An organic farming couple from Saskatchewan and a pair of dairy farming brothers from Quebec have been named Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2022. Cody Straza and Allison Squires, who operate Upland Organics, and brothers Étienne Lessard and Guillaume Lessard, who farm together under Ferme Holdream Inc., were chosen from the field of seven nominees… Read More
Category: Farm Management
It’s a stressful world out there, there’s no doubt about it. Whether it be personal stress, emotional stress, or financial stress…the list goes on. One of the stressors we do have some power to dial down a bit, says Stuart Person, senior vice president of MNP, is financial stress. This can be done through three… Read More
Running any business is a challenge, but running a family business and managing different personality styles carries with it a special kind of obstacle, as team mates love each other but also need to like each other. Greg Lingelbach is a Small Business Chair of TEC Canada, a business coaching and peer mentorship organization. He… Read More
Statistics Canada has released a report based on the 2021 Census of Agriculture that outlines the increasing role of women as part of farm businesses. Overall, female farm operator numbers increased for the first time since 1991, when the Census of Agriculture started collecting data for up to three farm operators. In 2021, there were 79,795… Read More
Each year, Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) selects 16 program participants ages 18-35 from across the country and offers industry networking, travel, and skill building opportunities. A focal point of the program is matching participants with a hand-picked mentor in their specific area of interest in the Canadian beef industry for a nine-month mentorship experience…. Read More
A new not-for-profit organization plans to take a hands-on approach to farmer mental wellness across the country. Organizers of the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) say they will support farmers with a research-to-action approach to mental health. “Compared to the Canadian public, farmers experience elevated rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Unfortunately,… Read More
One of the biggest rewards of working in a family business is the opportunity to work every day with multiple generations. This can provide mentorship, learning, and truly rewarding memories and experiences, but it can also present real challenges. Generational differences are real but also sometimes misunderstood, as stereotypes skew perceptions and behaviours. For this… Read More
This editorial was first published on Breaking the Box blog During September, I spent almost every day in either a combine or sprayer. Like many farmers during harvest, I basically ran the business from my phone — assigning work orders, purchasing inputs, marketing grain, and making capital decisions. On a good day, and I stress… Read More
Under the guise of solving the housing crisis, Ontario’s premier Doug Ford is moving to develop over 7,000 acres of prime agriculture land in the province’s Greenbelt around the city of Toronto. In exchange, the Ford government says it will set aside over 9,000 acres…somewhere else. MPP for Temiskaming-Cochrane, John Vanthof says the premier’s plan… Read More
Land prices have officially reached a new high in the United States. According to DreamDirt Auctioneers, land in southeastern Nebraska sold on October 27, 2022 for US$27,400 per acre. This record-breaking price had two tracts; 116.07 acres for $27,400/acre, and 163.07 acres for $14,400. If you do the math, that totals to around $5.5 million… Read More
As the calendar turns to November, many are making plans for the winter months. Although the list of things to do in the winter can be just as extensive as the summer for many areas of agriculture, professional development is a focus for the winter months. Rob Stone, of Davidson, Sask., is one of those… Read More
For those who have recently been through a farm business transition, thinking about doing it again might seem like an unpopular idea. But Ron Krahn, farmer from western Manitoba, says that with so much of the farm succession talk being focused on the exiting generation, tax planning, and life insurance, for the last 20 years,… Read More
Backswath Management, a Winnipeg-based agriculture-only management consulting firm, has announced new leadership, a new service area, and big plans for the future. Josée Lemoine, co-owner and chief operating officer of Backswath Management, will now serve as the firm’s chief executive officer. In her new CEO role, Lemoine succeeds Backswath founder Terry Betker, who will continue… Read More
There’s a lot of moving pieces going on in agriculture right now, and one of those pieces is the international crop. Just because we are talking international, doesn’t mean the crop doesn’t face one of the number one issues ours does domestically — the weather. As a function of La Niña conditions lingering, Australia has… Read More
If the farm is waiting for the tax filing to sort out profit and loss, decisions are being made for close to a year, and maybe more, without a full financial picture. Budgeting may be up there on the favourites list with a root canal or unclogging toilets; it’s rare that someone really loves developing… Read More