At one of their first business meetings on their farm, Betty Green served coffee and cake to everyone present, including her son. When he put the plate on the floor beside him, Green admonished him, telling him to put it in the sink instead.

Her son turned to her and said “Mom, we are in a business meeting!”

“That was a big ‘aha’ moment,” Green says, and she remembers realizing “he’s right because in here I am not Mom, I am his business partner.”

It has become a key learning. In their farm meetings, it’s important for everyone to take off their family hat and address each other in a professional way.

“It’s a mindset,” Green says today. “If you can get into that, it changes everything. When we have business meetings now with our grandson, who is farming with us, we see him as the crops manager, and that really does have an impact.”

Besides being co-owner of the family’s cattle ranch near Fisher Branch, Green is former provincial co-ordinator of the Verified Beef Plus program in Manitoba, past chair of the Manitoba Beef Producers and she was a 4-H leader for many years.

Through their involvement in the beef industry, she and husband, Robert, had come to realize how important business meetings can be and they began several years ago to hold monthly sessions on the farm.

“Business meetings are important in terms of building trust between partners and maintaining a level of communication that you think you have on a day-to-day basis, but you don’t,” Green says

If done properly, she says, business meetings give each participant a voice and formalizes their roles and responsibilities. “Without those opportunities,” Green says, “you can lull yourself into going day-by-day and never having those higher-level discussions.”

Green’s advice for anyone starting out with family business meetings is to open your mind and just try it because it’s a chance to step back and look at the business with a more professional and critical view, and you might be surprised by what you see.

“You will see, first of all, how well you’re doing and secondly, where there are places that you are able to improve,” Green says. “I know it’s daunting for some people who haven’t had a lot of experience at meetings but my advice would be, don’t make it so formal that you feel uncomfortable. Make it work for you.”

Before you meet up

Through experience, Betty Green has learned tips and tricks so your first family business meeting will be successful. The goal is to ensure the meeting is run smoothly and is as productive and valuable as possible to everyone involved.

1. DECIDE WHO SHOULD BE AT THE MEETINGS
This is a big one. Do you limit it to family members directly responsible for day-to-day operations on the farm or do you include extended family and in-laws even if they are not actively involved?

To make that decision, it helps to think in advance about what types of issues and decisions need to be a part of the regular business meetings versus those, such as transition planning, that might better be dealt with in a different context or set of discussions.

The Greens have decided that only actual business partners attend the business meetings.

“We don’t include spouses who work off the farm and don’t have a lot of interest in the farm,” Green says. “If we decide that we need additional professional support for an issue — for example, financial or veterinary advice — we rely on the person responsible for that area to contact the support and bring that information back to the next meeting.

When it comes to succession planning, they treat it as a separate discussion, and they either bring everyone in or sit down with each individual separately for those discussions.

Ultimately, though, every family situation and dynamic is different, Green emphasizes, so it’s about finding a system that works best for you

2. SET A TIME, A PLACE AND AN AGENDA
How often should you meet? Whatever your answer, Green believes, it’s important to hold the meetings regularly, and that everyone knows they need to set aside that time and date in their calendars. 

An agenda is also essential to keep the meeting on track and make sure nothing is overlooked.

“The agenda, preferably circulated ahead of time, should include requests for updates from the last meeting. If there’s something that’s outstanding, or hasn’t been decided, the agenda does two things: It gives the person that was responsible for that item a chance to bring forward what they’ve found out, or if someone forgot to do something, it’s a way of reminding them in time so they are prepared for the meeting,” Green says.

Some people advocate having business meetings off the farm, or at least not in the place where the family gets together to share meals. The Greens still meet in Betty and Robert’s home on the farm, but have learned to make sure the meeting is differentiated in some way.

“When we first started having meetings, I thought it was a good idea to do it over a meal, but that didn’t work for us because it doesn’t differentiate from the family, and it’s distracting for me because I am one of the partners,” Green says. “We still meet in our home because that’s where the office is, which makes the financials and business files easily accessible.”

3. USE PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE
Probably one of the biggest things farm families struggle with is separating their family and professional relationships. However, the Greens find that using a different language can help.

“We haven’t done it yet but one thing I am determined to try is using first names,” Green says. “I believe it will remind our grandson that he is a true business partner. He knows that, but I think that would send an important signal.”

4. COME PREPARED
Each person should come prepared to give an update on their particular area of responsibility, but that doesn’t mean they need to go into minute details.

“If the crop manager is talking about the crop plan, he might propose what crops to grow and where, but not to the level of what variety he is planning to grow,” Green says. “The recommendation keeps everyone informed and offers a chance for discussion, but you don’t need to get down to the weeds.”

