The impact of COVID-19 on the livestock industry has been severe. There were weeks of packers operating at half to no slaughter capacity, market-ready cattle waiting to get on a truck, and the food service sector being crippled due to closures. One of the measures suggested to help mitigate the financial strain by the cattle… Read More

Recent restrictions placed on the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program in Canada have revealed the fragility of the Canadian food supply chain according to a new report from Robert Falconer, policy analyst with the University of Calgary’s Simpson Centre School of Public Policy. Falconer recently joined Shaun Haney on RealAg Radio to discuss the report,… Read More

If you’re frustrated by how government support programs are designed or overwhelmed by navigating the paperwork, you’re certainly not alone. The numbers speak for themselves — enrolment in the main suite of federal programs has been dropping steadily for years. A recent letter from the Standing Committee on Agriculture to the Minister of Agriculture and… Read More

The Liberal Member of Parliament who chairs the House of Commons’ agriculture committee has written a letter to his colleague who serves as agriculture minister pointing out the flaws in the government’s business risk management (BRM) programs for agriculture. The agriculture committee has been studying the federal government’s suite of risk management programs, which includes… Read More

In this RealAg LIVE! episode with Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Mary joins host Shaun Haney to discuss agricultural policy issues including temporary foreign workers, business risk management programs, and engaging with youth and minorities. Check out the video below, or scroll down to read the summary! Tune in Thursday,… Read More

Father’s Day for many farm families involves a BBQ, gifts, maybe some golf, and likely some farm work if the weather is right for spraying. Like mothers, fathers play an integral role in the family farm business. For any family business there are smooth days, rocky ones and outright turbulent days that test the ties… Read More

Is a profitable farm the most successful farm? Or is it the largest land base, the one with the newest equipment? Or is it the one whose operator takes a vacation every year or has the lowest debt? Earlier this week, we talked to Dr. Greg Ibendahl, of Kansas State University, and we talked about… Read More

In an era of “cheap” money, farms could take advantage to solve working capital shortages, set aside savings, or plan for a business transition. But debt restructuring, or taking on more debt even at low rates, is not without its pitfalls. For this episode of the Mind Your Farm Business podcast, Terry Betker, president, and… Read More

 

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