Highway Through Hell

By November 18, 2021Newsletter

Our thoughts and prayers for those in the Lower Mainland.

The Billett’s spent fall break on the Sunshine Coast last week in the Garden Bay area and it was awesome, rainy but awesome. So, we drove through the Lower Mainland and Sumas Prairie on Sunday, November 14th, leaving Chilliwack around 10:30a.m. PST. Before I get too far into that story, I want to say that on behalf of the whole team at Agfinity, our thoughts and prayers are with the families, and livestock that are trapped and/or have been evacuated from their homes in the Lower Mainland. Almost all my wife Amy’s extended family farm on the Sumas Prairie. The original Schurmann homestead in now in the middle of what used to be Sumas Lake. They are dairy farmers and have had to evacuate and abandon their homes and livestock or are trapped by the flood waters, which is horrific. Speaking with Amy on where they are located there has never been a flood of this magnitude in the approximately seventy years that the family have lived on Sumas Prairie.

Our Experience leaving Sumas, and what we saw and how close we were to the mud slide that shut the Coquihalla down.

We left Vancouver at 8:15a.m. PST and after grabbing breakfast in Chilliwack we were on our way up the Coquihalla Highway. while we drove all the rivers and streams are surging brown rapids with debris in them. Every waterfall was also double or triple the size of normal, creating full walls of water at times. The rain was coming down strong and at times we were crossing some fairly significant puddles on the highway forcing us to slow down to a crawl. Past Hope, B.C., before we reached the Great Bear Snowshed on the Coquihalla there was another water crossing ahead but it had more debris and was muddy water. When we looked at the other side on the highway, a couple of cars going south in the opposite direction had stopped. They couldn’t go any further because their side of the road was covered in two feet of mud that, for the time being, had been stopped by the concrete barricades in the center. We kept driving but found out later that the highway was shut down very soon after that trapping people on the highway. We later found out that there were two other mudslides between Chilliwack and Hope that had taken place after we had passed as well. Once we got higher up the pass the rain was still strong, but the road conditions weren’t as severe, but we kept looking at the temperature concerned about what these conditions would look like if the things started to freeze.

Merritt, Kamloops, Sicamous and even getting to Revelstoke was relatively normal but as we pulled into Revelstoke, we got our first encounter with snow. There was easily 4 inches of slushy wet snow everywhere. After fuelling up it was around 5p.m. at this point, but we pushed on to Golden. We wouldn’t arrive in Golden until 10:00p.m. The conditions on Rogers Pass weren’t severe quite yet; however, there were many transport trucks that had pulled over and were chaining up or sleeping in their cabs until road crews could come. We and a lot of other drivers didn’t know this, so we sat in a long line of traffic for a couple of hours waiting for things to move. It wasn’t until a truck coming in the opposite direction stopped briefly to talk and said that there were huge gaps in the traffic and that the drivers in the semis were sleeping and that when it was safe to pass, we should. Fortunately, the reflection of the lights off the snow made it easier to see oncoming traffic, so we ventured forth weaving between parked trucks and proceeding slowly ahead through the pass. Our average speed was around 60km/hr. It was now snowing, and the temperature was now 0 degrees. The torrential downpour had transitioned to a snowstorm and where there was no traffic it was covering the road quickly. We made it to Golden with a bunch of other travellers who were shell shocked and thought that the worst was behind us.

The road conditions that took us 24 hrs to get from Vancouver, B.C. to Lake Louise, AB.

Because of the road construction on Highway 1 between Golden and the Alberta border, we had to detour from Golden, south on Highway 95 to Radium Hot Springs then northeast on Highway 93 through Kootenay National Park to Lake Louise. Departing Golden and down to Radium, the roads were mainly wet with the odd slushy section. Somewhat easier going than before. Good old Google maps showed a nice blue line to Lake Louise. We thought we were set! Little did we know. . .! We made the turn at Radium Hot Springs at approximately 11:00p.m. with our GPS telling us we had approximately two to two and a half hours of driving to go. We could handle that. A late night, but we had a bed waiting for us. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go as our GPS indicated. Initially Highway 93 was wet with thick patches of ice ruts from the earlier freezing rain. This was manageable with speed adjustments for conditions; however, things got worse. As we progressed to higher elevations the drizzle turned to snow on top of a highway covered in freezing rain from earlier in the day. We eventually came to a full standstill with semis and vehicles stopped two to three vehicles wide on a two-lane highway. It was a mess. The “Coles Notes” version of this is that we departed Radium Hot Springs at 11:00p.m. on Sunday, November 14th and didn’t arrive in Lake Louise until 8:30a.m. on Monday, November 15th, a full 24 hours after leaving Vancouver, B.C. I’ll continue our story next week with more details on how we got off Highway 93 and all the interesting aspects that entailed. Until then, stay safe!

Because Farming is Forever
Joseph Billett


Thank you Mark Larson for this great photo!

Thank you Joan Eldie for this great photo!

