What management practices and behaviours make farmers more financially successful? A report commissioned by the Agri-Food Management Institute and Farm Management Canada attempts to answer this question. “With the Dollars and Sense study we’re trying to determine what makes a leading farmer. How do they end up in the top 25% of farmers versus the… Read More
Category: Agriculture Education
More than 280 Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) jammed into a London, Ontario hotel last week to talk agronomy, information and regulation. It was the largest turnout ever for the Ontario Certified Crop Advisors Association annual meeting since the event began 13 years ago. The province currently has 545 active CCAs and the number is expected… Read More
I was fortunate enough to attend the Wednesday night VIP Premiere of the new documentary License to Farm. The film focuses on the agriculture industry’s need to maintain social license. The attendees were very excited about the film. I was able to talk to many of the attendees and get their immediate reaction to the film… Read More
If you believe the headlines this week, Canadians will soon not be able to afford to eat. Fruit and vegetables will be beyond an ordinary person’s capacity to pay and consumers wanting to chomp down on a piece of meat will have to order horse, bison or ostrich because beef and pork will break their… Read More
Next August, Ontario Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) will have an opportunity to write an exam that will grant them a new 4R Nutrient Management Certification. The new certification will be based on the 4R nutrient best management practice philosophy – Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place – and is designed to enhance CCAs’… Read More
4-H Canada announced new leadership and safety programs at Agribition in Regina on Wednesday following a $600,000 financial commitment from CN Rail. 4-H Canada CEO Shannon Benner explained the new annual Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction (L.E.A.D.) will recognize senior members with four-year $5,000 per year scholarships for post-secondary studies. They’ll also be matched with a mentor… Read More
We know we need to get to young people early with messages about agriculture, so they grow up with a reality-based appreciation of what it takes to produce food. But what about “old” people, those the politically correct call “aging” people (which, chronologically speaking, includes everyone)? Admittedly, if life is like a hockey game, aging… Read More
Farming is not just about producing crops or raising livestock. Much of what separates high performance farms from average to below-average farms is their ability to excel at everything from human resources management and looking after their team to understanding financial ratios and how to deal with the banker, says Rob Hannam, lead facilitator for… Read More
Apologies to the Thanksgiving turkey, but the word “poultry” is being dropped from the name of one of the biggest animal science departments in the country. It’s true. For nearly a year, the University of Guelph’s research-intensive Department of Animal and Poultry Science has been testing the waters for the new name it chose — the… Read More
Farm Management Canada (FMC) and the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs (CADAP) have launched the 2015-16 Excellence Award for Agricultural Students, designed to encourage students to improve their critical thinking, communication and leadership skills through a national competition. FMC and CADAP are collecting submissions from agricultural students across Canada and will award three… Read More