Tom Button

Reading Time: 3 minutes Seven years ago, none of Liz Isaak’s farm clients filed tax credit claims under the federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development program. Few had even heard of it. Like all farmers, her clients were constantly testing new genetics, finding new ways to make their machinery work better, and exploring new production systems. In other words, […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Agriculture doesn’t drive the economy. At least, it doesn’t drive the economy the way so many farmers and farm leaders used to think. It’s a good thing too. And now that we know it, we can turn it to our advantage. Not long ago we saw charts at almost every farm meeting showing how $1 […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes So you want to go to an ag college or university. Or you want your children or grandchildren to go. What are your choices? Starting in February, you’ll be able to find out. The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council is launching a new, searchable guide to postsecondary ag education at its website, www.cahrc-crrha.ca. It’s about […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes When new writers ask how I decide whether to run their pieces, I don’t need many words. “Farmers are smarter than you think,” I say. “If you don’t show that you know that, I’m not buying.” Smart farmers are a challenge for everyone who works in agriculture. There’s no end run around it. Any farmer […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Why can’t we? In the midst of a career building successes for himself and others, Kim McConnell sees a recipe for solving the question that’s been nagging him for decades. Every fundamental seems lined up in our favour. In fact, to a business mover and shaker like Kim McConnell, it’s almost incredible that the deals […] Read more