Each province is feeling the incredible economic hit from COVID-19, but Alberta — with its oil and gas-based economy — may be harder hit than some, as the price of oil has plummeted. There are many Albertans out of work, and many Alberta farm and agriculture businesses looking to fill a gap that seasonal workers… Read More
Social distancing has forced many Canadian businesses to shift their workforce to a work-from-home setting, and agricultural industry is no exception. In agriculture, however, social interaction is part of the fabric — from product delivery, to agronomic advising, or troubleshooting ration adjustment. All of these activities require the support of suppliers who traditionally have spent… Read More
If you’ve scrolled through all the COVID-19 posts on social media, you’ve probably seen an interesting trend of farmers encouraging people who have lost work outside of the industry to consider working on a farm. Greg Stamp of Stamp Seeds at Enchant, Alta., is one of those farmers that reached out to the world of… Read More
Update, as of 11pm EDT Friday, March 20: The Canadian government confirmed late Friday that it will be exempting seasonal agricultural workers from the travel restrictions put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. “The participation of temporary foreign workers on our farms and our food businesses is absolutely necessary,” says Minister of… Read More
Farming by its very nature is rather isolating. That’s good news in the midst of a national “social distancing” push in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. But being somewhat isolated doesn’t mean that farmers, their families, or their employees aren’t at risk. Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst, executive director at Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, says “There are lots… Read More
We’ve all been there — trying to explain something to someone who just doesn’t seem to get it. But keynote speaker and communication thought leader Gregor Jeffrey says figuring out communication isn’t something you have to do on your own. Science and research can give us the techniques we need to make it work. Jeffrey… Read More
When farmers talk about succession, the conversation typically revolves around how the farm could be transitioned to the next generation of the family. But when Ravena, Ont., beef and grain farmers James and Joan McKinlay talk succession, the conversation is rarely about their family. Much of the focus is on a generation of non-farmers who… Read More
What are your first thoughts when you wake up in the morning? Motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur Darci Lang advocates for positivity. “Focus on the 90 per cent, is my message. [It’s] my belief that we all hold this big magnifying glass out in front of us in our lives, and we have a choice… Read More
How do you find and keep great farm help? That’s a question all farmers are wrestling with as labour becomes tougher to find and often equally difficult to retain. With low unemployment rates, it’s tough to keep talent on the farm, says Mark Ferguson, business management specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and… Read More
Starting this month, the Farm Freedom and Safety Act (FFSA) has come into effect. Put in place by the Alberta Government, the Act — known as Bill 26 — is a replacement of Bill 6, introduced by the previous NDP government. In it, there’s changes to current employment, workers compensation coverage (WCB), and occupational health… Read More
The federal government has opened the application process for the first Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. In a press release, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says the Council will identify new and emerging issues, enable on-going dialogue on challenges and opportunities, share information and best practices, and provide advice on the strengths and weaknesses of policies and… Read More
You might think that how your parents treated you growing up has little to do with what kind of employee or manager you are (yes, even on the farm), but in fact, parenting has a profound impact on how we interact in the workplace. Everything from how we dress and present ourselves, to our priorities,… Read More
Contrary to an oft-quoted statistic, Darrell Bricker says we are not racing to a population of 9 billion by 2050. In fact Bricker, CEO of IPSOS Public Affairs and author of Empty Planet, argues that population dynamics mean Canada needs to think more strategically about attracting new immigrants and finding new export markets. Bricker says… Read More
Farmers will hear much talk of the need for resilience in the years ahead. From weather and markets, to trade, to family and managing day-to-day operations, farmers need to be able to cope with the challenges and setbacks that are routinely part of production agriculture. No one personifies resilience more than Springfield, PEI, dairy farmer… Read More
How can farmers achieve more of what matters most and stay ahead of the curve? Successfully operating within a demanding food production system is “driven by how we handle ourselves in complexity,” says Kelly Dobson, a Fairfax, Man., farmer and also president of LeaderShift Inc, a company which supports personal and professional development for business… Read More