Running a farm requires a combination of hard skills, encyclopedic knowledge, and a knack for business. Sometimes, everyone on the farm team needs to know a skill, and other situations might call for just one person or a few people to be capable or permitted to get the job done. Which brings us to this… Read More
Category: Human Resources
With an eye to the future, cattle prices and cut-out values will eventually have to reflect significant shifts in labour and robotics, packaging, transport, and sustainability demands on the sector. Over the last 23 months, there’s been a lot of talk about supply chains moving from just-in-time delivery to a more of a just-in-case type… Read More
Each week, we here at RealAgriculture choose a new question to ask in our poll. A few weeks ago, we asked which professional farmers plan to add to the farm in the year ahead. The final tally favoured a business/succession expert, but adding a marketing advisor ranked second. Brain Voth, founder of IntelliFarm Inc., isn’t… Read More
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
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