Reading Time: 6 minutes Hiring business advisors and consultants is becoming a top habit on Canada’s most profitable farms, as identified in Farm Management Canada’s Dollars and Sense study. Whether it’s in accounting, law, human resources, succession planning, agronomy, livestock nutrition, communications or marketing, advisors are filling in the gaps in the farm team’s expertise. It turns out, though, […] Read more
Summer Series: Get more from your farm advisors
[Make it Count] Boost the returns from your investment in advisors’ fees with these tactics
Summer Series: Your next great business idea
[Make It Count] These five tips promise to make you even better at spotting great business ideas for your farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes Farmers who can identify new business opportunities have a valuable leg up in this competitive and rapidly changing world, so Country Guide reached out to innovative farmers and to innovation experts for their insights into finding that next winning idea. 1. Be Tenacious What does it take? For one, it takes attitude. Over and over […] Read more
Summer Series: Make retirement your best years
[Change Management] Live more, spend more. Don’t abandon the habits of lifetime, but be generous to yourselves
Reading Time: 4 minutes With recent increases in land prices, farmers exiting agriculture will realize an influx of cash. But after a lifetime of saving for lean years and re-investing profits back into the farm, some retiring farmers will have difficulty increasing their spending accordingly. Retirement professionals have a name for this phenomenon. When actual spending is less than […] Read more
Summer Series: Stress in a volatile world
[Change Management] When the world spins so erratically, can you stop yourself spinning too?
Reading Time: 4 minutes “There is nothing left in the tank,” says Beverly Beuermann-King. She sees it regularly. “People get tapped out … One more thing can throw them over the edge.” The phenomenon is what Beuermann-King works on as a resiliency and stress expert, and even if that sounds like a trendy new specialism it has actually been […] Read more
Summer Series: Bringing DEI to the farm
[Change Management] Building diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives into your farm pays off. Here are five tips for getting it right
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farm leaders know that in a tight labour market, policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will help them attract and retain the best talent. Those not making headway on these critical issues will be left behind. That, by the way, is from a business prof, not a sociologist, and in addition to his […] Read more
Summer Series: It Pays to Listen Better
[Best Advice] Know somebody who’s missing out on great advice because they don’t hear what they’re told? Could it be you?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Being a good listener is harder than it sounds. And some of the ways we respond to others prevent us from being present and truly connecting with them. Active listening is a high-value risk management tool, partly because listening is such a big part of conflict resolution. The good news? With practice, you can learn […] Read more
Are you ready for climate change?
[Change Management: Climate] Today’s changing climate may bring new and heightened risks and opportunities
Reading Time: 5 minutes Farmers know better than anyone that changes in temperature or precipitation have a ripple effect on our interdependent global agricultural systems. The impacts of climate change could result in more disruptions to food supply chains around the world and increased market volatility here in Canada. For most of Canada, complex climate models predict wetter springs, […] Read more
The art of giving and seeking advice
How good are you at giving advice? Better yet, how good would your family and your farm connections say you are at taking it?
Reading Time: 6 minutes We all like to know the answer, so when a farm discussion comes up and it’s obvious that a family member, employee or partner is struggling, it feels good to help, especially if the solution seems clever or obvious to us. But if you value those relationships and if you value your reputation, the experts […] Read more
For the fun of it!
[The Rent Shake-Up: Management] Prioritizing fun is good for you and your family, and also great for your farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes We all know the feeling. There are times when farming can seem relentless. There’s another decision to make, another conversation to have, and always another job waiting to get done. Even so, if you or someone on your farm feels like you’re getting burned out, consider it for what it probably is — a signal […] Read more
The business of mental health
Sick of the stress? These business practices are showing they’re good for the farm, and for you
Reading Time: 8 minutes Sure, farmers are tough. They have to be. How could they not know it? They’re told about it from the time they’re kids, raised with the knowledge they will face high levels of stress from unpredictable weather, soaring input costs, supply chain interruptions and so much more, all of it on top of a non-stop […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
