We live in Canada and I get annoyed when people complain about the cold rather than embracing it. Much of society has become so accustomed to being comfortable all the time that when we hit an extreme cold stretch we lose our minds, even as Canadians. Yes, extreme cold is not ideal for machinery to… Read More
Category: Farm Management
How do you find and keep great farm help? That’s a question all farmers are wrestling with as labour becomes tougher to find and often equally difficult to retain. With low unemployment rates, it’s tough to keep talent on the farm, says Mark Ferguson, business management specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and… Read More
Starting this month, the Farm Freedom and Safety Act (FFSA) has come into effect. Put in place by the Alberta Government, the Act — known as Bill 26 — is a replacement of Bill 6, introduced by the previous NDP government. In it, there’s changes to current employment, workers compensation coverage (WCB), and occupational health… Read More
China bans imports. Demand suddenly drops for a commodity found on Canadian farms. Supplies build up and prices drop in the rest of the world. No, we’re not talking about soybeans or canola. That all-too-familiar market scenario is playing out in the global plastic recycling industry. “The world is in a recycling crisis right now,”… Read More
Due to the trade war between the U.S. and China, the White House used the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) to compensate farmers from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The compensation was justified based on farmers willing to be “true patriots” for the greater good of America’s decision to call out China on its trading practices…. Read More
The Canola Council of Canada is taking heat over participating in a research project where Ducks Unlimited Canada is also a supporter. While I adore social media for all its advantages, at times it can be an absolute cesspool of nastiness, knee-jerk reactions, and blowing something way out of proportion before getting even a few… Read More
To many, change among committees, boards of directors, and organizations is a good thing as it provides new insight and ideas to grow the organization. Change can also be tough to some as people can feel as though they’re “starting all over again” with a new person added or some feel as though they won’t… Read More
What carries greater downside risk: having to sell in a down market to generate cash flow, or pre-selling a crop in increments? The short answer is it depends, but the in-depth explanation is that panic or stressed sales by their nature are rarely the most profitable. Pre-selling some crop carries a risk, yes, but there… Read More
January 29th is Bell Let’s Talk Day, a day focused on raising awareness of mental health through social media sharing. Started in 2011, the day has raised millions of dollars for mental health support. At this year’s FarmTech held at Edmonton, Alta., farmer Christi Friesen took the time to sit in the RealAg Radio booth… Read More
Are you farming year-to-year, or looking five, 10, or even 20 years out? Edgar Hammermeister, with Western Ag Professional Agronomy, says that solid, long-term crop planning is one key piece of the long-term viability puzzle of any farm, but one that often gets dropped when short-term economics or challenges arise. For Hammermeister, long-term crop planning… Read More