In the third quarter alone, more than one million pounds of beef was produced through the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration (CBSA) pilot, with huge demand for more. Cargill announced this week its third quarter results from the pilot project initiated in fall of 2017. At just over 1 million pounds of beef from certified sustainable sources, the… Read more »
Category: Farm Management
Fit Farmer, Ep 5: Beat the heat!
Oh, the weather outside is frightful…ly hot, but it’s still important to stick to your goals and keep getting a sweat on, when you’re already getting your sweat on just standing still. But working out in the heat requires a little more effort to stay safe and to stay on track. There are benefits to… Read more »
Mind Your Farm Business — Ep 33: When parents won’t talk about farm succession
Believe it or not, the farm transition can actually be a joyful journey. But that can only happen once three things are established: Is the business going to continue? When would you like it to continue? (starting now, or with a reading of the will) Who will lead the business in the next phase? That’s… Read more »
What’s behind recent strength in the Canadian dollar?
On Friday, the Canadian dollar rose nearly a cent relative to the U.S. dollar. The sudden ‘strength’ came from a couple of sources. First, more confidence that the Bank of Canada will continue the path gradual rate hikes; second, a weaker U.S. Dollar. Recent Canadian economic data warrants the Bank’s outlook for gradual rate increases…. Read more »
Bank of Canada increases target rate again, but questions remain on the economy and dollar
The Bank of Canada increased the target interest rate today by 0.25%, to 1.5%. This is now the fourth rate hike, amounting to 1%, since the Bank hiked rates for the first time since 2007 a year ago. Over the last year, the Bank of Canada has matched the aggressiveness of the U.S. Federal Reserve,… Read more »
Keep your cool: How are you getting work done in extreme heat?
As someone who has already managed a mild heat stroke this summer, let me say this: it happens fast and can have dire consequences. Canada Day here in the Ottawa area pushed the thermometer to 47 degrees C with the humidex. Because we have livestock, some things still have to be done every day, and… Read more »
Poll: Do you think you get the best deal with ag input bundling?
Sometimes it just feels good to complain about things, even if there’s not much to be done about the issue. A common complaint I hear from farmers is that they hate participating in product bundling from ag retailers. “Why not give me a lower price for a product instead of offering programming?” “I just want… Read more »
New data shows rural Canada should be concerned about opioid use
It’s really easy to ignore data or information that we don’t want to hear. In this case, we cannot afford to ignore the impact that opioids are having in our rural communities across Canada. There is new data out today for the Government of Canada revealing that there was almost 4,000 opioid-related deaths in 2017…. Read more »
Fit Farmer — Ep 4: Working mental fitness into your routine
When someone says “take care of your mental health,” do you envision meditation sessions in quiet rooms or the latest yoga tend? While both meditation and yoga can be part of taking care of your headspace, they’re not the only way to do so. The most important thing is that you work to add mental health… Read more »
Put on the plaid for dad this Friday
One in seven Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. It’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian men. This Friday — leading up to Father’s Day — will mark the fourth year where Prostate Cancer Canada has partnered with workplaces and individuals across the… Read more »
Mind Your Farm Business — Ep 32: Putting a value on public trust
If we can’t manage what we can’t measure, how do we approach the very real risk of losing public trust in how food gets grown? “Public trust is one of those things where we don’t know the full value of it until we’ve lost it,” says Crystal MacKay, president of the Canadian Centre for Food… Read more »
Ear tag sensor-based feed program field tested on Canadian dairy
Production efficiency is said to be one of the biggest limiting factors in dairy production. So to that end, for the past six months, animal nutrition and health company Alltech has been researching and developing a new production efficiency program called Smart Dairy. It combines nutrigenomics (the study of how nutrition affects gene expression) and… Read more »
Realized net farm income drops for first time since 2013
Realized net income on farms across Canada decreased by 2.5 percent to $8.3 billion last year, according to Statistics Canada’s annual farm income report published on Monday. The agency says rising depreciation charges and higher operating expenses offset a small increase in cash receipts, resulting in the first decline since 2013. Expenses rise by 2.5… Read more »
Keeping baby safe: Tips for farming with kids under 2
The joy of farming includes working from home — it’s a short commute, sometimes there’s a hot, mid-day meal (inexplicably referred to as dinner by many), and you get the chance to work with family, including many days being “bring your kids to work day.” The trouble is, farms are also work sites, and dangerous… Read more »
A nap could improve your farming productivity
There are times of the year where hours of sleep are few and the days are long. As farmers and ranchers check on the livestock, plant the crop, and try to cover as many acres in a day as possible, sleep deprivation becomes a consequence of getting the job done. But not getting enough rest… Read more »