Reading Time: 11 minutes At first, going organic seemed the perfect choice for Ryan and Amy Hofford, a young couple intent on taking over the family farm after the early passing of Ryan’s father. Organic had everything going for it. The young couple could cash-flow its low-input approach, they’d excel at its hands-on marketing and they’d be on a […] Read more
Summer Series: Manitoba couple reinvents their farm
[Change Management] What does it take to survive when you run into a production problem so serious it threatens your whole farm? The Hoffords were about to find out
Summer Series: Measuring success on the farm
[Change Management] We talk a lot about farm success. But how do we know if we’re getting there?
Reading Time: 6 minutes When asked to define “success,” most farmers will tell you it’s about more than money. Family often comes up. High yields and good soil health are top of mind too, and health, safety and employee relations can be as well. We know these non-financial factors are important. Still, when the farm team gathers at the […] Read more
Summer Series: Building a new farm
[Best Advice] There’s always good luck and bad. For the Friesens, though, building the farm is too important to stop
Reading Time: 9 minutes Forced to pivot as they were starting up their farm, the Friesens did what most farmers excel at: finding solutions, workarounds and innovative approaches. Read on to find out what the rest of us can learn from their story.– April Stewart, CG Associate Editor It was the summer of 2015 and Christi and Kelly Friesen […] Read more
Is it time to get a farm management coach?
[The Rent Shake-Up: Leadership] If you've considered this question, Kelly Dobson says, “Congratulations, you’ve self-identified as a leader.”
Reading Time: 4 minutes Let’s say that you have a good sense of what success would look like for you and you’re pretty sure you’re made of the stuff it will take to achieve it, but it’s just not happening. Could a coach help? Kelly Dobson describes himself as a “professional capital ‘C’ Coach with a graduate degree.” Coaching, […] Read more
Share of rented land increasing
Reading Time: 2 minutes Between the 1975 Census of Agriculture and the most recent, 2021, Census, the share of rented farmland has increased from 30 to 39 percent across Canada. This percentage comes from Census numbers, as the share of “area rented or leased” compared to the total of the “area rented or leased” plus the “area owned.” A […] Read more
The mentorship option
[Leadership] How to know if it’s some great one-on-one insight from someone who has already been there that will help your farm the most
Reading Time: 7 minutes All kinds of professionals offer farmers advice. Think of accountants, agronomists, bankers, business planners, fitness coaches, marketing experts, soil scientists, succession planners, vets. It can be overwhelming. Even so, when you need someone to help you pull all the pieces of your business and personal life into one big picture, you might be looking for […] Read more
So, you want to be a mentor?
Here are a few organizations to consider
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle Young Leaders program More than 180 mentor/mentee pairs have completed the Canadian Cattle Association’s annual Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program since 2010, including Brenda Schoepp and Jeff Braisher. That’s an impressive track record. Jessica Radau was an ag journalist and a mentee in the Canadian CYL program in 2018. Now she looks after […] Read more
The story behind the story
Reading Time: 3 minutes Country Guide was surprised to learn that the Lindgrens had hired a PR agent. Sure, everyone wants to make a good impression on social media, but most of us aren’t willing to pay for it. But then I learned how and why the Lindgrens had started retailing seed and crop protection products, it all made […] Read more
Planning the pullback
[Better Advice] Learning from David Hansen’s graceful exit from Canterra Seeds
Reading Time: 7 minutes Note: On October 2, 2023, Canterra Seeds appointed Brent Derkatch as its new president and CEO. Derkatch has been working with Canterra since 2001, most recently as the director of the pedigreed seed business unit. When a key employee leaves your farm operation, how much notice is best? If they leave too abruptly, you might […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Dale gets a lesson: “Sisters are like that, but …”
It was his aunt on the phone, so Jeff knew his Mom would be surprised. And maybe worse
Reading Time: 5 minutes When Dale Hanson looked at his phone and saw it was his sister calling, he set his wrench on the workbench and answered. “Good morning, Margaret.” Her response was garbled. “What’s that?” he asked. “Are you okay?” She answered, but Dale still couldn’t understand. “Is something wrong with Aunt Margaret,” Dale’s son Jeff called over […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
