A recent study by Farm Management Canada found that 63 per cent of Canada’s producers say they understand and can use financial information for decision-making purposes. Further, producers who have a financial plan and use their financial information to inform decision-making were found to increase their profitability by up to 525 per cent, according to… Read More
While much of the attention around the federal budget release on Monday was focused on the billions of dollars in new spending and programs, the budget also includes a significant measure that will make it more attractive for incorporated farms to purchase certain types of capital, including tractors, trucks, and other farm machinery. The budget,… Read More
The reference margin limit (RML) of AgriStability was a feature put in place back in 2013 with Growing Forward 2, and since then has been a confusing and misunderstood feature of the program. The recent agreement to business risk management program reform has caused quite a stir, but what does the RML removal mean for… Read More
Lakeland College’s “Leading, Learning, The Lakeland Campaign,“ is seeing a significant amount of support for programming and research initiatives focused on agriculture technology. MNP — a national accounting, tax, and business consulting firm for Canadian agriculture — has donated $90,000 to the program, which will help fund equipment for the Agriculture Technology Centre at the Vermillion… 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
Farmers, as a rule, like to farm. They like to put seed in the ground, watch it grow, and harvest it, or raise livestock and put up feed. Some farmers like to do other things: work in the shop, attend conferences, or maybe serve on boards. Somewhat more rare, though, are farmers that like to… Read More
Perhaps more contentious than the buy versus rent debate is the question of when and why to incorporate the farm. The federal government proposed sweeping changes to how taxes were calculated for corporations last summer. The changes were met with significant push-back from the farm community, as the new rules would have a significant impact… Read More
No two farm business plans are identical. A young, aggressive producer focused on expanding likely needs a comprehensive business plan with detailed cash flow and business projections to satisfy investors and partners. On the other extreme, the business plan for an established farm with no children interested in taking over can be very simple —… Read More
In the past, farms looking to grow simply bought more land, but that’s not as easy as it used to be. Rising land prices are forcing producers to be creative in finding opportunities for growth, which in some cases leads to joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions — the topic of this episode of the Mind Your Farm Business podcast. “The… Read More
What comes to mind when you hear the term “accrual accounting?” Perhaps you flashback to filing your taxes last year when your accountant suggested switching to accrual accounting, but you’re weren’t sure what it meant and why it would be worth the hassle. Maybe your mind immediately goes elsewhere — what’s for supper tonight? Well, as dry as it may sound,… Read More
Those who haven’t thought about or planned their business succession will have someone who has planned theirs take over their farm or business. It’s that simple. That’s according to Daryl Ritchie, chairman and CEO of MNP LLC, in this episode of the RealLeaders series. What’s more, Ritchie says that too often businesses and farms focus… Read More
Creating a business plan and making sure you execute the plan is a very big challenge for farmers. In fact it is a great challenge for all business owners. Agriculture can even be tougher because of the underlying industry foundation of the “agricultural lifestyle.” Added on top of this is the increased amount of un-controllables… Read More