Farmers are known for their independent, get ‘er done mentality, and seemingly endless energy for putting in the required work to get those things done. But no farmer truly works alone — whether it’s an agronomist, a marketing pro, or an equipment technician, most farmers know it takes a team of professionals to keep a… Read More
Category: Human Resources
The last strategic plan launched by the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) set the goal of 26 million tonnes of production by 2025. Tucked in to that strategic plan was also a shift in the Council’s approach to agronomy. “Agronomy changes over time,” says Clint Jurke, agronomy director for the CCC. “In 2018, we did… Read More
Ontario’s agriculture ministry is set to hire four new extension staff over three locations: Ridgetown, Kemptville, and Vineland. Job offers are currently posted for a soil fertility specialist, a cropping systems specialist, a livestock specialist, and a lead for horticulture sustainability. Newly-posted OMAFRA crop and livestock specialist positions at Ridgetown, Kemptville, and Vineland. Soil… Read More
Mayo Schmidt has left his position as president and CEO of Nutrien, the company says. Schmidt stepped in as CEO in April, 2021, after Chuck Magro left the position. Magro saw the company through its merger of PotashCorp and Agrium. Ken Seitz, executive vice president and CEO of Potash, has been named the company’s interim CEO…. Read More
I’ve been having this conversation a lot lately, as I’m sure many of you have been too — I’m not sure how we’re at the end of December already. Although the last couple of weeks have shown some true winter temperatures, it has been abnormally warm (and dry) in my area, which I’m convinced has… Read More
Farmers Edge has announced the creation of DigiAg Risk Management Inc., a subsidiary of Farmers Edge. This new unit will provide farmers across Canada with parametric insurance products, risk transfer solutions, and group benefits, the company says. DigiAg is the sole managing general agency (MGA) with access to proprietary, field-centric datasets coming directly from broadacre… Read More
One challenge that many farmers face is how to pass the reins of an operation to a successor and how to get out of the way, but not go away. Dick Wittman learned plenty of valuable lessons managing a family-operated 20,000 acre crop, cattle, and timber operation in northern Idaho. He now heads Wittman Consulting, specializing… Read More
The Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is announcing the launch of a new partnership with the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) to create an agriculture-focused business case competition for Canadian post-secondary students from any discipline. The goal of the partnership — made possible through the Government of Canada — is to increase the… Read More
As part of Ontario’s reopening plan, farms and agriculture businesses with one employee or more are required to have COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Dean Anderson, strategic advisor, agricultural initiatives with Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), says that many farms, ag businesses, and processors are not aware of the change. But, all it… Read More
Cargill has served its unionized employees working at the High River processing facility with a lockout notice, set to begin at 12:01 am on December 6, 2021. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 had previously served Cargill with a strike notice with December 6 as the deadline. In a letter dated November 25,… Read More
This story has been edited to include the vote result. With a strike deadline looming on December 6, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 (UFCW) who work at Cargill’s High River beef processing plant have voted against a new contract offer this week. The union that represents over 2,000 workers at the… Read More
It would seem that no one has ever told the Jochums that “too many cooks spoil the broth.” Günter, Crystal, and daughter Fiona Jochum farm together just west of Winnipeg, Man. But they don’t just farm as a family, they also farm with Gunter’s brother-in-law. All told, there are a number of managers, and Günter… Read More
The strike is over at John Deere, as union members at over a dozen Deere facilities in the U.S. have ratified a new six year agreement. In a statement issued late Wednesday, the UAW says its John Deere members voted 61% to 39% in favour of the tentative deal that was reached on Friday. The… Read More
Union representatives have presented Cargill’s vice president of labour relations with a strike notice for the High River beef processing plant. “Our members will be commencing a strike there on December 6th, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. The High River plant will be the initial location of the strike, but we reserve our constitutional right to… Read More
Understanding how multi-generation farms approach big-picture topics can help farm management teams (i.e. family members) better navigate difficult conversations on the future of the farm. In this second part of a discussion with Justin Funk, managing partner of AgriStudies, podcast host Shaun Haney explores how differences in how generations set goals, measure progress, use technology, and… Read More