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
UFCW Local 401 says its members who work at Cargill’s High River beef processing plant have voted 71 per cent in favour of the most recent agreement offered by Cargill, averting a strike or lockout that was set to begin December 6. The latest offer from Cargill included retroactive pay, signing bonuses, a 21 per… Read More
Many Canadian beef cow-calf operators are not just surviving, they’re thriving. That’s one of the key takeaways from the first report produced by the Canadian Cow-Calf Cost of Production Network, which was established in the spring of 2021. Made up of cow-calf operations from across Canada, the network of producers is working with Canfax Research Services… Read More
The premier of Saskatchewan says the dust-up between his government and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan can be attributed to the way the province has kept its books since 2014. APAS, led by vice-president Ian Boxall, has raised concerns about the provincial government blaming its record-high projected deficit of $2.7 billion on increased crop… Read More
When it comes to skilled labour needs in agriculture, we’re very good at identifying and quantifying the gap. However, as an industry where we’ve lagged is in making progress on the action items required to fill that gap. Cam Dahl, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council, says that while the labour shortage is not… Read More
Unionized employees at Cargill’s High River, Alta., processing plant will vote on a new bargaining agreement beginning December 2nd, and ending on December 4th. “We are encouraged by the outcome of yesterday’s (Nov. 30) meeting with the union bargaining committee representing our High River team,” a Cargill spokesperson said in a Dec. 1 email to… Read More
When a person thinks of cyber security, it’s not often thought about in the context of agriculture, or at the same time as agriculture. But, recent cyber security attacks in the past few months have prompted large and small companies alike to review the risks and vulnerabilities to attack. Darktrace is a cyber security company… Read More
Turn on Bloomberg, CNBC, or Fox News and just about every mainstream news outlet is talking about inflation. But how worried should farmers or ranchers be about inflation? In some ways, farmers or ranchers may be set up to benefit from inflation, says Shawn Hass of RBC Dominion Securities, in this interview with Shaun Haney… Read More
A strong legacy component to a farming operation can often make choosing who will take over the farm a difficult decision. Renee Wiatt, family business management specialist with Purdue University’s agricultural economics department, talked succession planning with RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney, as part of Farm Management Canada’s Agricultural Excellence Conference. “Farming is a very… 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
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. How do you separate business from personal when you live and work with your spouse? What are some of the things you can do when you’re the newcomer into an operation? Why is planning… Read More
Farmers looking to upgrade their farm management skills, without the cost and commitment of on-location learning, will be able to access a new online course beginning in January 2022. RBC Royal Bank, Farm Credit Canada and the University of Guelph have teamed up to offer an eight-module, learn-at-home course called Foundations in Agriculture Management. The… Read More
Change is everywhere in farming and often everything seems to be in flux, whether it’s markets, trade relationships, weather, or family relationships. Depending on the circumstances, farmers react differently to change says Heather Watson, executive director at Farm Management Canada (FMC). “Some people see that as unwelcome and unnerving; others see it as an opportunity… 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
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