Business accounting concept, Business man using calculator with computer laptop, budget and loan paper in office.

Why do farmers hate paying taxes?

There are plenty of reasons why farmers might hate paying taxes – and several ways to avoid it

Reading Time: 3 minutes It didn’t take long in my accounting career to learn that farmers don’t like paying income tax. No one does really, but farmers seem to have a particular disdain for sending money to Ottawa. I think there are a few reasons for this. One is cash basis income tax treatment which means farmers can often […] Read more



Kristen Raney says that intentionally giving herself “space and grace” has been an important part of her business plan.

Space and grace from season to season

Summer Series: In the final instalment of this five-part series, we find out how Kristen Raney wraps up the busy season at her Saskatchewan flower farm 

Reading Time: 4 minutes After a whirlwind season, Kristen Raney, owner of Shifting Blooms flower farm in Clavet, Sask., is getting ready to shut down her farm stand and wrap up the 2025 wedding and market season. Thanksgiving weekend and the first frost of the season spell the end for her roadside garden stand and flower gardens, but Christmas […] Read more



Group of five women silhouettes in sunset light

What makes a leader?

What makes an effective leader? Historically, many thought the deciding factor was being male. They were wrong

Reading Time: 8 minutes It’s not gender that makes an effective leader.


woman standing in a field of wheat stubble

What leadership means in the field (literally)

The effects of having more women leaders in ag could be economically significant for both the industry and at the farm level

Reading Time: 5 minutes In part one, we explored gendered perceptions of leadership, that is, does gender have anything to do with what makes an effective leader?  We looked at how lack of fit theory, role congruity theory, expectation states theory, the think manager-think male paradigm and the double bind influence the leadership opportunities women miss out on.  Now, […] Read more

two farmers shaking hands with grain bins in the background

Employment agreements: A tool to manage employees

Reading Time: 3 minutes The days of a one-parcel, 100-acre family farm are long past. As farm operations become larger and more sophisticated, so does the need for properly managing farm operations. And that starts with the workforce. Proper training, supervision, and safety policies and procedures are paramount when it comes to managing a workforce. Additionally, the importance of […] Read more