Reading Time: 7 minutes Some farm managers love to spend the winter poring over their financial statements and analyzing all ratios and indicators and how they’ve changed over time. Others would rather be outside working with cattle or at conferences learning the latest disease management techniques. If you’re not in the first category, your banker might know more about […] Read more
A guide to farm financial ratios
Long lists of available financial ratios can be overwhelming. Here are three financial ratios that matter to bankers and how understanding them can strengthen your farm’s financial future
Shifting tides bring change to agriculture
Summer Series: Will short-term pain cause long-term gain for Canada’s ag industry?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Warren Buffet once said, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Well, the tide is going out in primary producer agriculture. Who will be left with clothes on? Is the shifting tide due to the highest cost of production ever? The changing policy discussions? The geopolitical factors that come […] Read more
Sell the farm or save the family legacy?
Summer Series: The growing sophistication of farm operations is reshaping farm transitions. And the unprecedented challenges these legacy businesses face demand our immediate and strategic attention.
Reading Time: 4 minutes For generations, Canadian farms have been more than businesses. They are the backbone of our national food security and rural economic infrastructure. They are also living legacies, passed down through families with pride, hard work and an intimate connection to the land. The transformation of Canadian agriculture over the past few decades has been revolutionary. […] Read more
Alternative lending options for farm businesses
Previously often perceived as a last resort, alternative lending options can help farm operators navigate short-term challenges and get back to their long-term plan
Reading Time: 6 minutes Alternative lending has had a bit of a bad rap in the past. Alternative lending is a term for non-traditional methods or channels that finance businesses outside of the traditional finance system, such as banks. The past decade has seen an increase in the number of alternative financing options designed to meet each farm operation’s […] Read more
Farming in a high-cost environment
Reading Time: 4 minutes The cost to farm in Western Canada has doubled in the past fifteen years. What was $250/acre in annual costs to farm fifteen years ago (using accrual accounting) is now $500/acre in Western Canada. Cost increases are being seen across the farm income statement including on inputs, machinery and land. The more recent spike in […] Read more
How farms can cut expenses
As we roll into the busy season, here’s a hard look at where to cut what’s inflating your expenses and eating into your profits
Reading Time: 7 minutes Input costs. Tariffs. Commodity prices. A lot of variables are moving quickly this season, and mostly not in the right direction. Monday’s short-term cash forecast scenarios are out of date by Friday, and long-term projections are anyone’s guess. What can Canadian farmers do in the short run to protect profits (and sanity) in this uncertain […] Read more
Moving your farm’s books to the cloud
Reading Time: 2 minutes As far as topics go, farm bookkeeping and office administration don’t get a lot of attention. Why would they when there’s drought and drones, multi-million-dollar farm acquisitions, trade wars, tariffs and labour disruptions to focus on instead? But it’s a subject that’s creating a bottleneck, preventing some farm operations from reaching their growth potential and […] Read more
The numbers you need to know when selling an agribusiness
Learn from an industry leader how to build and generate the total value of your farm. (Hint: it’s never only about the numbers)
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s not easy to sell a business that you’ve poured your heart and soul into. And selling an agribusiness isn’t as simple as selling a piece of equipment or land. Potential buyers must meet the owner’s criteria, often including that they must be a good bet to protect their legacy, which means they may also […] Read more
To debt, or not to debt
Debt is the big question as we head into 2025. Is more debt essential for farm success?
Reading Time: 8 minutes There are many pressures on the agriculture industry and its individual businesses. As Canadian growers and producers, our farms are expected to do more at every turn. Farms must maintain peak performance. That’s clear. And they must generate or leverage ahead-of-the-curve innovation and technology. But that’s just the start. They must also analyze and manage […] Read more
The building blocks of farm finance
Reading Time: 3 minutes In my career as a farm CPA and CFO I’ve noticed some recurring themes. Balance sheets and consolidation are increasing, debt servicing and cash – flow are top issues, and assets and growth are becoming more expensive Typically, advisors, consultants and fractional CFOs are engaged at the top of what I refer to as the […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
