Agriculture and food issues often cross provincial, national and international boundaries. Being a leader of a farm organization frequently requires representatives to look well beyond the farm gate to tackle issues that impact their members. That’s certainly the case for Thunder Bay, Ont., dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld, who in 2023 will again lead the Ontario… Read More
Category: Human Resources
Succession planning isn’t just for farms — it’s important for every business. A few years ago, Josée Lemoine brought her business, Pivot Performance, into the Backswath Management fold. As planned, Backswath founder Terry Betker is now stepping down (but not away) from leading the business, as Lemoine will step up to lead the company as… 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
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
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
Statistics Canada tells us that the average age of farmers is increasing. Of those farming in 2021, 60.5 per cent of farm operators were 55 years and up. Instead of looking at it as an unstoppable march to the older generation’s demise, let’s think about it from the standpoint of a chunk of the farming… Read More
The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) is on the hunt for a new leader to take the reins of the organization in January 2023, allowing for a transition period from the current leadership. The move comes as executive director Andrew Graham has announced his plans to retire in June 2023, after 33 years… Read More
The current president and CEO of Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd. (Gay Lea), Michael Barrett has announced his retirement, effective January 31, 2023. Barrett has been with Gay Lea for 22 years, serving as president and CEO since 2014, The board of directors has announced that Suzanna Dalrymple will sept in to the role effective… Read More
Winter wheat harvest is nearly complete across Ontario, and Western Canada is nudging ever closer to swath timing and the start of harvest. For many, setting up the harvest crew is a challenge. Finding the right people or sometimes just enough people can be really difficult, so we want to know — where are you… Read More
The work culture of a farm is much like its reputation — whether it’s intentional or not, it still exists. What makes a work culture? It’s not just people, it’s the behaviour of the people and how well they live out a business’s core values that create a work culture. People’s behaviour is shaped by… Read More
A new hardware system designed to simplify livestock water monitoring was among the recipients of innovation award winners at Ag in Motion, in Langham, Sask. FarmSimple is the creator of the product and set out to bring a year-round user friendly solution to the often time-consuming task of checking livestock water. The device monitors both… Read More
The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) has shared news of the passing of its executive director, Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst. She died July 24, 2022, from brain cancer. MacDonald-Dewhirst was a highly respected, tireless champion of Canadian agriculture, leading CAHRC for ten years. Among her many accomplishments, MacDonald-Dewhirst spearheaded the Labour Task Force and Workforce Action… Read More
The name on the executive director’s door at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is temporary no more. Scott Ross was serving as the acting executive director and director of business risk management and farm policy. This week, the organization made the executive director role permanent. One of the reasons he took the job was… Read More