Reading Time: 2 minutes “While there’s no foolproof system, I strongly believe incremental selling has helped those producers who employ it,” says Frank Backx from Hensall District Co-operative in southwestern Ontario. It elevates the average price because sales generally will be done on rallies in the market, not into declining markets. Backx suggests breaking the crop into a minimum […] Read more
2. SELL IN INCREMENTS
3. KNOW THE TOOLS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU
Reading Time: 3 minutes Which marketing tools are right for you? There’s no one answer, the pros say. Instead, it all depends on your objectives plus your cash flow needs and your debt-to-equity position. For example, if it’s critical to protect a price level in order to pay off an operating line, then your best choice may be to […] Read more
4. KNOW WHO’S BUYING
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many growers make it a routine. They always sell to the same short list of favoured third parties, such as brokers, local dealers or elevators. “Understanding who actually uses the commodity and identifying the actual buyers is a critical piece of market information,” says Jerry Bouma of Toma & Bouma Management Consultants, Edmonton. Then, you […] Read more
5. COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS
Reading Time: 2 minutes Communicating regularly with buyers will make it easier when you go to sell. “Guys will call me, via cellphones, from the combine,” says Linda Feltz from Wallenstein Feed and Supply near Guelph, Ont. Farmers who make a point of keeping connected to market information and buyers seem to come out ahead. They know their cost […] Read more
6. INTEGRATE ON-FARM STORAGE
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm storage is a marketing tool. If it’s integrated into your marketing plan, it can increase net returns. If abused, it only adds cost. “On-farm storage allows farmers to separate delivery decisions from pricing decisions,” says Charlie Pearson, market analyst for Alberta Agriculture and Food. “It also allows farmers to make delivery and pricing decisions […] Read more
7. LOOK FOR LOGISTICAL EFFICIENCIES
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Lepps own one semi with a Super B and usually rent a truck and two trailers during harvest. Ian says it’s essential first to calculate what it costs them per kilometre per tonne. This benchmark allows them to check with local trucking companies to see if they can haul cheaper. “If we’re looking at […] Read more
8. GET CONNECTED BY NETWORKING
Reading Time: 3 minutes “ I don’t have to swing for the fence anymore. I just hit singles all day long.” — Ken Motiuk A well-developed network of fellow producers, brokers and advisers with an interest in your success is invaluable in lending inside knowledge. But it doesn’t just happen. Allan Johnston owner-operator of Johnston’s Grain produces a daily […] Read more
THE TERMINAL
Reading Time: 6 minutes The “Terminal,” as it’s usually called, bounces and lurches across 40 of the country’s most expensive acres in Toronto’s west end, filling a gap between The Queensway and Canada’s busiest road, the multi-lane Queen Elizabeth Way. Like those street names, and in fact like much of this neighbourhood in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore ward of west end […] Read more
Although there’s no shortage of facts and figures on farms in Canada, there’s one thing they don’t measure. It’s emerging as the most important of all Sizing Up 2019
Reading Time: 3 minutes Jim Pallister farms 60 times more ground than Trevor Schriemer, yet both are successful. And so is Christoph Weder, a mid-sized beef producer. It all begs the question, how big should you be? The answer, it turns out, is another question. What’s your business model? Statistics Canada can pinpoint exactly what’s going on with the […] Read more
WorkFORCE
Reading Time: 3 minutes It may be true that nobody ever got into farming because they wanted to become an expert in human resources. Even so, the on-the-ground realities of a scarce labour force are going to prod Canada’s farmers into paying much, much more attention to the issue. At least, the farms that emerge as success stories will […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
