Reading Time: 3 minutes Millennials and gen Z have taken a good deal of shots from previous generations, and maybe even an unfair share of them. But for those who would farm in adulthood, it turns out that Millennials and gen Z, stereotypically maligned for not working hard enough, aren’t so different from past generations that endured and stood […] Read more
Gen Z farmers are leading the way
The next generation of farmers are here and they’re mixing old with new to get results
Farmland becoming less affordable: FCC
Reading Time: 2 minutes Buying farmland became more costly in 2024, according to Farm Credit Canada.
Editor’s Note: How farmers and ag businesses are navigating change
Reading Time: 3 minutes I once asked someone I admired for advice on building a successful career. He told me, basically, to be adaptable. Great advice, but, like so many things, easier said than done. I’m sure he knew that, too. Still, like so much in life, it starts with mindset. If you don’t see any need to change, […] Read more
Nova Scotia greenhouse rebuilds after severe snow storm
How an employee-owned greenhouse built back better than ever after a severe snowstorm destroyed several of their greenhouses
Reading Time: 6 minutes Nothing forces change like having your business literally flattened. In 2015, a February storm brought snow to Falmouth, Nova Scotia. At Avon Valley Floral’s greenhouses, the snow froze into a thin layer of ice. Then came more ice and snow. Greenhouse staff cranked up the aged boiler system, but it was too late to melt […] Read more
Manitoba farmers share their farm succession story
Transitioning the family farm can be riddled with challenges. The Stepplers have learned that working collaboratively offers a better chance of success for all
Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s a fact that most families squabble. Individuals don’t always see eye to eye, and they can’t always work together. But if they can find a way, it can make a world of difference to the profitability and future of their farm — and the success of their relationships with each other. The Stepplers managed […] Read more
Stein appointed to manage AFA
Newly-hired executive director will lead formulation of strategic plan
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Federation of Agriculture has appointed Aaron Stein its new executive director. He'll be leading the formulation of a five year strategic plan for the group.
13 steps to a side hustle on the farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes Stephanie Plaster, a farm management outreach specialist with the University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension, talks with lots of farmers who want to diversify their farms with a value-added enterprise. She uses several tools and exercises to help them plan what they want to do and how to do it. Here is her […] Read more
2022-Level Farm Profits are Over. What’s Next?
Reading Time: 2 minutes It looks like 2022-level profitability is over for farms in Western Canada. The decline of commodity markets combined with ever-increasing costs is pressuring 2025 farm budgets. So, if grain farming is back to squeaking out a profit for the foreseeable future, what can we do about it? 1. Confront the facts, but don’t lose faith […] Read more
An evolving vision
First-gen farmers share their blueprint for business transition
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to starting and growing a business, you’re only limited by your imagination. For Belmont, Manitoba first-generation farmers Lydia Carpenter and her husband Wian Prinsloo, it’s that type of unlimited, outside-the-box thinking that has become their regular way of thinking. Over the years, they’ve leveraged multiple income streams, a direct-to-consumer marketing beef business, […] Read more
A guide for farm growth
Vision statements are more common on today’s farms. How can creating one help you?
Reading Time: 6 minutes Why does your farm need a vision? To Jeannette French and her husband Brian, co-owners of Lennox Farms in Melancthon, Ont., the answer is simple. “No matter your farm size, a vision is something that drives you every day. It’s born from your values and is the backbone of what you believe.” Six years ago, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
