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?
Producers aren’t panicking over tariffs and trade threats
Tariffs & Trade: In the face of extreme market uncertainty, protectionist tariffs and geopolitical risks from around the world, Canadian producers aren’t rushing to change their crop and farm plans for the upcoming season — but they may put some major purchases on hold
Reading Time: 6 minutes The Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) surveyed its members this spring to get a sense of how trade uncertainty was affecting their decisions. “While trade is certainly weighing heavily on them it’s not the only factor. There are many factors that go into considering what producers choose to seed each year,” says Delaney Ross Burtnack, […] 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
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
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
Side hustles for farmers
A lot more farmers are turning to side hustles as a way to provide additional sources of income, but there’s a lot to consider before jumping in
Reading Time: 9 minutes Imagine telling your family of proud cattle producers that you are going to farm insects. But for fourth-generation farmer Ryan Steppler, his idea for a side business raising crickets for food wasn’t that hard of a sell to his dad, Dale. In fact, it was Dale who first gave him the idea. Ag-related or not, […] Read more
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
The case for hiring a full-time employee on your farm
It’s different today. Employees come with expectations. You have to work with them... but on this farm, it’s more than worth it
Reading Time: 12 minutes You may have had help on the farm before on a seasonal, casual or term basis. Most farms probably have. But farming today is different, and so are the reasons why you might be considering a full-time employee. So how do you know when it’s time to take the plunge? Will it pay off, or […] Read more
Discovering ways that your farm can do more
The value-added journey can look like a fast track to success. But as roads go, this one may not be so straight or level
Reading Time: 15 minutes When they start planning for transition to the next generation, many family farms recognize they have to increase revenue if the farm is going to support everyone full-time. But in today’s agriculture, the farm can’t always turn to the old tried-and-true solution, adding acres. So it’s little wonder they begin asking how they might raise […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
