshops in common scab. Local research is showing that Minuet in-furrow is reducing scab severity.
February 26, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Thanks to Claudia Goyer and Rick Peters of AAFC for joining us this week for AIM Winter Workshops in common scab. Local research is showing that Minuet in-furrow is reducing scab severity.
Great presentation from Peter Johnson at the PEI Cereals & Oilseeds meeting... this slide stood out. We've increased food production by 3.7 times with only a 10% increase in land use... modern ag is impressive.
February 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Great presentation from Peter Johnson at the PEI Cereals & Oilseeds meeting... this slide stood out. We've increased food production by 3.7 times with only a 10% increase in land use... modern ag is impressive.
Always great to hear from @no-1-farmerwoody.bsky.social... at PEI Soil & Crop Conf.
February 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Always great to hear from @no-1-farmerwoody.bsky.social... at PEI Soil & Crop Conf.
Highlight of the PEI Potato Conference for many was our grower panel on tech adoption. All 3 did a great job of explaining cow they are integrating tech into their farms.
February 12, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Highlight of the PEI Potato Conference for many was our grower panel on tech adoption. All 3 did a great job of explaining cow they are integrating tech into their farms.
Thank you to all of our speakers, sponsors and attendees at the 2025 PEI Potato Conference. We had a full house and lots of great speakers on a range of topics. Videos will hopefully be online next week.
February 12, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Thank you to all of our speakers, sponsors and attendees at the 2025 PEI Potato Conference. We had a full house and lots of great speakers on a range of topics. Videos will hopefully be online next week.
Important info from Tyler MacKenzie with Potatoes NB-ACS.... big levels of genetic resistance to pyrethroids and neonics. Need to switch up modes of action, especially with high numbers of green peach aphids #potatoes
February 6, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Important info from Tyler MacKenzie with Potatoes NB-ACS.... big levels of genetic resistance to pyrethroids and neonics. Need to switch up modes of action, especially with high numbers of green peach aphids #potatoes
Anyone remember the Pakled episode of Star Trek TNG? Every time Trump speaks, I think of these guys.
"We are smart."
"We are smart."
February 2, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Anyone remember the Pakled episode of Star Trek TNG? Every time Trump speaks, I think of these guys.
"We are smart."
"We are smart."
Very interesting presentation by Mike Nemeth with Nutrien taking about water stewardship. Impacts all of agriculture... but especially potatoes.
January 30, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Very interesting presentation by Mike Nemeth with Nutrien taking about water stewardship. Impacts all of agriculture... but especially potatoes.
Got to meet Jon Montgomery this morning! The 3rd Olympic gold medal I've been fortunate to wear! Great speaker.
January 29, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Got to meet Jon Montgomery this morning! The 3rd Olympic gold medal I've been fortunate to wear! Great speaker.
Olympic gold medalist and Amazing Race Canada host is the keynote speaker at MB Potato Days... and PEI (and Vernon C!) get a shoutout. A passionate man with a great love for Canada.
January 29, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Olympic gold medalist and Amazing Race Canada host is the keynote speaker at MB Potato Days... and PEI (and Vernon C!) get a shoutout. A passionate man with a great love for Canada.
Finishing up our AIM Winter Workshops for January with a great turnout in Montague. Thanks to all of the folks that have come out the last two days to hear Kate Vander Zaag and I talk about soil health and fertility.
January 22, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Finishing up our AIM Winter Workshops for January with a great turnout in Montague. Thanks to all of the folks that have come out the last two days to hear Kate Vander Zaag and I talk about soil health and fertility.
Session #2 of our AIM Winter Workshops on Soil Health with guest speaker Kate Vander Zaag from Ontario. Great turnout at both meetings today, lots of great questions!
January 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Session #2 of our AIM Winter Workshops on Soil Health with guest speaker Kate Vander Zaag from Ontario. Great turnout at both meetings today, lots of great questions!
Lots of fun travels in 2024, including Alberta, Quebec City, Australia, Ontario, Cape Breton, and Belgium/France. Hoping for more travel fun in 2025!
December 31, 2024 at 7:27 PM
Lots of fun travels in 2024, including Alberta, Quebec City, Australia, Ontario, Cape Breton, and Belgium/France. Hoping for more travel fun in 2025!
Great week with this group running around NW Europe with this group of guys... learned lots, laughed lots. Back home this morning.
November 30, 2024 at 7:27 AM
Great week with this group running around NW Europe with this group of guys... learned lots, laughed lots. Back home this morning.
Day 6 (and final day) of our AIM Europe Study Tour:
- visit to ILVO to hear about disease detection and precision ag research
- visit to large contractor farm operation (big machines!)
- visit to average sized Belgian potato farm, on grounds of 19th C monastery!
Home tmrw!
- visit to ILVO to hear about disease detection and precision ag research
- visit to large contractor farm operation (big machines!)
- visit to average sized Belgian potato farm, on grounds of 19th C monastery!
Home tmrw!
November 29, 2024 at 8:57 PM
Day 6 (and final day) of our AIM Europe Study Tour:
- visit to ILVO to hear about disease detection and precision ag research
- visit to large contractor farm operation (big machines!)
- visit to average sized Belgian potato farm, on grounds of 19th C monastery!
Home tmrw!
- visit to ILVO to hear about disease detection and precision ag research
- visit to large contractor farm operation (big machines!)
- visit to average sized Belgian potato farm, on grounds of 19th C monastery!
Home tmrw!