New Brunswick farmer Norm Bradford found that painting artworks in winter helped him get through the long, dark days.

Finding your passion project

What to do with your time off? There are plenty of options that have nothing to do with the farm

Reading Time: 6 minutes Farming is more than a career, it’s an identity. Which, up to a point, is a good thing. But the evidence is in, and it says that if the farm takes too much of your time and too much of your energy, that’s not good for your mental health, or for the health of your […] Read more

"Having fun is NOT a selfish act,” says psychologist Michael Rucker. In fact, it makes us more productive.

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


“I fundamentally believe in farmers and ranchers and their ability to make the world better.” – James Rebanks with son Isaac, Lake District, U.K.

U.K. author explores regenerative practices on farm

James Rebanks’s first novel celebrated traditional practices, but since publication, he’s been looking for better ways to farm

Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – James Rebanks is proud of his farming heritage — in fact, he wrote a best-selling novel featuring traditional farming practices in the U.K. But he wants to do better. Rebanks is from the Lake District of the U.K., an area popular with tourists because of the rolling mountains inset with sapphire-blue lakes. […] Read more

“The nature of our problems determines the quality of our lives,” writer Mark Manson says in one of the most popular books of this generation.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a …

Guide Books Review: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Subtle Art of Not Giving a … A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good LifeBy Mark Manson Let’s start with a warning to would-be readers of this book: if you’re offended by f-bombs and a few other swear-y words, you’ll want to give it a miss. But if you choose to read The Subtle […] Read more


Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfil your potential

Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfil your potential

Guide Books Review: Creating a 'culture of development' is essential

Reading Time: 3 minutes Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfil your potentialBy Dr. Carol S. Dweck Failure can be difficult to handle, especially if you’ve always been told that you are smart. Failure can also be problematic if you feel that everything you do will always be deeply scrutinized and evaluated. It’s all on you. Worse, you […] Read more

Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)

Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)

Guide Books Review: How having even one difficult person can ruin an entire team

Reading Time: 4 minutes By Amy GalloHarvard Business Review Press Farming is seldom a solo venture. Not only do the older and the younger generations overlap but as farms get bigger and more complex, more employees get hired too, so learning to work with others is essential. Negative relationships are bad for business. We know this, but there’s still […] Read more


"We seem to have slipped into an abyss where we have lost our shared humanity.” – Jay Remer.

Bringing back civility

In a world that is losing its manners, the next step is yours

Reading Time: 5 minutes Incidents of road rage are up. So are aggressive speeding and dangerous driving. Meanwhile, politicians are receiving death threats, even in rural municipalities, and we see so much lashing out at one another on social media. Is incivility rampant in our society today? It can certainly feel that way. What happened to the good manners […] Read more

“The results are both gratifying and profitable,” says Grandin, whose book generates insights even for lifelong farmers.

Temple Grandin’s Guide to Working with Farm Animals

Guide Books Review: Safe, Humane Livestock Handling Practices for the Small Farm

Reading Time: 3 minutes Temple Grandin’s Guide to Working with Farm Animals: Safe, Humane Livestock Handling Practices for the Small FarmBy Temple GrandinStorey Publishing, 192 pages What if there was a way to get inside your animals’ brains to figure out what they’re thinking and why they act in the (frustrating!) ways that they do? You can do exactly […] Read more


Book covers, clockwise from upper left: ‘Everything is…’ (Supplied), ‘Difficult Conversations’ (Penguin Books), ‘Farmer’s Office’ (Supplied), ‘Think Like…’ (Supplied).

Great books to give as a gift for Christmas

Guide Books Review: With the season just around the corner, here are my four ideas for the farm-business reader on your list

Reading Time: 3 minutes Everything is FigureoutableBy Marie Forleo If there’s one thing farming is lousy with, it’s those “head scratchers” that stop you in your tracks until you figure things out. Forleo’s book is based on the premise that every challenge has a solution and that everything is “figureoutable.” Her approach helps you counter the thoughts that act […] Read more

Want your team to function at an even higher level? Focus on their mindset, not on their behaviour ... really!

The Outward Mindset

Guide Books Review: How to Change Lives and Transform Organizations

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Outward Mindset: How to Change Lives and Transform OrganizationsThe Arbinger InstituteBerrett-Koehler Publishers Do you ever think about how you think? I know it sounds flighty at first but it really is important because the way you think — whether it’s with an outward or an inward mindset — can determine the success of your […] Read more