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Time is finite, so it’s important to make smart choices about it.
Guide Life

Lots more time

How to feel less busy while getting more done

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When we ask “Where did the time go?” what we really mean is “I have no memory of what I did.” With commitments to the farm and to the family and everything else crammed into our schedules, it can feel like every moment has a claim on it and that taking time to savour the […] Read more
A detailed list of requirements will help ensure that you hire the right person for the job.
Guide Business, Guide HR

Job descriptions

Two farm specialists build the case to prove why job descriptions will save you time, money and aggravation

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Are job descriptions worth the effort? Simply put, the experts say the answer is a clear yes. Or maybe we should make that YES! Job descriptions are foundational for good management, says Jade Reeve, manager of agri-jobs at the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC) in Ottawa. Their usefulness goes beyond recruitment, she adds. “They […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

More together

Taking a group and multi-generational approach to upgrading their skills is paying off on the Woods farm

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More farmers agree that the old saying has it about right: Failing to plan is planning to fail. It’s too easy to get off-course if you haven’t set your intentions and goals to paper. Besides, how do you track your success if you don’t have goals? Having completed a succession plan that lays the groundwork […] Read more
Guide Life

Men’s health matters

A healthier dad means a healthier family. So come on, guys, man up to these small lifestyle changes

By
According to a recent survey of Canadian men, a shocking 72 per cent of our husbands and fathers have unhealthy lifestyles based on behaviours including smoking, problem drinking, lack of exercise, and poor diet. The survey of 2,000 men from across the country was conducted on behalf of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF). This […] Read more
Guide Business, Management

Hiring: Get it right the first time

Searching for the ideal employee starts well before you place the want ad

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It’s a number that should wake us up: 80 per cent of employee turnover is the result of hiring the wrong person. That’s according to the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), a national non-profit organization focused on addressing human resource issues in the ag sector. Since hiring and training new employees is a costly […] Read more
With a labour shortage in the agricultural industry, retaining employees is critical, says a University of Guelph professor.
Guide Business, Management

Strategies for successful onboarding

There are better ways for getting a new employee off to a great start, and they really do pay

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“I wish they’d told me I was expected to make it a priority for my job” is a refrain Michelle Painchaud hears all too often. Employers somehow think that new employees should simply “get it,” say Painchaud, president of a Winnipeg company that specializes in helping farm businesses recruit and retain new employees. Unfortunately, it’s […] Read more
If your objective is to win the argument, it means you won’t be happy until your spouse loses, which is hardly a recipe for a happy life together.
Guide Life

Tips for handling conflict at home

In a dream world, couples would intuitively know how to handle conflict. In real life, these 15 rules are relationship savers

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No matter how much you love someone, disagreements seem to be an unavoidable fact of life. Nowhere is this truer than on the family farm where the lines between business and personal relationships are blurred. The good news is that it’s possible to eliminate 50 per cent of that conflict through better communication, says London, […] Read more
Feeling burned out may involve more than just the feeling of having too much to do or never getting a break.
Guide Life

Beating burnout

No one is immune, so it’s smart to know if you’re showing these symptoms of burnout. For most of us, it’s the best way to avoid the trap

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Do you feel exhausted no matter how much sleep you get? Do you feel mentally drained, or do you lack energy or feel like you’re not really accomplishing anything? All of these symptoms can point to burnout, says Dr. Arla Day, a professor in occupational health at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. If this sounds […] Read more
Cheryl and Nigel Gordijk, organizers of the Wilmot Terry Fox Run.
Guide Life

It takes a community

A new generation of volunteer projects and fundraisers are succeeding by reaching out to the countryside

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In a time when many volunteer-driven events are struggling, a Terry Fox Run in Wilmot Township near Kitchener, Ont., has increased the money it raises in support of cancer research by more than tenfold in the past five years. Community involvement has been the key to this growth, says event co-organizer Nigel Gordijk. For the […] Read more
Young couple holding hands in the wheat field on sunny summer day.
Guide Life

Rebalancing the workload

Unfair division of labour takes its toll on farm couples

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Even though more than 80 per cent of women now work outside the home, the bulk of child care and household chores still fall to women. The most recent stats show that women are doing twice as much child care and one-and-a-half times as much housework as men. Is it really so different on the […] Read more

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