Not only does this keep the meeting on track and avoid time-wasting, it also allows each person a chance to grow into their role and to build trust in their capabilities, Green says.

5. LET EACH EXPERT TAKE THE LEAD
Instead of having a rigid structure with a chair for the meeting, the Green family prefers a system where each person has the lead for a specific role (i.e. crop management, herd health, financial reporting) and takes a turn giving an update for their area of responsibility. 

“I know what the importance of a chair is in a meeting, but I believe it can stifle the growth of leaders in the small setting that we often have on the farm,” Green says. “When you’ve got new people coming in, you want them to grow into their roles without always deferring. A big problem with farm families is that the younger generation feel they have to defer to the senior members.”

Discussing all aspects of the farm operation provides an opportunity for some cross-training and engagement in all aspects of the farm. That will be invaluable as the succession approaches. 

By having each person take the floor and provide a report to the others, it gives everyone a moment of leadership, Green adds.

6. STAY ON TRACK
Stick to the agenda. It’s okay to discuss issues, ask questions, make suggestions and request more information to make sure that you understand an issue fully, but it’s not productive to start micromanaging another person’s area of expertise. 

“On herd management I might say, ‘We’re going to stick with the same herd health protocol, is there anything I’m missing?’” Green says. “Then someone might bring up that they have heard of a potential problem with an area and suggest considering that. I take that recommendation, do the ground work, consult with our veterinarian and then report back.”

7. ACHIEVE CONSENSUS
Business meetings can be very structured and formal or they can be more fluid and flexible when it comes to making decisions, but for the Green family, what’s important is reaching consensus.

“Some people can get overwhelmed by meeting protocol and family meetings don’t have to be like that,” Green says. “We don’t have votes. We work on the level of consensus and we’ve found that works for us.” 

8. TAKE MINUTES
Minutes record what was decided and who is going to do what and when. It holds each person accountable by reminding them what they have committed to do.

Someone will also have to take responsibility for taking minutes and making sure the agenda is circulated well in advance of the meeting. This ensures everyone comes better prepared for their own reporting segments, and that they know what other items are going to be discussed so they can think about questions they may have before the meeting.

This role can rotate among family members or it can be assigned to one person, but it’s crucial that the job get done if the meetings are to be efficient and productive.

Says Green, “Effective communication is the key to success for any business, and regular business meetings help build the foundation for it.”

– This article was originally published in the October 2022 issue of Country Guide.

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“There’s a number of loud voices that tend to dominate the conversations,” says Ian McCreary, a grain and cattle farmer from Bladworth, Sask. McCreary is co-leading the Prairie Farmer and Rancher Forum with Gord Bacon, former CEO of Pulse Canada. Farmers for Climate Solutions is organizing the forum.

McCreary says many of the innovative farmers and ranchers aren’t talking to each other about what they’re doing to improve sustainability on their farms. The forum organizers plan to bring together 36 randomly selected producers for three meetings, held in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Each meeting will run over two-and-a-half days.

Some producers will have received invitations in the mail, but other producers from the three Prairie provinces are welcome to register as well. The more people who register, the more representative it will be of western Canadian viewpoints, McCreary says.

Producers do not need to hold any particular view on the environment or climate change to participate, but they must earn most of their income from farming or ranching, and be able to attend all three forums. Forum organizers expect to recruit people with diverse opinions.

McCreary’s wife, Mary Smiley, is facilitating the discussions, and her goal will be to set the tone “to make sure that everybody, regardless of how much their opinions differ, treat each other respectfully,” says McCreary.

Participating producers will also get a phone call before the first session to ask questions, so forum organizers can build the agenda around those questions, he adds.

“And then similarly, the agenda for the second set of meetings will be determined by the discussions and the questions that come out of the first set of meetings.”

McCreary says that to some extent they’ll be able to manage diverse views “by answering people’s questions, providing information and creating an environment where people who disagree with each other can have respectful conversations about ideas that have the potential to work for more than just individuals.”

McCreary sees a few potential outcomes from the forums. One is a report that outlines how to create a more sustainable future. Another is a network of farmers and ranchers who are trying new things, who can discuss what works and what doesn’t on their operations. He also hopes to find a practical way to measure gains in sustainability on the farm.

“You can’t measure nitrous oxide coming off your fields. You can’t measure methane coming off your cattle herd and it’s really difficult to know the volume of carbon dioxide that came from the nitrogen fertilizer that you used and that was produced.”

McCreary is no stranger to farm politics, having been a Canadian Wheat Board director for 10 years and having chaired a community pasture patrons association. Afte that, he decided to take a break from farm boards, unless it was focused on long-term sustainability or relations with First Nations.

While combining one day, he got a call from someone asking if he’d be interested in chairing a task force looking at climate solutions for the farm. At first he tried to deflect the request, but then looked into who else was involved.

