Reading Time: 5 minutes We’re told there has never been a time in all of human history when things have changed at such a rapid pace. And this is especially true for agriculture. Nor are farmers just letting it happen. Instead, they’re embracing lifelong learning to prepare and to adapt, whether it’s learning new software programs, farm business management […] Read more
Learning styles
Everyone learns their own way. So what’s best for you and your team?
Reward positive behaviour
HR Management: If something is supposed to be a reward, it has to feel like one
Reading Time: 4 minutes With a tight labour market, farmers are looking for ways to attract and keep good employees. They naturally turn to incentives and rewards to try to keep employees happy and productive. However, getting it right when it comes to employee incentives is tricky business. “An incentive to one person can be poison to another,” explains […] Read more
Guide Health: Are you getting enough dietary fibre?
Start slowly — adding too much fibre too fast will result in adverse effects
Reading Time: 2 minutes You know that fibre is an important part of your diet, but do you get enough? Daily recommendations vary from 25 to 30 grams of fibre, with older people and women needing even more. A penny weighs about a gram, so that’s about 25 to 30 pennies in weight. (I suspect you can remember pennies!) […] Read more
Struggling on the farm
You’re already trained for first aid on the farm. But what about mental illness?
Reading Time: 8 minutes By now, most people involved in agriculture have heard something about depression and anxiety disorders. Whether it’s been through the survey of farmer mental health, started in 2015 and highlighted in 2018, or through the efforts of groups like Do More Ag, word has spread. Now, it’s important that this awareness gets translated into action, […] Read more
How much did that off-colour joke cost you?
More than you probably think, because we all work harder and better in workplaces where we feel respected
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you think those off-colour jokes, sexist comments, or the occasional angry outburst are harmless, you should think again. The research is clear that rude behaviour can hurt your farm’s bottom line. For more than 20 years, Christine Porath, an associate professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has […] Read more
Guide Health: Bed bugs – yuck!
Bed bugs are very resilient and can go without feeding for up to 11 months
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bed bugs of the species Cimex lectularius are certainly unpleasant. However, they are not harmful. Bed bugs are parasites, and different types of bed bugs are specific to different species of animals. They feed on blood, and when they do, they inject some of their saliva into the bite. It is this saliva that causes […] Read more
Will it snow?
Volunteer research by these farmers is helping to advance weather science
Reading Time: 4 minutes As farmers are well aware, rain and snowfall can vary considerably over short distances. What farmer hasn’t suffered a dry spell when promising rain clouds drifted north or south of their farm, giving their neighbours a crop-saving “million-dollar” rain? Likewise, we’ve all seen very small pockets get clobbered with gully-producing storms or crop-flattening hail. The […] Read more
Living with dementia
These strategies can add life quality and meaning for both of you
Reading Time: 5 minutes The challenges of a dementia diagnosis can be compounded by feelings of isolation and loneliness when family and friends stop visiting because they don’t know what to say or do. “People stay away because they don’t know how to communicate with them, but it magnifies the difficulties,” says Dr. Al Power, a medical doctor who […] Read more
Guide Health: The cold, hard truth
If you do experience a cold injury, warm the area gently – no rubbing!
Reading Time: 2 minutes In cold weather, you will obviously want to be dressed warmly to avoid frostbite, frost nip, or even more serious injury. But it may not be as simple as you think. Cold damage is caused by ice crystals forming in your skin and tissues. It is this direct damage that leads to tissue death. About […] Read more
A health plan that pays
It makes more and more sense to put your focus on employee health and wellness
Reading Time: 3 minutes Creating a safe, healthy and supportive workplace isn’t just good for your workers — it’s also good for your business. “The health of your workers is tied to the health of your business,” says Jade Reeve, a manager with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC), an Ottawa-based non-profit organization focused on addressing human resource […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
