Reading Time: 5 minutes Imagine there was a relatively simple way you could amp up your leadership skills, reduce your stress, help you more easily resolve conflict and provide insight into what other people are thinking and feeling. Emotional intelligence, first identified by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1990, was originally presented as the ability to understand […] Read more
Adding emotional intelligence to your farm toolbox
Strengthening your emotional intelligence can pay big dividends, personally and professionally
Closing the on-farm generation gap
Generations have always squabbled about issues and viewpoints, but the generational communication gap can be filled with curiosity and empathy
Reading Time: 4 minutes The clash between generations over outlooks, opinions, values and beliefs dates to ancient times. In fact, this disparity of perspective has a name: the generation gap. Each generation is shaped by the predominant forces at play during their formative years. Acknowledging these influences can improve communication among the generations, says River Falls, Wisconsin leadership development […] 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
When motion doesn’t equal action
Farmers are busy. But does all the busy-ness mean that you’re getting things done?
Reading Time: 3 minutes After a busy day, have you ever looked back and thought, “What did I get done today? Did I check anything off my must-do list?” As author James Clear said so perfectly: “Being in motion (busy) does not equal action.” In the coaching world we call busy days “buffer days” since they act as a […] Read more
US farm agency to require DOGE approval for some loans
The USDA offers loans to farmers who struggle to get credit from traditional lenders
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm loan employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency will now need approval from billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to issue loans over $500,000, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
What is work worth?
Women’s work in the ag industry has long been under-recognized and undervalued. Has the industry finally advanced its collective thoughts and actions around this idea? Some experts say ‘yes’
Reading Time: 7 minutes For Tara Sawyer, the term “farm wife” has always been a point of pride. Sawyer, who farms with her husband, Matt, in Acme, Alta., always felt the term signifies partnership. “I have always taken great pride in calling myself a farm wife. I am a farm wife, and I’m a stay-at-home mom, and yes, I […] Read more
AgriStability deadline extended
Reading Time: < 1 minute The deadline for enrollment in the 2025 AgriStability program has been extended to July 31 from April 30.
Government support for electric vehicle sector threatens agriculture says federation
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is asking the federal government to re-assess its subsidies for electric vehicles and battery manufacturing in Canada.
The farmer’s playbook
Consider these plays to arrive, thrive and survive in 2025
Reading Time: 3 minutes Walmart turns over its on-shelf inventory 9.4 times every calendar year. But farmers only get one kick at the can. In fact, it has been said that over a farmer’s career many will only hit a home run about seven times. That means the variance for errors is very small, and the planning component in […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
