Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers spend countless hours tending to their properties and animals, which, for all its benefits, can have a serious drawback: adult farmers are more likely to have hearing loss problems than non-farming adults. Years of noise due to heavy machinery, equipment and animals could lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), causing permanent hearing damage. Noise-induced […] Read more
From field to ear: Addressing hearing loss on Canadian farms
Summer Series: Work related hearing loss is common on farms due to the many noisy machines and tools required to run the business. Luckily, there is plenty you can do to preserve your hearing for years to come.
How to manage your mental health
Farming is more than just a job; it’s a way of life. But it’s a lifestyle that can bring high levels of stress, long hours and uncertainty. What can you do to manage the stress when the pressure builds?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Unpredictable weather and markets. Long days spent alone in the combine and tractor. The pressure of running a family farm. The stress can build until it’s too loud to ignore. “For many farmers, these stressors are simply part of the job,” says Che Burnett, registered social worker at Counselling Alberta. “But when stress goes unchecked […] Read more
Alternative financing options to cash flow your farm business
These days farmers have a lot more options when seeking alternative lending arrangements for farm business projects
Reading Time: 7 minutes As land values and input costs continue to rise, alternative lending is becoming more common. Farmers are looking for more creative and flexible options to finance their business expansion, transition or diversification projects. Country Guide explored some of the options available with the proviso that there is no one-size-fits-all-solution, just as there is no one-size, […] Read more
Alternative lending options for farm businesses
Previously often perceived as a last resort, alternative lending options can help farm operators navigate short-term challenges and get back to their long-term plan
Reading Time: 6 minutes Alternative lending has had a bit of a bad rap in the past. Alternative lending is a term for non-traditional methods or channels that finance businesses outside of the traditional finance system, such as banks. The past decade has seen an increase in the number of alternative financing options designed to meet each farm operation’s […] Read more
What to do when worry takes over
Getting control over your worries can be far easier said than done — but you can get a good start if you practice these tips
Reading Time: 4 minutes “I don’t tell my story because it’s unique. I tell it because it isn’t,” says former Manitoba hog farmer Gerry Friesen. A little over 20 years ago Friesen’s farm was in financial crisis after years of market volatility, tariffs and low prices. “At the time, my mind was working overtime, replaying worst case scenarios, questioning […] Read more
When motion doesn’t equal action
Farmers are busy. But does all the busy-ness mean that you’re getting things done?
Reading Time: 3 minutes After a busy day, have you ever looked back and thought, “What did I get done today? Did I check anything off my must-do list?” As author James Clear said so perfectly: “Being in motion (busy) does not equal action.” In the coaching world we call busy days “buffer days” since they act as a […] Read more
On-farm research helps producers evaluate best crop options
Being a “co-operator”with seed and crop protection companies or applied research organizations yields more than just a number of bushels
Reading Time: 6 minutes On-farm research trials help producers make better management decisions and in the greater scheme of things might help other farmers refine their agronomic decisions as well. Those are two of the main reasons Alberta producers Roy Newman of Okotoks and Devin Hartzler of Carstairs have been involved in some aspect of on-farm research trials for […] Read more
What is work worth?
Women’s work in the ag industry has long been under-recognized and undervalued. Has the industry finally advanced its collective thoughts and actions around this idea? Some experts say ‘yes’
Reading Time: 7 minutes For Tara Sawyer, the term “farm wife” has always been a point of pride. Sawyer, who farms with her husband, Matt, in Acme, Alta., always felt the term signifies partnership. “I have always taken great pride in calling myself a farm wife. I am a farm wife, and I’m a stay-at-home mom, and yes, I […] Read more
The farmer’s playbook
Consider these plays to arrive, thrive and survive in 2025
Reading Time: 3 minutes Walmart turns over its on-shelf inventory 9.4 times every calendar year. But farmers only get one kick at the can. In fact, it has been said that over a farmer’s career many will only hit a home run about seven times. That means the variance for errors is very small, and the planning component in […] Read more
Farming in a high-cost environment
Reading Time: 4 minutes The cost to farm in Western Canada has doubled in the past fifteen years. What was $250/acre in annual costs to farm fifteen years ago (using accrual accounting) is now $500/acre in Western Canada. Cost increases are being seen across the farm income statement including on inputs, machinery and land. The more recent spike in […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
