Reading Time: 7 minutes It was 2017, and Kristen Ritson-Bennett was understandably overwhelmed. Ritson-Bennett is an Alberta cattle nutritionist and co-owner of a successful ruminant vitamin and mineral supplement manufacturing business. Plus she was supporting her husband Andrew in starting a second business, a veterinary clinic. And, she was pregnant with her second child. That’s when Ritson-Bennett decided to […] Read more
Program helps women take the next step in agriculture
You’re overworked already, so how can it possibly make sense to sign up for education approaches like the new ELLE program?
Beyond commodity agriculture: Business decisions for your farm
AME Management: Whatever approach you take, the aim should be to improve your bottom line
Reading Time: 4 minutes When commodity prices are on their way to finding a bottom, many producers look to change their business model away from commodity crop and livestock production. While this is not a new phenomenon, it is becoming a more important strategy as the traditional commodity strategy — i.e. to increase scale — becomes harder to execute. […] Read more
The strategic approach to managing employees
AME Management: It's important to foster a culture of employee engagement so people feel respected, motivated
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you own or manage an agricultural business of any size, you likely have a number of employees (family members or otherwise) working with you. And you have them for good reason. Employees come with many benefits, or at least they should. Employees with specialized skills can provide missing competencies and networks, allowing the business […] Read more
Strategy: The foundation of your farm
AME Management: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many businesses, in farming and elsewhere, have no formal plan. Some are happy with the result, many are not. But many discover that developing a strategic plan and carefully implementing it has two effects. First is that it helps identify the desired outcome (where you’re going, your vision for the future). Second, it identifies the […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
