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Guide Business, Succession strategy

Family Through Succession: Meet the Hunter family

One farm — seven individuals. Each with their own hopes, needs and ambitions. It’s a typically unique Canadian farm, just like yours. And yes, there is a way forward

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Reading Time: 6 minutes In launching this series of columns on farm succession, our goal is to offer the readers of Country Guide something unique, something we feel you will be able to relate to and learn from. We want to introduce you to the Hunter family. Of course names will be changed to protect identities of our clients, […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

Creating a culture of participation on the farm

Participation is about more than just joining in. It’s about contributing in a meaningful, valuable way

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Reading Time: 3 minutes “Participatory culture” is where this series of columns has led us. That’s because, at the end of the day, when we talk about continuous improvement, it’s not just about changing our business but also our behaviour. It’s about the older generation creating environments where the next generation feels comfortable sharing their opinions and making mistakes. […] Read more
A lack of communication can be a serious barrier in how to transition farms from one generation to the next.
Guide Business, Management

Continuous communication

There are three simple steps to establish a family business code of conduct

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Reading Time: 4 minutes There is a change in how families communicate today. I see the evidence in my daily work. You probably see it around the farm tables, in the barn, or with your accountant. Different discussions are happening now. Discussions are being driven by different players — sons-in-law, spouses, children — people coming into a farm family […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

Improving your farm today for tomorrow’s growth

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Reading Time: 5 minutes When I am working with the most successful farm business families, there are some clear areas where they seem to focus their efforts. They understand the critical balance of work “on” the business and “in” the business. In preparing for this five-part series on how farmers today are continuously improving, one area that I kept […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

A professional approach to agriculture pays off

Continuous improvement is important in today’s farming community

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Reading Time: 5 minutes We all know we are speaking to (and about) a different generation in today’s farming community. It’s a group that is rapidly growing in education, in financial knowledge and in their eagerness to do more, do it better and leave their legacy in the ag world. The idea at the centre of all of it […] Read more
The next generation of famers is ready to lead and show their skills using technologies that create opportunities for improvement.
Guide Business, Guide HR

A farmer’s appetite for learning

Continuous improvement: The next generation of farmers is ready to lead

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Today’s farmers are confident. They are finding their voices and they are finally becoming viewed as the powerhouses they are. Farmers are hungry to learn and they are also hungry to educate others. They are educating politicians, society and industry on the strength of their operations and on the economic contributions they make. Today’s farmers […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

Intuition: When it’s the right time for change

A leader needs to be prepared to offer opportunities for the next generation

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Reading Time: 4 minutes The best leaders today seem to have a keen sense of when to make changes. They know when to share an example of their own struggle and when to motivate the next generation. It’s their gut instinct — that feeling we all get during times of decision-making. It’s the best leaders who know when to […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

The value of a handshake

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Reading Time: 4 minutes When I think of the greatest farm leaders today, I think of those who have experienced some incredibly tough moments and who, when their values were tested, stayed true to who they are. I think of those I saw stand their ground during difficult situations, often with the next generation watching. These moments stand out […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

Get more for your farm family

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Reading Time: 3 minutes I have been the witness to several successful farm operations over the last number of years. I count myself lucky as someone who gets to see what innovation, smart business practice and communication can achieve on family farms. The majority of what I see doesn’t surprise me. And it frustrates me when people act surprised […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

Leadership on the farm — empowerment

Part two in a five-part series on successful farm leadership

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Leadership surrounds me in my daily work with farm families across Ontario. One thing our succession conversations always circle back to is leadership, both in theory and in practice (and as we all know, the practice part is the difficult part.) We are still learning to wrap our heads around what collaborative leadership looks like […] Read more

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AGCanadaTV: In Case You Missed It – Your National Ag News Recap for the week ending October 11, 2019.

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