Tara Sawyer.

What is work worth?

Women’s work in the ag industry has long been under-recognized and undervalued. Has the industry finally advanced its collective thoughts and actions around this idea? Some experts say ‘yes’

Reading Time: 7 minutes For Tara Sawyer, the term “farm wife” has always been a point of pride. Sawyer, who farms with her husband, Matt, in Acme, Alta., always felt the term signifies partnership. “I have always taken great pride in calling myself a farm wife. I am a farm wife, and I’m a stay-at-home mom, and yes, I […] Read more

Canadian Dollars White Background

Creating off-farm revenue

Farmers have historically reinvested their earnings back into the farm. Today’s generation is planning for more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Generations of farmers prioritized reinvesting back into the farm instead of creating personal savings. But today’s generation is creating separation between farm and non-farm assets to minimize personal risk, position families for succession planning and increase family harmony. Family harmony and work-life balance Creating personal wealth outside of the farm plays a major role in […] Read more


barns and grain bins on prairie farm land

Buying your first farm

Buying your first farm is a big deal, in more ways than one. Here are key factors to consider before signing on the dotted line

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many young farmers dream of buying a farm. The question is: How can you turn that dream into reality? The answer to that question raises more questions. Because there are several important considerations to think through very carefully before making that leap. To start your farm-buying path off on the right foot, let’s look at […] Read more

When you think about your current situation, what’s the ideal outcome or end game?

When farm plans fail

If you’ve been talking for years about planning something for the farm, maybe it’s time to look at why you’re stuck

Reading Time: 3 minutes “It’s been 10 years, and we still don’t have a plan.” If this sounds like something you’ve said to yourself, have you also asked, “Why don’t we?” Ten years talking about making a plan but still not having it written down, or not making any real changes in the way your farm operates, can be […] Read more


There are a number of long-held beliefs that can create barriers for the farm transition process.

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

accounting cloud shape on blue sky

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


“Sometimes we would grow in the same direction, and sometimes in different directions.” – Ian Steppler.

Manitoba farmers share their farm succession story

Transitioning the family farm can be riddled with challenges. The Stepplers have learned that working collaboratively offers a better chance of success for all

Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s a fact that most families squabble. Individuals don’t always see eye to eye, and they can’t always work together. But if they can find a way, it can make a world of difference to the profitability and future of their farm — and the success of their relationships with each other. The Stepplers managed […] Read more



“It’s not about status. It’s about agriculture, it’s about community.” – Keltie MacNeill.

People-first winery plays the long game

This Nova Scotian winery proves that focusing on the right things at the right time leads to success

Reading Time: 6 minutes The Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, an hour north of Halifax, seems an unlikely place to find a thriving winery making world-class wines from locally grown grapes. But Benjamin Bridge, which began as a passion project for the founders 25 years ago, has grown into a successful and innovative winery. Keltie MacNeill is the director […] Read more

“It’s overwhelming, but we tell everyone that it’s pleasantly overwhelming.” – Casie Kuypers.

Ontario sisters strike farm business partnership

Business partnerships can be tricky to navigate at the best of times. Throw in family members, a new on-farm business and a growing family legacy, and it’s a whole other level

Reading Time: 7 minutes For several years, sisters Kori de Boer and Casie Kuypers were informally part of their family’s original dairy farm in Palgrave, Ont., run by their dad and uncle. When their dad and uncle’s partnership wrapped up a few years ago, they knew that if they didn’t want the dairy to stay small (which would mean […] Read more