Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers are accustomed to roller-coaster years. But the current geopolitical windstorm is something else entirely. On his cattle operation near Birtle, Man., Tyler Fulton is making good use of livestock price insurance and has filed his annual application for AgriStability, a margin-based, federal business risk management (BRM) program that helps Canadian producers manage large income […] Read more
Riding the tariff rollercoaster
What are producers doing to minimize the risk created by ongoing trade uncertainty?
VIDEO: How to go from managing to mentoring
Summer Series: How you lead matters. Subtle but powerful shifts in your leadership style can make a world of difference to your employees and, consequently, to your farm business
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s a moment every leader remembers: that moment when someone looks at them differently. Not because of what that leader did, but because of how they did it. That’s mentorship. There have been a few times in my career where I’ve had glimpses of a true mentor. Those moments stand out. But the most impactful […] Read more
Great farm leaders have dirt under their fingernails
Summer Series: Agriculture has had its share of great leaders. But what happens to the industry when the leadership pool starts to dry up?
Reading Time: 2 minutes I don’t believe that leaders are born. I believe they are made. I also believe that we are on the cusp of losing a significant amount of leadership in agriculture. Canadian and U.S. farmer demographics indicate that approximately 65 per cent of the industry is in the exit strategy stage. We are about to lose […] Read more
VIDEO: Building a farm that outlasts you
Summer Series: Legacy isn’t about control. It’s about leading today in a way that creates strength, curiosity and clarity for tomorrow’s owners
Reading Time: 3 minutes Legacy runs deep in agriculture. It’s not just about the land. It’s also about the family name, the farm’s story, the values and the impact that continue long after the current owner has stepped away from the day-to-day. For most farm leaders there comes a time when the question arises: What happens to the operation […] Read more
Build your farm with these entrepreneurial skills
Summer Series: Today’s farm owners need to be on top of their game like never before — and it all starts with the right skills
Reading Time: 9 minutes “Farming is an important, low-margin business that has got to be fine-tuned like a guitar to make beautiful music.” This insight comes from Kim McConnell, someone who knows about business success — and how to make that beautiful music. After a long career in the agriculture industry, the former founder of AdFarm is still mentoring […] Read more
How to talk about your farm succession estate plans
Summer Series: Estate planning is never easy — and more difficult still is the conversations you need to have with your family. But these conversations can be a great opportunity to teach the next generation about money, family relationships and how to make decisions together
Reading Time: 5 minutes You’ve worked hard your whole life and lived within your means. Now, you want your estate to help the future generation succeed — not create problems or heartache for your family. But if you want your estate to create a legacy of positivity, you’ll have to proactively communicate your wishes through an estate plan. Like […] Read more
Taming monsters: When farm succession rears its head
Summer Series: With today’s access to capital and cost of land, many farms have grown beyond the point of “built to sell.” What happens when infrastructure and land holdings are too big for an exit strategy?
Reading Time: 2 minutes Family farms were less complex when I was growing up and farming in the 1980s through the early 2000s. Decisions were made in thousands of dollars, not millions. Summers were spent at the lake, not in the cab of a sprayer. It was a great way of life, one that shaped my attitudes and behaviours. […] Read more
Succession on the farm: Where to begin?
Summer Series: Thinking of farm transition as a short-term, quick deal that we must get right because we only get one chance can prevent us from even starting the process — and starting it off right
Reading Time: 3 minutes I recently polled farm managers about what big projects they were planning for this year. Half the respondents said succession was a priority; however, many indicated that they don’t know where to start. I look at it like this: if you’ve taken your child to the field, or they work alongside you, then you have […] Read more
Alternative financing options to cash flow your farm business
These days farmers have a lot more options when seeking alternative lending arrangements for farm business projects
Reading Time: 7 minutes As land values and input costs continue to rise, alternative lending is becoming more common. Farmers are looking for more creative and flexible options to finance their business expansion, transition or diversification projects. Country Guide explored some of the options available with the proviso that there is no one-size-fits-all-solution, just as there is no one-size, […] Read more
Alternative lending options for farm businesses
Previously often perceived as a last resort, alternative lending options can help farm operators navigate short-term challenges and get back to their long-term plan
Reading Time: 6 minutes Alternative lending has had a bit of a bad rap in the past. Alternative lending is a term for non-traditional methods or channels that finance businesses outside of the traditional finance system, such as banks. The past decade has seen an increase in the number of alternative financing options designed to meet each farm operation’s […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