Buyer Brief – by Sandra Correia-Letendre

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!  Many of us in Alberta have been graced with snow falls and extreme winds in the last couple days.  Has winter really hit?! What about the flooding in BC causing havoc for the railway system out west and shut down major highways from Fraser Valley into central B.C.  This can only mean delays in grain going to the coast.  At this time, it’s hard to say what the impact will be in regard to grain movement.

Barley in the last couple weeks has gone up.  We have been trading between $425-$435/mt delivered Lethbridge for November/December.  Already we have been hearing of late deliveries of corn and seeing some buyers needing last minute loads of Barley to get them through until corn keeps coming in.  How long will these top dollar bids last? Will they get any higher?  We are still hearing from sellers that there is still grain out there, just not wanting to market yet.  Some sellers are saying they want to wait until early Spring in case the market spikes up like it  did last spring.

Feed Wheat has softened the last couple days.  We are not seeing the highs this week that we saw last week for bids.  In talking with buyers, it may not make sense to continue buying feed wheat at the high prices we are seeing today.  Feed Wheat has been trading at approximately $430/mt delivered Lethbridge for November/December.

Oats are still holding strong.  We are still seeing high demand for #2cw and Feed Oats.  Buyers have been hitting targets on offers.  We have been trading #2cw Oats at $8-$8.50/bu FOB central Alberta for November/December movement.

It’s hard to tell if we have hit the high of the market for feed grains for this harvest. We will see what the rest of the week brings.  Keep a look out on our website for sales history.  Happy trading.

Seller’s tip:  Offers are trading quickly off our board.  Now is a great time to put out targets.  We are still seeing demand for barley for movement November/December.  Call us to discuss 1-888-969-5552.


Recent Trades

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20805)
88.00 MT
FOB Joffre, AB
Nov 19 – Dec 18
$422.67/MT or $9.20/BU (Gross)
$419.17/MT or $9.13/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 18, 2021

NC #1CW Canola (ID: 20801)
42.00 MT
FOB Mannville, AB
Nov 17 – Nov 30
$1,000.00/MT or $22.68/BU (Gross)
$996.50/MT or $22.60/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 17, 2021

NC OS Feed Oats (ID: 20767)
44.00 MT
FOB High Prairie, AB
Nov 17 – Dec 03
$360.13/MT or $5.55/BU (Gross)
$356.63/MT or $5.50/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 17, 2021

NC OS CW Feed Barley (ID: 20802)
88.00 MT
FOB Stony Plain, AB
Dec 01 – Dec 31
$400.79/MT or $8.73/BU (Gross)
$397.29/MT or $8.65/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 17, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20798)
44.00 MT
FOB Atmore, AB
Nov 16 – Nov 30
$392.50/MT or $8.55/BU (Gross)
$389.00/MT or $8.47/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 16, 2021

NC #2 Green Peas (ID: 20800)
44.00 MT
FOB St. Paul, AB
Nov 16 – Nov 30
$550.99/MT or $15.00/BU (Gross)
$547.49/MT or $14.90/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 16, 2021

NC CW Feed HRW Wheat (ID: 20788)
39.43 MT
DLVD Lethbridge, AB
Nov 17 – Nov 29
$431.57/MT or $11.75/BU (Gross)
$428.07/MT or $11.65/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 16, 2021

NC OS Yellow Pea Screenings (ID: 20781)
38.00 MT
FOB Wanham, AB
Nov 16 – Jan 15
$462.80/MT or $12.60/BU (Gross)
$459.30/MT or $12.50/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 16, 2021

NC CW Feed CPSR Wheat (ID: 20799)
88.00 MT
FOB Athabasca, AB
Nov 16 – Nov 30
$436.90/MT or $11.89/BU (Gross)
$433.40/MT or $11.80/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 16, 2021

NC Feed Oats (ID: 20796)
44.00 MT
FOB Bezanson, AB
Nov 15 – Dec 15
$396.05/MT or $6.11/BU (Gross)
$392.55/MT or $6.05/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 15, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20795)
44.00 MT
FOB Millet, AB
Nov 16 – Dec 10
$411.07/MT or $8.95/BU (Gross)
$407.57/MT or $8.87/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 15, 2021

NC OS Heated Barley (ID: 20787)
44.00 MT
FOB Carmangay, AB
Nov 16 – Nov 19
$420.37/MT or $9.15/BU (Gross)
$416.87/MT or $9.08/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 15, 2021

