Reading Time: 8 minutes Ten years. It breaks down into 3,652 days, or over 87,000 hours. In that way, 10 years can seem like a lot of time. Yet in others, such as when managing a busy farm, it can pass in the blink of an eye. And that decade is certainly filled with vast knowledge acquisition, unexpected surprises […] Read more
Ten years on the farm
Canadian producers share the biggest lessons after a decade of farming
Quebec farmers still learning after 10 years
After a decade farming, these Quebec farmers know that there’s always more to learn
Reading Time: 11 minutes Have you ever met a young farmer who was fresh out of ideas? Neither have we. The utter thrill of getting into farming for the first time is incomparable. The freedom to make one’s own decisions and, rightly or wrongly, see those decisions through. With time, of course, farmers gain perspective. Perhaps those older voices […] Read more
Wills and powers of attorney: the basics and why you need them
Reading Time: 3 minutes Every adult should have a will and powers of attorney. In this article, we explain the basics of these essential documents, why they are important and specific considerations for farm families. Once a succession plan is in place, it’s vital to update estate planning documents (e.g., wills and powers of attorney) to reflect the plan. […] Read more
Finding your passion project
What to do with your time off? There are plenty of options that have nothing to do with the farm
Reading Time: 6 minutes Farming is more than a career, it’s an identity. Which, up to a point, is a good thing. But the evidence is in, and it says that if the farm takes too much of your time and too much of your energy, that’s not good for your mental health, or for the health of your […] Read more
An eye on the future
Reading Time: < 1 minute Woodleigh Farms, a sixth-generation farm located in Cavan, Ont., has made a dedicated effort in recent years to shift away from traditional methods of agriculture to more regenerative and sustainable farming practices. Norm Lamothe joined his wife Emily’s sixth-generation farm when her parents were at that fork in the road so many farmers find themselves […] Read more
Why trust matters on the farm
Trust is at the heart of our personal and professional relationships. When this important foundation is cracked, what can you do to repair it?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Trust is at the foundation of every business and personal interaction. We can’t see it or touch it, but we sure know when it’s missing. It’s a red flag. While trust can feel like an intangible, Halifax business consultant Natalie Doyle Oldfield says that its impact can be measured and there are clear benefits of […] Read more
Beliefs your farm could be better without
Why don’t farm transition plans advance over time? Usually because families fall into one of these thinking traps
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beliefs, or “the rules we live by,” deeply influence our choices and assumptions. They show up in our day-to-day lives and we treat them as respected “facts,” when that may not be the case. We tend not to question or consider whether these beliefs are true. These rules are often learned in the household in […] Read more
Onboarding summer staff for agricultural businesses
A strategic approach to seasonal part-timers might be your ticket to growth
Reading Time: 4 minutes Given the seasonal nature of farming, summer students fill an important labour gap on many farms, especially those that operate in direct-to-consumer markets. With the continuing tight labour market, managing the hiring and training of seasonal employees (often students) well is critical to success. Unfortunately, too often the busy-ness of day-to-day farming during peak times […] Read more
Moving your farm’s books to the cloud
Reading Time: 2 minutes As far as topics go, farm bookkeeping and office administration don’t get a lot of attention. Why would they when there’s drought and drones, multi-million-dollar farm acquisitions, trade wars, tariffs and labour disruptions to focus on instead? But it’s a subject that’s creating a bottleneck, preventing some farm operations from reaching their growth potential and […] Read more
Saskatchewan farmers adapt to professional and personal transitions
From retirement to adapting operations, today’s farmers are making transitions like never before. Here’s how two farmers used them to grow
Reading Time: 4 minutes The agriculture industry is grappling with change, perhaps more than ever before. Which is why it’s also more important than ever for farmers to understand how to navigate transitions, both professional and personal, successfully. Lesley Kelly has seen a lot of change throughout her career and she’s grateful for that — despite the fact that […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
