a photo of Vicki Brisson

Youth motivated to find answers to today’s agricultural challenges

Summer Series 'Making the future': Exploring the perspectives and experiences of young up-and-comers in various sectors of Canada’s agriculture industry

Reading Time: 4 minutes This is the first in a series of articles exploring the perspectives and experiences of young people who are finding their passion, flexing their skills and contributing their insights and innovations to various sectors of Canada’s agriculture industry. They shared with Country Guide what excites them about the industry, what they think about its future […] Read more

two farmers standing in a field crop with a green combine in the background

Leaders need support, too

Summer Series: Today’s ag leaders shoulder a heavy mental and emotional load. Despite their stoic leadership skills team members must remember that sometimes their leader needs support, too

Reading Time: 4 minutes “Leaders are expected to remain composed, to offer reassurance and to be a safe harbour for their teams… it can be draining,” says Jennifer MacTavish, a Guelph, Ont., executive coach and mediator.  This can lead to burnout, especially during times of uncertainty. MacTavish, who spent 20 years in leadership roles with agricultural industry associations, has […] Read more


Farmer in blue jeans and a hoodie walking toward a red combine.

Great farm leaders have dirt under their fingernails

Summer Series: Agriculture has had its share of great leaders. But what happens to the industry when the leadership pool starts to dry up?

Reading Time: 2 minutes I don’t believe that leaders are born. I believe they are made. I also believe that we are on the cusp of losing a significant amount of leadership in agriculture.  Canadian and U.S. farmer demographics indicate that approximately 65 per cent of the industry is in the exit strategy stage. We are about to lose […] Read more

Silos and trees cast long shadows in fog at sunrise, scenic rural landscape, aerial view.

VIDEO: Building a farm that outlasts you

Summer Series: Legacy isn’t about control. It’s about leading today in a way that creates strength, curiosity and clarity for tomorrow’s owners

Reading Time: 3 minutes Legacy runs deep in agriculture. It’s not just about the land. It’s also about the family name, the farm’s story, the values and the impact that continue long after the current owner has stepped away from the day-to-day. For most farm leaders there comes a time when the question arises: What happens to the operation […] Read more


greg stamp and rob graf at a winter wheat field

Build your farm with these entrepreneurial skills 

Summer Series: Today’s farm owners need to be on top of their game like never before — and it all starts with the right skills

Reading Time: 9 minutes “Farming is an important, low-margin business that has got to be fine-tuned like a guitar to make beautiful music.” This insight comes from Kim McConnell, someone who knows about business success — and how to make that beautiful music. After a long career in the agriculture industry, the former founder of AdFarm is still mentoring […] Read more

Many of the producers I work with feel like they’re “just doing what needs to be done.” They don’t necessarily see themselves as leaders, but they are. – Arlen Motz.

VIDEO: How to be the best leader for your farm

Summer Series: Being a leader isn’t just about a fancy business title. It’s about leading by example, inspiring and empowering those around you. How can you lead more intentionally on your farm?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Since I was a kid, I was told to never put gas in a diesel engine. Have you ever done that? I admit that I did.  The hardest part wasn’t the cleanup, the cost, or the inconvenience.  The hardest part was admitting what I did. Owning this mistake took me down two very different roads.  […] Read more


Two couples walking beside a corn field

Taming monsters: When farm succession rears its head

Summer Series: With today’s access to capital and cost of land, many farms have grown beyond the point of “built to sell.” What happens when infrastructure and land holdings are too big for an exit strategy?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Family farms were less complex when I was growing up and farming in the 1980s through the early 2000s.  Decisions were made in thousands of dollars, not millions. Summers were spent at the lake, not in the cab of a sprayer. It was a great way of life, one that shaped my attitudes and behaviours.  […] Read more

A blurred figure of a farmer carrying a blue bucket moves swiftly past a row of cows in a dairy barn

When motion doesn’t equal action

Farmers are busy. But does all the busy-ness mean that you’re getting things done?

Reading Time: 3 minutes After a busy day, have you ever looked back and thought, “What did I get done today? Did I check anything off my must-do list?” As author James Clear said so perfectly: “Being in motion (busy) does not equal action.” In the coaching world we call busy days “buffer days” since they act as a […] Read more


two farmers standing beside a canola field

The farmer’s playbook

Consider these plays to arrive, thrive and survive in 2025

Reading Time: 3 minutes Walmart turns over its on-shelf inventory 9.4 times every calendar year. But farmers only get one kick at the can. In fact, it has been said that over a farmer’s career many will only hit a home run about seven times. That means the variance for errors is very small, and the planning component in […] Read more

When you think about your current situation, what’s the ideal outcome or end game?

When farm plans fail

If you’ve been talking for years about planning something for the farm, maybe it’s time to look at why you’re stuck

Reading Time: 3 minutes “It’s been 10 years, and we still don’t have a plan.” If this sounds like something you’ve said to yourself, have you also asked, “Why don’t we?” Ten years talking about making a plan but still not having it written down, or not making any real changes in the way your farm operates, can be […] Read more