The people involved weren’t interested in “screaming and sort of waving placards. They’re interested in trying to find solutions. And so I agreed to chair this task force.”

Farmers for Climate Solutions is a relatively young organization focused on the science around climate, as well as what’s practical for producers. Part of McCreary’s focus is keeping it as grounded as he could on Prairie issues, as it’s difficult for people from the Maritimes or Vancouver Island “to understand how vast the Prairies are.”

Interested producers can register online or by calling 1-833-537-1758. The registration deadline is Nov. 28. More information is available on the FCS website.

— Lisa Guenther is editor of Canadian Cattlemen.

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It feels great, so, when the advisor packs up after the last meeting and stops at the door with a final reminder to keep the dialogue going, the right words get said. “Of course we will … you bet.”

More and more often, though, those future meetings get postponed, or they never even get called. Within a year, there are signs the family is sliding back into the old uncommunicative rut, with all that implies both for the farm and for the family. Eventually, they may even be back on the phone, calling the advisor for help again.

The advisor, for their part, will have a good idea of the answer to the next question before they even ask it. “What kind of progress have you made talking at your family meetings?”

When the phone rings

The frustrating part, says Ontario farm advisor Len Davies, who gets his share of these phone calls, is that most times, everyone involved in managing the farm agrees that business meetings are important and they know they should be doing them.

But they don’t follow through.

“It’s something they were never in the habit of doing,” Davies says. “In a lot of cases they are in the habit of working in the business instead of working on the business.”

In today’s more sophisticated, multi-generational agriculture, open communication is vital to the success of any plan, whether it’s a business, strategic or succession plan for the farm. But there’s more to it than that, too.

In fact, Davies tells his clients, if the farm isn’t evolving in this direction, you have to wonder if it knows where it’s going.

Four better

Spurr Brothers Farms, just in from the Fundy coast in central Nova Scotia, holds seven different types of meeting. Davies would tell you it doesn’t really matter where it is, or what kind of farm it is, but in this case, Spurr Brothers is a busy fruit and vegetable operation that includes a packing house, a farm market, and a new cider brewing facility.

It’s a family that sees a strong communications strategy as vital, says CEO Lisa Jenereaux, who farms with her dad Bill, brothers John and William, and cousin Katie on the farm started by their great-great grandfather in 1875. For Spurr Brothers, meetings mean having everybody on the same page. And having everybody on the same page means they all know what the objectives are for the year and how they will get there, all based on a plan that they kick-start in the off-season every year.

“The first thing we do is lay out the communication strategy,” says Jenereaux. “We sit down and agree upon the type of meetings we need to have, who needs to be at those meetings and how long they should be.”

Davies says there are three basic types of meetings that a farm business must have to stay on track: short, informal daily meetings that deal with the immediate production needs; a longer management meeting maybe once a week or twice a month that looks at what needs to get done over the next few weeks; and a half-day strategic meeting held three or four times a year where everyone reviews the goals they have set for the next five or 10 years and makes sure they are on track to achieve them.

The Spurrs have built out their meeting approach, but they are similarly focused on how different meetings have different purposes and should be done differently.

For meetings held frequently, like their daily check-in, the goal is to keep them to 30 minutes to an hour. “They can be by text or in person,” Jenereaux says. “They’re just to make sure everybody knows what they’re responsible for by checking in with each other.”

The biweekly farm meetings are for preparing for what’s coming up in the next two weeks. As well, in the springtime, biweekly workshop meetings are held to get the equipment lined up and ready for the season.

In addition, the family also have monthly meetings specifically for the farm market as well as a bimonthly general farm update that all family members who are actively involved in the farm attend.

“Because we don’t have everybody at every meeting, the farm update makes sure we didn’t miss anything and keeps everybody updated,” Jenereaux says. “It’s short, just half an hour.”

Most recently the farm has implemented vision meetings three times a year. These focus on the strategy for where the business is going and they ensure everyone is informed and in agreement with the bigger picture.

Plus there are shareholders meetings twice a year to present the financial information.

It may seem like a lot of meetings, but Jenereaux says having this many, and keeping them efficient, makes managing all the farm’s multiple enterprises more efficient. At each meeting, they are able to only deal with the issues at hand and not go off topic.

Spurr Brothers Farms has been doing meetings a long time, and also worked with Davies to help refine the structure of their communication, business and governance plans, so Country Guide asked both for their insights on how to set up effective meetings.

1. Have an agenda and a time limit

An agenda is something no important meeting should be without, says Davies because it’s easy to have a beef about something, but not always as easy to actually bring it up in a meeting. An agenda ensures any issues are going to be dealt with and no-one is broadsided by them.

