Reading Time: 8 minutes “I thought my career was over.” Alanna Koch reminisces about her decision to quit her job as executive director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association to stay home with her kids full-time in 2000. “I thought it was the end of the world,” she says. Her role with the association followed years of public […] Read more
Navigating transitions in career, family and the farm
Moving through life’s phases can be difficult, but the journey — and the lessons — make it all worthwhile
Starting succession right
If you’ve resolved to start transitioning the farm this year, these insights can help you get a strong start
Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s no secret that many farm and ranch operations facing the prospect of transition to the next generation feel stuck and unsure how to proceed. “We can’t emphasize enough that retirement is a significant life transition that comes with a rollercoaster of challenges and emotions,” write Robert Laura and Colleen Drummond in the Modern Elder […] Read more
Attracting the right kind of capital in agriculture
Capital is required to grow the farm business but sometimes it takes an innovative approach
Reading Time: 2 minutes Agriculture’s future will rely on attracting capital. In the past, capital typically came from banks or family. But the changing demographic of farmers and farmland owners means that many farms and a tremendous amount of farmland will change hands over the coming decade. To add to the list of challenges, inflation and farmland appreciation has […] Read more
Research on the farm
After observing higher yield in some fields, an agronomist worked with a farmer client to set up a trial that yielded practical results
Reading Time: 8 minutes On-farm research is one of those things that sounds great in theory, especially with the technology at hand today. But how can agronomists and farmers reap results they can use, and count on? Saskatchewan crop consultant Mike Palmier offers one case study. Working with a farming client, he’s found that leaving taller crop stubble in […] Read more
The math checks out
A theory once applied to cycling can help your farm make big gains
Reading Time: 10 minutes What happens if you squeeze a few extra drops out of an orange while making juice? One small extra sip, of course. But what if you squeezed out a few extra drops from 1,000 oranges? You’d get a lot more orange juice at no extra cost. Could the same be true of food production? Why […] Read more
Balancing the ups and downs of raising sheep
The ups and downs of raising sheep can be balanced by a supportive network and shared knowledge
Reading Time: 7 minutes Carla and Tyrone Borsa had already put a lot of research into their Rosthern, Sask., sheep operation even before the first set of cloven hooves hit the pasture in 2022. Almost three years later, that focus on quality sheep production has netted twenty-five mature Dorset ewes and two Canadian Arcott rams. And although the Borsas […] Read more
How these Canadian farms thrive
Like a roadmap, these farms are setting goals to make sure they end up at the right destination
Reading Time: 8 minutes Every January business partners DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman take a day to set goals for the coming year. It’s a practice that’s proven successful for their partnership and an integral part of their planning process. “We always need something to aim for, and whether the goal is attainable or not, giving ourselves a direction […] Read more
Sask. creamery turns ice cream dream into reality
Sometimes your childhood dream can come true — and turn a delicious profit
Reading Time: 8 minutes It all started with a scoop of blueberry cheesecake ice cream from a creamery in Sicamous, B.C., more than ten years ago. About 13 years old, John Pruim was on a family road trip back to the province where he had spent his early years when the taste of farm fresh ice cream stirred something […] Read more
Planning for 2025 and beyond
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farming is a complex business full of daily decisions with expensive consequences. Country Guide associate editor, April Stewart, sat down with Evan Shout, a.k.a. the Farmer Coach, for his thoughts and top tips on how farmers can prepare to make decisions not only for the coming year but for the next decade. Below is an […] Read more
Setting goals in the new year that can work
New year, new goals. Or maybe not. What keeps us from sticking to and achieving our goals?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ah, the optimism a new year brings. An invisible line drawn in your mind’s eye between the last year and next as you flip open a fresh calendar. (Or, if you’re younger than me, scroll to the next month on your phone’s calendar app). Your eyes sparkle with eagerness, you drum your fingers in anticipation, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
