The growing season is a busy one but once in a while some unexpected free time will bust its way into your itinerary. So what do you do? Like me, many of you likely struggle more with free time than with a full calendar of appointments or to do’s. Here are some thoughts on some… Read More
Category: Farm Management
Welcome to an occasional series here on Real Agriculture — where we ask three farmers or ranchers four questions about their business, production and next steps. This first column features three Ontario sheep producers (you’ll have to ask them if they want to be called shepherds): Colleen Acres, of Maple Meadow Farms at Osgoode; Chris… Read More
Zero should be every farm’s goal when it comes to number of injuries or accidents during seeding — how do you make that a reality? Tractors, trucks and seeding equipment across the country are starting to roll for #plant15, and with another busy season comes an elevated risk of injuries and fatalities on farms. Unfortunately,… Read More
Ontario farmers who are accessing or have plans to access Growing Forward 2 funding have a new list of rules to learn. Of particular note, says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), intake dates have changed, as have the rules surrounding invoice dates, to highlight just a few… Read More
Farmers and fishing businesses will save a projected $50 million in taxes over the next five years thanks to another increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains exemption announced in the federal budget this week. The exemption, which helps farmers reduce their tax burden when transferring ownership of farm assets, has been raised to $1 million for next year,… Read More
April brings many things, but the most important are spring planting (or seeding, if you’re in the west) and, of course, the beginning of the Major League Baseball season. As I watch farmers getting into the field while also enjoying baseball on the radio again, I started to think about the similarities of the start… Read More
As expected with lower crop prices, new data from Farm Credit Canada shows the red-hot market for farmland cooled off in 2014. According to FCC’s annual Farmland Values Report released April 13th, the average value of agricultural land in Canada rose by 14.3 percent in 2014 — down from an increase of 22.1 percent in 2013 and a… Read More
Ontario beef farmers will now have access to double the individual loan limits under the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee program. For the purchasing of feeder cattle, new members who are enrolled in the program are now able to access a loan for up to $100,000 (an increase of $50,000), and existing members are now… Read More
Family business is a challenge for any family. Whether you are the Jones down the lane, the Millers around the bend or the McMahons of WWE fame, family business has advantages and disadvantages. Keeping the drama low in a family business environment can mean success or failure for the business long term. Since it is… Read More
Has your farm had its annual insurance check-up? The insurance policy for a farm should be reviewed at least once a year and whenever there are major changes to the operation, whether it’s the construction of a new building or the purchase of new machinery, says Bart Robinson, director for farm insurance with Western Financial Group. This… Read More
Kurtis Peeters, an organic corn grower from Kawartha Lakes has been named as the winner of the “Most Profitable Acre Challenge,” a competition put on by the Agri-food Management Institute and presented in partnership with Grain Farmers of Ontario. The business skills competition looks at input costs, production practices, yield, marketing tactics, and business management… Read More
Quebec City’s Laval University plays host to the International Farm Management Congress this year from July 12-15, an event that only takes place every second year in locations all over the world. The congress attracts farmers, advisors, academia, policy makers, researchers, and anyone with a keen interest in farm business management, and Farm Management Canada… Read More
To justify purchasing a new piece of technology for a farm, its value can’t be based on the “wow factor.” It must solve a problem and improve the overall efficiency of the operation. With that in mind, are farmers being sold more technology than they need? Should a producer have to pay for the cost… Read More
The occupation “farmer” shows up in more than a few Top 10 lists — like “The 10 most trustworthy roles,” for example. But there’s one Top 10 list that we’d all rather not have made where farmers hold the number 9 spot. That’s the Top 10 list of most dangerous jobs in North America. It’s… Read More
The word ‘brand’ is no longer limited to the mark that differentiates livestock. It’s used in business as well, identifying company goals, visions and business characteristics. “We all have a brand,” Faith Matchett,vice president of eastern Ontario and Atlantic operations for Farm Credit Canada, told Lyndsey Smith in an interview. “The question is, do we intentionally have… Read More