Reading Time: 5 minutes Farmers know better than anyone that changes in temperature or precipitation have a ripple effect on our interdependent global agricultural systems. The impacts of climate change could result in more disruptions to food supply chains around the world and increased market volatility here in Canada. For most of Canada, complex climate models predict wetter springs, […] Read more
Are you ready for climate change?
[Change Management: Climate] Today’s changing climate may bring new and heightened risks and opportunities
The art of giving and seeking advice
How good are you at giving advice? Better yet, how good would your family and your farm connections say you are at taking it?
Reading Time: 6 minutes We all like to know the answer, so when a farm discussion comes up and it’s obvious that a family member, employee or partner is struggling, it feels good to help, especially if the solution seems clever or obvious to us. But if you value those relationships and if you value your reputation, the experts […] Read more
This old land: Where is farming in Quebec headed?
[The Rent Shake-Up: Quebec] Quebecers have been farming in la belle province for over 400 years. So how about 400 years from now?
Reading Time: 9 minutes In a province where only two per cent of its land is suitable for agriculture, Quebec has been losing cropland to the province’s expanding cities at the rate of 12 football fields every day, and it has been losing farmland at that speed for nearly three decades. Even now, says Quebec’s UPA, its main farm […] Read more
For the fun of it!
[The Rent Shake-Up: Management] Prioritizing fun is good for you and your family, and also great for your farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes We all know the feeling. There are times when farming can seem relentless. There’s another decision to make, another conversation to have, and always another job waiting to get done. Even so, if you or someone on your farm feels like you’re getting burned out, consider it for what it probably is — a signal […] Read more
The other option to renting farmland
[The Rent Shakeup: Investors] The decade’s big news in farmland renting is why not to do it, as these investors won’t hesitate to tell you
Reading Time: 9 minutes No matter where they farm and no matter what they grow or produce, farmers lose sleep over the same questions, because no matter who they are, there aren’t any simple answers. How do you expand? How can you pick the right new technologies and invest in them? And, perhaps the most anxiety producing of them […] Read more
Is it time to get a farm management coach?
[The Rent Shake-Up: Leadership] If you've considered this question, Kelly Dobson says, “Congratulations, you’ve self-identified as a leader.”
Reading Time: 4 minutes Let’s say that you have a good sense of what success would look like for you and you’re pretty sure you’re made of the stuff it will take to achieve it, but it’s just not happening. Could a coach help? Kelly Dobson describes himself as a “professional capital ‘C’ Coach with a graduate degree.” Coaching, […] Read more
Share of rented land increasing
Reading Time: 2 minutes Between the 1975 Census of Agriculture and the most recent, 2021, Census, the share of rented farmland has increased from 30 to 39 percent across Canada. This percentage comes from Census numbers, as the share of “area rented or leased” compared to the total of the “area rented or leased” plus the “area owned.” A […] Read more
The mentorship option
[Leadership] How to know if it’s some great one-on-one insight from someone who has already been there that will help your farm the most
Reading Time: 7 minutes All kinds of professionals offer farmers advice. Think of accountants, agronomists, bankers, business planners, fitness coaches, marketing experts, soil scientists, succession planners, vets. It can be overwhelming. Even so, when you need someone to help you pull all the pieces of your business and personal life into one big picture, you might be looking for […] Read more
So, you want to be a mentor?
Here are a few organizations to consider
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle Young Leaders program More than 180 mentor/mentee pairs have completed the Canadian Cattle Association’s annual Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program since 2010, including Brenda Schoepp and Jeff Braisher. That’s an impressive track record. Jessica Radau was an ag journalist and a mentee in the Canadian CYL program in 2018. Now she looks after […] Read more
Next gen talent scouting in agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes Taylor Schmitt, son of company founder Barry, is operations and business manager at Barr-Ag and is in charge of Middle East and domestic sales as well as domestic logistics. Yet it is on the HR side where Taylor has really come into his own. Over the last seven years, Taylor has interviewed 250-plus candidates and […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
