Reading Time: 2 minutes A new study by Cornell University agricultural economists says family members who work on the family dairy farm make $22,000 less annually than comparable hired managers, but are handsomely compensated with “socioemotional” wealth. “While $22,000 seems like a large penalty, there are non-financial rewards they experience working for the family business,” Loren Tauer, professor at […] Read more
Farm kids: Don’t worry about wages
Which personality types are best for your farm business?
Personality testing can be a surprisingly easy and useful tool in your farm business
Reading Time: 5 minutes Have you ever wondered why one family member considers it the end of the world when another family member leaves an empty water bottle in the combine? Or why, knowing this, another family member will check the cab and toss out the offending bottle in order to keep the peace, while another family member will […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Where is this flight heading?
When the tourist brochure arrived, it looked so innocent
Reading Time: 5 minutes You’re really sure this is a good idea?” Dale asked his wife. “Dale, I’ve had the tickets since December,” Donna said. Then her phone beeped and she looked down at the screen in her hand while she kept talking. “It’s a little late to go changing my mind now. I’d let the other women down. […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Please answer the phone!
By the morning of the third day, Dale Hanson was worried
Reading Time: 4 minutes “I don’t know why he’s not answering his phone,” Dale said to his wife Donna. “Remember the last time you got all worked up about Ed not answering the phone?” Donna said, looking up from her magazine. “He was at a fish fry in the trailer court.” The first year his father had packed up […] Read more
Farming families and communication skills on the farm
There are times when it’s best to treat each other like business associates instead of family
Reading Time: 4 minutes While everyone seems to agree that good communication is essential for success on today’s multi-generational farms, many of us don’t seem to be making much progress. That’s not surprising to Reg Shandro, a Lacombe, Alta. mediator who specializes in helping farm families. After all, we get very little education on how to become good communicators, […] Read more
Inheriting the family farm as a gift
Succession in Agriculture: High land prices are driving innovation in how to distribute your land
Reading Time: 6 minutes Farming without some startup help from your family can definitely mean an uphill climb. But getting the gift of a farm inheritance isn’t always such a blessing either. Many farmers will tell you it would have been impossible for them to get started in the business if it hadn’t been for a “hometown discount” from […] Read more
Avoiding intergenerational conflict in farm families
The generation gap is coming back with a vengeance, and farm families need to watch out
Reading Time: 6 minutes The concept called the “generation gap” might not have become a buzzphrase until the ’60s, but undoubtedly there have been generational differences as long as there has been history. So why should today be any different? In fact, however, today may be exactly that — different. With the current speed of cultural and technological change, […] Read more
Are Canadian farmers ready for the succession challenge?
HR toolkit designed to assist farmers with transition and to help ensure the farm's continued success
Reading Time: 6 minutes Succession planning has become a pretty sexy topic in agriculture. Every hip and trendy professional office for farmers is mailing out their own shiny leaflet to everyone they know about it, and no self-respecting event planner would even think of hosting an agricultural conference without at least one workshop on transferring the farm to the […] Read more
You want to fire Dad?
There's almost always a better solution, says our panel of experts. Try these strategies to get everyone living happily together again
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a movie standard. When the mob turns angry, they start wielding pitchforks. Whether it’s a monster that incites them or an invading army, when the local population goes berserk, and when they suddenly get transformed into nightmarish creatures of violence, the first thing they reach for is the nearest farm implement. It’s a scene […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
