The federal government has made a number of announcements during the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at supporting agriculture and addressing food security concerns.

More COVID support needed: study

Agriculture funding has challenges beyond pandemic needs

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new report by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy says the level of federal government support offered to Canada’s agriculture sector during the COVID-19 pandemic has been inadequate. Ottawa should take additional steps to reduce the financial burden on farmers by providing additional financial assistance, ensuring a more stable […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Feds proposing to expand wage subsidy program

Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government wants to expand an emergency wage subsidy program so that all businesses suffering losses from the COVID-19 outbreak will benefit, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Friday. Morneau told a news conference that Ottawa would drop an earlier requirement stipulating that businesses needed to show a 30 per […] Read more


As with many businesses, Danielle French’s path to success wasn’t exactly straight.

Turning the dream into reality

Danielle French’s customers promote South Pond Farms, making this a social media success and a profitable farm venue

Reading Time: 7 minutes “One thing led to another,” Danielle French tells me. You wouldn’t guess it from meeting her. French has transformed a rundown 60-acre property into a highly acclaimed events venue hosting weddings, workshops and farm-to-table dinners. She’s super-organized, super-efficient and bursting with great ideas, and it seems impossible that anyone could have achieved all that without […] Read more

The logo and trading info for Corteva Agriscience displayed on the New York Stock Exchange in New York.  Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

Corteva signals hit from delayed planting in Brazil, slowing China

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters – Corteva Inc said on Thursday demand for grains and oilseeds could be hit by a delayed soybean planting in Brazil and cooling growth in China and emerging economies, sending its shares down 8 percent. Persistent dry weather has pushed out soybean planting and the use of crop protection products in Brazil, the world’s top […] Read more


The logo and trading info for Corteva Agriscience displayed on the New York Stock Exchange in New York.  Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

Corteva shares rise as profit beats on international markets

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters – Pesticide and insecticide maker Corteva Inc’s quarterly profit beat estimates as volumes and prices in its international markets rose more than expected, sending its shares up more than 8 percent . Investors cheered Corteva’s upbeat numbers, its first after separation from DowDupont in June, as they were a rare bright spot among agricultural […] Read more

agri-food technology

Investing in agri-food technology

“A very dismal state of affairs” is how one investor looks at Canada’s ag tech future

Reading Time: 4 minutes San Eng thinks the agri-food technology investment climate in Canada might improve, but a “venture capital ecosystem” must develop quickly or the nation will lose out. “The people I’ve talked to are overlooking the sector — they don’t think it’s sexy enough, which is disappointing because the potential is there,” says the serial entrepreneur who […] Read more


“For people small and starting out, you have to have relationships,” Ray Price says. “Whether it’s family, friends, bankers or workers… you have to find places to have relationships.”

The look of leadership

Known for Sunterra’s bold, future-looking moves, what traits does Ray Price see in the farmers he thinks can up their game for the 2020s?

Reading Time: 9 minutes If Japan starts handing out honourary citizenships, you better believe Ray Price will be on their short list. Already, the Alberta-born farm boy has been to the Land of the Rising Sun more than 100 times representing Sunterra, the Price family’s storied, successful and diversified business. The Prices export a majority of their pork directly […] Read more

Farmers in management groups have a 43 per cent higher operating profit, 2.2 per cent higher return on assets, and higher net worth. – VIA Research

The peer-to-peer choice

Why are more farmers joining peer-to-peer farm management and benchmarking clubs? Because it pays

Reading Time: 9 minutes Farmers are hearing more and more about peer farming groups. Maybe you even know someone personally who’s a member. That wouldn’t be surprising as these farm business management groups are growing in number across the country. They come in many shapes and sizes, but have some traits in common as well, and all share the […] Read more


Performance management pays off, says a University of Guelph associate professor. “Research shows it can improve employee performance, productivity and safety.”

The annual performance review

Does it really make sense to put employees and team members through a performance appraisal?

Reading Time: 4 minutes You’re busy, of course, so finding an excuse for not doing annual performance evaluations with employees and team members looks so very tempting. Would it really be so bad if you pushed the reviews onto the back burner? The answer is an unequivocal “yes,” according to Dr. Sara Mann, an associate professor specializing in human […] Read more

Six traits of highly effective leadership

Six traits of highly effective leadership

If we want to generate a higher return on investment (ROI) on our leadership, describing how leadership can be developed and characterizing why leadership is effective are all well and good, but what do highly effective leaders do? How do they behave? What fundamental abilities do they possess that enable them to achieve the kind[...]
Read more