NC OS CW Feed Barley (ID: 20794)
44.00 MT
FOB Evansburg, AB
Nov 12 – Nov 30
$390.00/MT or $8.49/BU (Gross)
$386.50/MT or $8.41/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC Heated Canola (ID: 20783)
57.00 MT
FOB Dewberry, AB
Nov 03 – Nov 30
$835.79/MT or $18.96/BU (Gross)
$830.29/MT or $18.83/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC CW Feed SWS Wheat (ID: 20790)
352.00 MT
FOB Vegreville, AB
Nov 15 – Feb 15
$438.92/MT or $11.95/BU (Gross)
$435.42/MT or $11.85/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC Feed Yellow Peas (ID: 20782)
88.00 MT
FOB Crossfield, AB
Nov 11 – Nov 30
$536.46/MT or $14.60/BU (Gross)
$532.96/MT or $14.50/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC CW Feed HRS Wheat (ID: 20789)
88.00 MT
FOB Veteran, AB
Nov 12 – Nov 30
$438.74/MT or $11.94/BU (Gross)
$435.24/MT or $11.85/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC OS CW Feed Barley (ID: 20786)
44.00 MT
FOB Newbrook, AB
Nov 12 – Nov 30
$387.00/MT or $8.43/BU (Gross)
$383.50/MT or $8.35/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20784)
176.00 MT
FOB Acme, AB
Nov 13 – Nov 30
$422.67/MT or $9.20/BU (Gross)
$419.17/MT or $9.13/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC CW Feed CPSR Wheat (ID: 20780)
704.00 MT
FOB Olds, AB
Jan 01 – Feb 28
$444.43/MT or $12.10/BU (Gross)
$440.93/MT or $12.00/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 12, 2021

NC OS CW Feed CPSR Wheat (ID: 20777)
88.00 MT
FOB Valhalla Centre, AB
Nov 10 – Nov 30
$402.56/MT or $10.96/BU (Gross)
$399.06/MT or $10.86/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 10, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20779)
132.00 MT
FOB Olds, AB
Jan 01 – Jan 31
$416.87/MT or $9.08/BU (Gross)
$413.37/MT or $9.00/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 10, 2021

NC Malt Barley (ID: 20785)
132.00 MT
FOB Madden, AB
Jan 01 – Jan 31
$485.77/MT or $10.58/BU (Gross)
$482.27/MT or $10.50/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 10, 2021

NC OS #2CW Oats (ID: 20778)
132.00 MT
FOB Westlock, AB
Nov 10 – Dec 31
$554.66/MT or $8.55/BU (Gross)
$551.16/MT or $8.50/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 10, 2021

NC #1CW Canola (ID: 20775)
84.00 MT
FOB Willingdon, AB
Nov 09 – Nov 19
$983.30/MT or $22.30/BU (Gross)
$979.80/MT or $22.22/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 09, 2021

NC OS Feed Oats (ID: 20774)
34.00 MT
FOB Innisfail, AB
Nov 09 – Nov 30
$383.19/MT or $5.91/BU (Gross)
$379.69/MT or $5.86/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 09, 2021

NC OS CW Feed Barley (ID: 20776)
132.00 MT
FOB Valhalla Centre, AB
Nov 08 – Nov 30
$379.03/MT or $8.25/BU (Gross)
$375.53/MT or $8.18/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 08, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20771)
88.00 MT
FOB Sundre, AB
Dec 15 – Jan 02
$416.87/MT or $9.08/BU (Gross)
$413.37/MT or $9.00/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 08, 2021

NC CW Feed HRW Wheat (ID: 20773)
132.00 MT
FOB Redcliff, AB
Nov 08 – Nov 30
$429.90/MT or $11.70/BU (Gross)
$426.40/MT or $11.60/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 08, 2021

NC #3CW Oats (ID: 20765)
88.00 MT
FOB Plamondon, AB
Nov 09 – Dec 31
$554.40/MT or $8.55/BU (Gross)
$550.90/MT or $8.50/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 08, 2021

NC OS CW Feed HRS Wheat (ID: 20735)
44.00 MT
FOB Vermilion, AB
Nov 11 – Nov 12
$376.63/MT or $10.25/BU (Gross)
$373.13/MT or $10.15/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 08, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20748)
88.00 MT
FOB Millet, AB
Nov 05 – Dec 31
$411.07/MT or $8.95/BU (Gross)
$407.57/MT or $8.87/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 05, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20772)
44.00 MT
FOB Leduc, AB
Dec 01 – Dec 31
$406.59/MT or $8.85/BU (Gross)
$403.09/MT or $8.78/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 05, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20770)
44.00 MT
FOB Crestomere, AB
Nov 05 – Nov 15
$403.09/MT or $8.78/BU (Gross)
$399.59/MT or $8.70/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 05, 2021

NC CW Feed Barley (ID: 20769)
44.00 MT
FOB Standard, AB
Nov 05 – Nov 30
$422.67/MT or $9.20/BU (Gross)
$419.17/MT or $9.13/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 05, 2021

NC OS Heated Canola (ID: 20763)
42.00 MT
FOB Peoria, AB
Nov 05 – Nov 30
$902.16/MT or $20.46/BU (Gross)
$896.66/MT or $20.34/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 05, 2021

OS #2CW Oats (ID: 20762)
38.00 MT
FOB Wanham, AB
Nov 04 – Jan 31
$541.69/MT or $8.35/BU (Gross)
$538.19/MT or $8.30/BU (Net)
TRADED Nov 04, 2021