Farm Credit Canada recently released its latest farmland values (for January to June, 2012). The national average increase of 8.6% semi-annually is staggering, especially considering that it follows on the heels of a 6.9% increase from the six months previous. I have to ask — if this trend of increasing farmland prices continues, what will… Read More
Category: Farm Management
The face of Canada is constantly changing, however, a great deal of those changes happen so slowly they go unnoticed. But sometimes changes take place that can’t help but be felt. Any of those shifts that involve the famous or infamous “baby boomer” generation tend to be some of the more noticeable demographic shifts. That’s… Read More
If you were given the choice between playing the game or sitting down together to come up with the rules of the game which would you pick? Here we see the inherent problem with the family business and the dilemma of succession planning. Unfortunately, we can play the game for years before we run into… Read More
Old MacDonald had a farm but apparently it is more common than expected. Along with Old Man Smith, and Old Joe there are many seniors still farming in Canada. With only 8.2% of the operators being younger than 35, the farmer pool over the age of 55 dwarfs its younger counterparts. Many times the lack… Read More
For some reason there has been some significant discussion on Twitter lately amongst different farmers regarding the suggested negative impact that Hutterite Colonies have on agriculture. For some its easy to pick on Hutterites. They dress differently than you and I. Hutterites live a lifestyle that is not appealing for many. Once you get past… Read More
Knowing where you’re at as a business is a critically important component in making good business decisions. Building a financial dashboard gives you one of the most singularly important tools to be able to do that. A financial dashboard gives you a quick overview of the financial history of your business. It gives you a… Read More
The best and the most valuable advice comes from people who have actually been in the situation that they’re giving advice about. So when a topic as touchy and as potentially difficult as succession comes up, you need that “first hand experience” type of advice. Lee Markert brought that advice to producers when he spoke… Read More
Choosing financial software for your business is a custom fit kind of operation. There are a number of things to consider when you make that choice that are uniquely tied to your business, allowing you to expand and grow without having to switch programs. Ideally, your software should be as customizable as your business. With… Read More
Of all of the aspects of a business that have to be managed, human resources can be the most challenging. The needs and the dynamics involved in managing human resources are unique to every business and have to evolve as a business grows and changes. For many farmers human resources can suck the life out of running… Read More
James S Peck owns and operates PX Farms Ltd. in Cambridge, England. The operation is close to 6000 acres and is comprised of a combination of contracted acres and his own family farm. The farm is extremely large for the U.K. and the growth it has seen since PX Farms was established in 2003 has… Read More
When it comes to succession planning, one of the most difficult things to do may be just getting the conversation started. No other topic can get defences up, arouse suspicions or cause divisions like the topic of succession if it’s not handled correctly. Having a pure business discussion with your parents or kids easily crosses the family… Read More
Have you ever been to a farm meeting and there is a speaker talking about the cost of production? Do you ever feel like they are speaking no different than the teacher in Charlie Brown? Farming is business and businesses need to know their cost of production. Guessing your cost per acre is just not… Read More
Over the past couple of days, I have been reading and seeing a bunch of different articles in relation to keeping young farmers on the farm and attracting first generation farmers. My question? Why is it any different than any other entrepreneurial business. I’m sure that there are tens of thousands of people across Canada… Read More
Christie Young is the Executive Director of FarmSmart and this week she has created some stir within the Canadian Agriculture industry by saying that our industry is not prepared for the coming mass farmer retirements. What has really caused the stir is her statement that the government has some sort of responsibility to ensure we prepare… Read More
Have you ever heard the saying, “hope is not a plan.” This is a great saying that is very applicable in agriculture. It is very critical to ensure that you are creating the proper roadmap. This should include projections on production, prices and yields. This also includes plans for capital expenditures in the coming year…. Read More