(Yuma, Arizona) – From the desolate, moonscape-like look of the surroundings here, complete with a never-ending vista of foreboding mountains, scattered rock, tumbleweeds, cacti and dirt devils, it’s hard to imagine this part of the world is popularly called America’s winter salad bowl. But it’s true. Farmers in the vast and sparse extreme southwestern part… Read More
While tile drainage has been a part of farming in the U.S. Midwest and Ontario for decades, a growing number of producers in Western Canada are finding they can justify the cost of installing tile in their land. Take Craig Shaw for example. Speaking at FarmTech in Edmonton, the Lacombe, Alberta grain farmer gave three reasons… Read More
Have you recently taken over the farm? Or are you about to begin the hand-over to the next generation? Or, just maybe, your New Year’s resolution was to up your farm business management game. Whatever your reasons, Jacqueline Gerrard, of Backswath Management, will be presenting some top management tips at Crop Connect ’15. The second… Read More
Is your farm in the realty business? Equity on most Canadian farms is generated in two ways — selling the proceeds from production and by owning property with increasing value. Speaking at the Agricultural Excellence Conference in Winnipeg last week, the head of Canada’s largest farmland investment company argued there are situations where farmers would benefit… Read More
Last winter, Wyoming, Ontario, farmer Alfred Noorloos had a big decision to make. A neighbouring farm came up for sale and he wondered whether he should buy it. The beef and cash crop farmer was looking to expand, but was the timing right? Was his operation financially strong enough to justify the expansion? There were… Read More
Recent growth in farm land pricing has outpaced land’s earning capacity. What does this mean for the farm? It means, among many other things, that land is more than even before an indicator of wealth and a business asset in the farming economy. This is good news for farmers who own land, however, it creates… Read More
Stuck in some pricey land rent agreements? Worried that falling crop prices can support recent land payments? You’re not alone. Merle Good, farm business consultant and farm succession expert, is set to present at the very first CropConnect conference set for February 18 and 19, 2014 at Winnipeg, Man. In the audio interview below, Good… Read More
By Bernard Tobin It’s been a quiet January for farm appraiser Marleen van Ham. That lack of activity leads her to think that 2014 Ontario farmland prices will range from flat to a five per cent decline in some areas. Van Ham, a broker and appraiser for Agri Choice Real Estate Appraisals Inc, says she’s… Read More
It is amazing how fast things can change. With the corn markets fearing a very large US corn harvest some producers are starting to squirm about their profit margins a year from now. As I talk to corn growers many say, “the market will find a bottom and we will be fine” and some say,… Read More
Location has often been the first three things that drives real estate value, but when it comes to farm land, location means something very different. What’s more, while location is very important to land’s intrinsic value, there are several other factors that may trump where farm land is located. It makes sense, as farm land… Read More
With growth like we’ve seen in the last five to 10 years, buying farm land is as close as you can get to a sure bet, right? While it’s true that money invested in land recently has returned far more than you’d make in more public investments, it doesn’t mean the investment is without risk…. Read More
What is it that makes some farmland worth $18,000 to $20,000 an acre and other land range from $6,000 to $10,000? It may seem fairly obvious on the surface, but it’s actually a pretty complex set of variables that have to click into place in order for a farmer to hit that upper range. In… Read More
Controversy has surrounded the giant white wind turbines nearly since the first turbine farms cropped up across rural Ontario. Wind turbines are commonplace in much of Europe and are expanding in Western Canada and Ontario, but not without push back from some residents who list several health issues as fall out from these green-energy generators…. Read More
It’s no secret that farm land prices across Canada have been red hot. Ontario has certainly reflected that trend, with sky-high prices in late winter this year leaving some very happy, and others more than a little concerned about the affordability of land. Ontario field editor Bernard Tobin spoke with Marleen Van Ham, appraiser and broker… Read More
I saw a placard earlier this year around the University of Guelph declaring food is a right. Well, if that’s the case, then those who produce food better have rights too, rights that are shared with the public, clearly understood and widely accepted. A step in that direction takes place May 14, 2013, at the… Read More