Reading Time: 6 minutes We all know the basics of health: Get exercise, watch our weight, don’t smoke. But for better health success over the long term, we know we can go further. We should get regular checkups, eat more vegetables, nurture our personal relationships, maintain good sleeping habits and more. Similarly, we know the basics of farm business […] Read more
Boost the survival odds of your farm
Farm finance expert David Kohl reflects on what farms — both small and large — must do for success in the 2020s and beyond
How much will that new farm technology really pay?
New tech can work wonders, but is your economic analysis a bankable guide to how it will perform on your farm?
Reading Time: 9 minutes Like everything else in farming, it’s getting more complicated to decide which technologies to invest in for the farm. Actually, make that “much more complicated.” An effective technology strategy is a key success factor, says Purdue University professor Michael Langemeier, “Early adopters of technology often reap above-average profits.” Plus, says Langemeier, it can keep them […] Read more
The power of mentorship in agriculture
Mentorship is emerging as agriculture’s key strategy for keeping Canada a world-class place to farm. What could be in it for you?
Reading Time: 8 minutes To be at the top of their game in the 2020s, today’s young and mid-career farmers must excel at growing crops and raising livestock. That’s hard enough, given all the new technologies that neither they nor their parents have ever seen. And that’s just a start. To secure their futures in a world with a […] Read more
The booming bioeconomy — Part 2
In part one of this feature, we introduced the bioeconomy and how Canada is working to become a world leader. In part two we look at specific sector developments from coast to coast — there are lots of them!
Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s a surprise to most of us. What’s the hottest bioeconomy subsector on the planet? Replacements for plastic. Worldwide demand for biodegradable products is urgent and it’s growing, especially to replace single-use plastic items like straws, utensils, cup lids and plastic bags. The race is on. France banned plastic cups in 2016, and Queen Elizabeth […] Read more
The booming bioeconomy
In Part One of this Country Guide look at opportunities in the new bioeconomy, Treena Hein investigates the global picture — and how Canadians can get a piece of the action
Reading Time: 8 minutes Farmers have been hearing about the bioeconomy, and when we learn about new uses for hemp stalks or wheat straw or corn starch, our ears perk up. After all, diversification and new opportunities mean increased sector stability and growth. What many Canadian farmers may not realize, however, is the sheer scale of the bioeconomy in […] Read more
A better agenda
Workshops for farm women are teaching both men and women across the country how to score more with business education
Reading Time: 6 minutes Whether you are male or female, you know you need more business know-how to thrive in today’s ag world. Also regardless of whether you’re male or female, you’re probably actively seeking to increase those skills and your knowledge base. Everyone is upping their game. It’s part of the farmer’s basic job description. Maybe, though, the […] Read more
Leading in the community
An inside look at how the community wins — and how their farms and farming in general win too — when farmers go to town as community leaders
Reading Time: 9 minutes When Max Kaiser decided to try for municipal council four years ago, he harkened back to a famous and fairly recent moment in farming history. As he’s a crop and chicken farmer (in the Town of Greater Napanee near Kingston, Ont.), it was fitting — but also a great strategy. When election time rolled around, […] Read more
The peer-to-peer choice
Why are more farmers joining peer-to-peer farm management and benchmarking clubs? Because it pays
Reading Time: 9 minutes Farmers are hearing more and more about peer farming groups. Maybe you even know someone personally who’s a member. That wouldn’t be surprising as these farm business management groups are growing in number across the country. They come in many shapes and sizes, but have some traits in common as well, and all share the […] Read more
Partnership boom
Like Richard and Doug Arnold, more farmers are forming partnerships of more kinds. They're examples of how to do it right
Reading Time: 10 minutes Since its launch about two years ago, the company formed by grain farmers Richard and Annette Arnold and their son Doug in Hamiota, Man., has scored some big successes in Western Canada. Those include several awards — in 2016, Arnold Innovations took home a “Silver” Innovation Award at Farm Progress in Regina along with Best […] Read more
No one in the family to take over the farm
Where there’s no clear successor, more farmers are looking for ways to sell to a young or new farmer from outside the family. It’s rarely easy, but new listing services and new financial strategies may mean it’s possible
Reading Time: 9 minutes We all know a farm in this situation. Mom and Dad always thought one of the children would stand up at some point and say, “I want the farm.” Now, the time has come for the parents to make retirement plans, and none of the kids is standing up. Or maybe it’s the flipside. Mom […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
