It’s said that a farmer has to be a mechanic, biologist, vet, and CEO, sometimes all in the same day. Formal education and hours in the tractor seat are how plenty of farming is learned, but there’s always new leadership skills to develop and more to learn. Professional development pays, too, as farms with better… Read More
Category: Farm Management
A high functioning team is a key component of running a business, and trust builds strong teams. So how do leaders foster trust between team members? Kristjan Hebert, a farmer at Fairlight, Sask., says the younger a team, the steeper the learning curve. Hebert has a team of young professionals and he makes sure there… Read More
In agriculture — and hey, let’s face it, across the world — we like to compartmentalize. Whether you are a conventional farmer, organic farmer, rancher, no-tiller, etc., there’s a ton of crossover across all these systems. This topic came up earlier this week on RealAg Radio, when Bernard Tobin, Shaun Haney, and myself discussed our… Read More
As the calendar winds down, so too does the work week and the routines of week in and week out. And so it is with the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Pete Johnson, as he offers this, the last Word of the year. For this week’s podcast, Johnson has a little agronomy and a lot… Read More
Planning for the next generation to potentially take over or deciding what comes next for your farm business can be very tricky. Not as tricky as not having a plan, however, so even if the farm business is pretty young, it still pays to ask some key questions. Trevor MacLean, a partner with MNP’s agriculture… Read More
Farm Management Canada held its annual Agricultural Excellence Conference last month at Canmore, Alta., where Michele Rogalsky was announced as the 2022 recipient of the Wilson Loree Award. The award, now in its 20th year, honours individuals or groups who have made an extraordinary contribution to advancing agricultural business management practices in Canada. Rogalsky, of… Read More
McDonald’s Canada and 4-H Canada have launched the National Youth Scholarship program, as a part of the next iteration of a relationship between two organizations. The program includes sixteen scholarships, totalling up to $80,000 over two years, beginning in 2023. Candidates include senior youth leaders from across the country, focusing on advancing work in sustainability… Read More
Strong culture and core values are the foundation of a well-functioning team. This applies to business, sports, and, yes, families. When business meets family, as often is the experience for farmers, family members need to work together to define the core values of their operation. In this episode of The Mind Your Farm Business podcast,… Read More
Many are familiar with certain forms of counselling — counselling on mental health, addictions, career, etc. But what about nutritional counselling? For this episode of the Fit Farmer podcast, host Gary Chambers is joined by registered dietician Georgie Fear to discuss the importance of eating properly, and what it can do to fuel your body… Read More
Not every acre in a field is the same when it comes to profitability. Some areas have high earning potential, while other areas are riskier, and possibly even costing money. As a wildlife biologist, those risky or unprofitable areas are what Mark McConnell is interested in. The Mississippi State University researcher made the trek to… Read More
OPINION Travel with me to a time not long ago when the government in Ontario was of the red variety. The former premier, at one point, went so far as to also serve as agriculture minister, in an effort, one can only imagine, to show her commitment and respect for the portfolio. Kathleen Wynne’s government… Read More
We’re often told not to dwell on the past, but what about the future? Elatia Abate, futurist, spoke at the Grow Canada Conference at Ottawa, Ont., to help producers build a bridge between the now — and what’s coming next. Looking at what’s next, Abate says we need to pay attention to the rate of… Read More
You can’t grow the farm out of a problem. If growth of the farm is in the plan — whether driven by outside influences or an internal dream, such as bringing more people in to the farm structure — it pays to take a hard look inward and backward first, before forging ahead. Michael Langemeier… Read More
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
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