Maizex Seeds has named Blake Ashton as general manager. “Blake has been integral to our success since joining the business in his role as Controller and has worked hard to understand all areas of the seed business and what is needed to ensure our growth into the future,” notes Dave Baute, founder, president, and CEO… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. What does it take to make critical decisions? How do you navigate developing a leadership style? Why do we sometimes need to take the advice of others, and understand that tomorrow is another day?… Read More
Casper Kaastra will step in as chief executive officer of Sollio Agriculture and as executive vice-president of Sollio Cooperative Group as of July 5, says Pascal Houle, CEO of Sollio Cooperative Group. Kaastra has worked for Sollio Agriculture since 2014 and currently serves as general manager of the crop production sector Kaastra will be responsible for continuing Sollio… Read More
If your farm is not one that holds regular meetings, this is your encouragement to start small… but start. That’s because research shows that business that hold regular meetings are more profitable than those that do not. We’re not talking about a morning tailgate chat on what’s ahead — that’s an operational meeting to start the… Read More
4-H Ontario will receive $700,000 per year for the next two years to support the growth of the province’s next generation of agri-food leaders, thanks to a grant from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). The organization will use the grant to develop educational content and first-hand learning experiences to “inspire the next generation to explore exciting… Read More
On May 6, the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) announced Brenna Mahoney as their new general manager. Mahoney, who brings a unique resume to the post, joined RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney to discuss the position, as well as mentorship and part of her leadership philosophy. One of the biggest positives to KAP, and what Mahoney… Read More
Addressing the growing labour and talent shortage in Canadian agriculture is going to require a multi-pronged approach of awareness, education and training, and connection between job seekers and job opportunities. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is building off a successful first year of the Feeding Your Future initiative with a full year of virtual… Read More
Applications are open for Nuffield Canada’s next intake, and this time it will be through a new, digital interview platform. The Nuffield Scholarship program is a rural leadership program, available to anyone mid-career who is involved in agriculture. The $15,000 scholarship provides individuals with an opportunity to access an extensive network in the food and… Read More
For anyone who knows Shaun Haney, they know he’s someone who is constantly thinking and evaluating what is going on around him. What has he been thinking about this week? On this RealAg LIVE! we’ve got a special “Freestyle Friday” where Shaun has an interactive chat with the audience, mixed with clips on his topic… Read More
Professional development isn’t just for those in corporate agriculture and it’s not just for those looking at taking on a new role, either. Vik Kail, human resources leader for Corteva Agriscience, says that there’s a place for professional development, both formally and informally, for all levels of employees, including owners and managers. Kail looks at… Read More
The effects of COVID-19 on agriculture were surprising, and some sectors of the industry were affected more than others — grain and oilseed operations fared much better than say, intensive horticulture crops, in terms of labour. For this RealAg LIVE! host Kara Oosterhuis is joined by Debra Hauer of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council… Read More
Farming with family can be rewarding, and also stressful. Transitioning a farm’s ownership from one generation to the next can be emotionally-charged and high stress, but would it be easier or any different if you were selling the business to a non-family member? Dick Wittman of Wittman Consulting says that many farmers may feel as… Read More
The federal government has clarified how temporary foreign workers (TWFs) will reach farms this spring, in the face of requirements to stay in Government Authorized Accommodation (GAA). So long as temporary foreign workers travel privately to their farms and can safely complete their mandatory 14 day quarantine on-farm, they will not need to complete the three-day… Read More
In leadership, aggressive behaviour can actually be less harmful to business than passivity. In other words, being unwilling to discuss a problem is actually more detrimental that having an argument about it. But just knowing that doesn’t make dealing with conflict any easier says Kelly Dobson, chief leadership officer at LeaderShift. In this Mind Your… Read More
When it comes to farming, we often think about partnerships purely as a legal definition, a business structure. But are we missing out on some real leadership opportunities by forgetting the other meaning of the word? Kelly Dobson of LeaderShift Inc. says we need to stop looking at a partnership as a contractual obligation and… Read More