Organic farming was a relatively low-cost way for the Hoffords to get on their feet in the beginning stages, and they also saw it as a lower-risk enterprise.

Summer Series: Manitoba couple reinvents their farm

[Change Management] What does it take to survive when you run into a production problem so serious it threatens your whole farm? The Hoffords were about to find out

Reading Time: 11 minutes At first, going organic seemed the perfect choice for Ryan and Amy Hofford, a young couple intent on taking over the family farm after the early passing of Ryan’s father. Organic had everything going for it. The young couple could cash-flow its low-input approach, they’d excel at its hands-on marketing and they’d be on a […] Read more

VIDEO: Summer Series: Greg Stamp and Sarah Stamp of Stamp Seeds

VIDEO: Summer Series: Greg Stamp and Sarah Stamp of Stamp Seeds

Reading Time: < 1 minute Second generation grain producers, Greg and Sarah Stamp, of Stamp Seeds & Stamp Farms from Enchant, Alta., were 2023 national winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers. Along with their family they operate Stamp Seeds and Stamp Farms in the Bow River Irrigation District. With 5,000 acres under irrigation and 2,000 acres of dryland farming, they produce pedigreed seed such as wheat, barley, […] Read more


Financial success is easy to measure and it is also helpful for a very good reason.

Summer Series: Measuring success on the farm

[Change Management] We talk a lot about farm success. But how do we know if we’re getting there?

Reading Time: 6 minutes When asked to define “success,” most farmers will tell you it’s about more than money. Family often comes up. High yields and good soil health are top of mind too, and health, safety and employee relations can be as well. We know these non-financial factors are important. Still, when the farm team gathers at the […] Read more

“It’s having those long-term thoughts,” Jinel Ference says, when asked what it takes to build an inclusive farm. “What do you want for your farm, for your community? How does that look?”

Summer Series: Implementing changes that matter

[Change Management] Maybe there used to be one tried-and-true path to farm success. Today, for farmers like Craig and Jinel Ference, it’s about seeking new ideas and getting creative about how to integrate them

Reading Time: 12 minutes Right now, we’re focusing on streamlining, simplifying and making things more efficient,” Craig Ference says. “That’s kind of our next expansion … making what we have a lot better. Improving our production, our land and our cattle to get a better gross margin from our current asset base.” Yup, that’s a farmer. The same or […] Read more


a farm in the summer

Summer Series: The uneasy middle

[Change Management] Canada’s mid-sized farms are under pressure. But don’t write them off quite so fast — at least not all of them

Reading Time: 8 minutes Of course any story on what’s ahead for Canada’s mid-size farms is going to start with a forkful of numbers. And of course, if you’re a mid-size farmer, those numbers aren’t exactly a joy to read. Instead, let us reprint part of an email from our in-box at Country Guide, just one of the more […] Read more

Opportunities ahead

Opportunities ahead

What’s in store for Canada’s farms in 2024? The news is good, mostly

Reading Time: 10 minutes Land is up. Inputs are up. Commodities are volatile. And that’s just a start. Climate change is getting real. Interest rates are too. And the international scene is chaos. Does it all add up to good news for your farm in 2024? Bad news? And what can you do to keep your farm on the […] Read more


"You have to be pretty progressive," says Jolene MacEachern, "but I think it’s possible."

Summer Series: 7 trends in agriculture for 2024

[Change Management] The long term is clear. The world will need Canadian farmers to feed a global population expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. But what about the short term, like next summer?

Reading Time: 6 minutes High interest rates, skyrocketing input costs, labour shortages, climate change … the exact mix varies from country to country but farmers around the world are facing threats to their ability to grow more food, which means farmers everywhere are looking for opportunities to improve production, preserve profits and protect the environment. What does it all […] Read more

Summer Series: Podcast with Olivia Riddoch

Summer Series: Podcast with Olivia Riddoch

Reading Time: < 1 minute In the latest Country Guide podcast episode we spoke with Olivia Riddoch of Fairwind Farms. She shared her story about the career change that brought her back to the family farm where she now manages crop protection on over 4,000 acres. Tune in at country-guide.ca/ and don’t forget to subscribe to the Country Guide Podcast […] Read more


Allowing an employee to decide how to complete a task is part of having autonomy.

Summer Series: Develop leaders, not labourers

[Leadership] Allowing people to safely struggle is good. Let them know you are there for support, but they’re expected to figure it out and get it done

Reading Time: 3 minutes A leadership expert offers his advice to help answer the question “What’s at risk if I don’t help others on my farm develop their leadership skills?” – April Stewart, CG Associate Editor Part of having an executive mindset on the farm is developing others. Developing others might seem like a basic function of management, which it […] Read more

From her global travels, Amy Cronin returns with a key belief: “We need to develop a risk mindset — and we need to help each other do that using peer groups.”

Summer Series: Only farmers know real risk

[Leadership] In a world that crashes from crisis to crisis, Ontario farmer Amy Cronin went on a global search for farmers who excel at risk management. Here’s what she learned

Reading Time: 5 minutes In a world that crashes from crisis to crisis, Ontario farmer and Nuffield scholar, Amy Cronin, went on a global search for farmers who excel at risk management. Here’s what she learned. – April Stewart, CG Associate Editor If it’s a new and even more volatile world for farmers (which it is) and if success […] Read more