“Once someone takes a position it’s hard to change, so by asking everyone what they want to talk about, putting it in an agenda, and getting it out before the meeting, people know what’s going to be talked about,” he says. “It gives time to see where people are coming from so, we don’t get a standoff at the meeting.”

“It’s important to have a time frame for the meeting,” Jenereaux agrees. “You need somebody (a chair) at the meeting to keep people on track of the agenda because it’s so easy, especially with family, to go off on tangents. Other items that come up get moved to different meetings with more appropriate time slots for that discussion. That helps keep us on track … we’re not perfect at it, but everyone’s busy so we’ve got to be mindful of the time that we’re spending.”

2. Have a chair and a champion

The meeting chair is a vital role. It doesn’t matter who does it but they need to be organized, respected and reasonably strong-willed. In Davies’ experience it’s often Mom who takes on that role.

“I find in over half the cases it’s usually the mothers because the mothers have more concern about the family getting along than the dads who are business-driven,” he says. “I find mothers a lot of times do the best job. But whoever the chairperson is, they should always open and close the meeting on a positive note.

“When they open the meeting, they should talk about the good things that have happened since the last time they met. When they close the meeting, they could ask what everyone appreciated most about this meeting. All of a sudden, there are four or five people in the room saying it was a good meeting; otherwise they go away focused on the problems.”

Davies generally recommends two separate roles, and that the person chairing the meeting — especially when it comes to a longer-term strategic or vision meeting —should not be the same person as the meeting “champion.”

So what does the meeting champion do?

The champion could be a family member or an employee and they are responsible for arranging the meeting date and time. They are also responsible for checking in with everyone before the meeting to ensure everyone attends, and it’s also their job to circulate the agenda ahead of time and take minutes at the meeting.

3. Decide who needs to attend

Also key is to make sure that the people who need to be there — but only the people who need to be there — are at each meeting.

It’s something that Jenereaux says Spurr Brothers learned by trial and error over
the years.

“That changes depending on your business, who’s on the farm at the time and what people are doing, but again, especially with a family farm, everybody thinks that they need to be included in every meeting and that can bog down your meetings,” she says.

“You need the people that are making the decisions at those meetings and that’s part of the reason why we have general farm updates to keep the people who are not at every meeting in the loop.”

4. Define roles and responsibilities

When Spurr Brothers Farms wanted to determine who needed to attend which meetings, a big help came from going through the exercise of establishing roles and responsibilities for everyone, something they did with Davies’ help.

“It’s a list of who is responsible for what, down to every single line item,” Jenereaux says. “It creates accountability for decisions, and we don’t have a lot of disagreements because everybody knows who is responsible for a particular item.”

But once those responsibilities are defined, it’s also important to allow each person the breathing room to make day-to-day decisions, she adds.

“We all like to micromanage everybody else’s jobs a lot of times and what we’re trying to do is give everybody their space to make decisions, or you don’t learn,” Jenereaux says. “They are going to make mistakes, but they’re also accountable for that, so if they make a wrong decision, we can talk about that in a meeting.”

5. Use a governance plan

Another important tool for avoiding disagreements is to develop a governance plan that deals more with the personal aspects of the business.

“For example,” says Davies, “everybody understands they get two weeks holidays a year and you don’t take them in May and June. Everybody understands anyone can use the farm pickup truck.

“It’s about how we use the corporate assets, how we’re going to interact with each other,” Davies says. “If you don’t have a governance plan, you don’t talk about it, you complain to your spouse, and the spouse gets angry at the other person.”

But, Davies adds, “It’s a living document so you should review it once or twice a year and keep it up to date.”

6. Create a common strategy

Of course, the larger decisions that have a longer impact, and that often involve spending serious money, can be a bit more contentious and that’s why the vision (i.e. the “strategic”) meetings are so important.

“We just did an exercise where we had everybody come to the table and say where do you want to be in two, five and 10 years,” Jenereaux says. “Everyone shared what they thought the farm was going to look like and what their role is in that. It helps everybody to see if we are all on the same page or not, because if you are, generally speaking, you’re going to come to some agreement about decisions.

“If you’re not on the same page, it’s going to end up being majority wins, and that’s not how I like to see us make decisions because it creates conflict. The question we always ask is, will that (decision) get us closer to our goal or is it going to pull us further from our goal.”

7. Define a structure for communications

“Without the structure in place, things get chaotic and then people can start to get unsettled or discontented because they don’t know what’s going on,” Jenereaux says. “They are assuming things about decisions being made that may not necessarily be true because they don’t have the background knowledge. For a family business, these are people you work with but they’re also the people that you spend holidays with and do special things with, so it’s even more important that you keep that line of communication open with them.”

8. Make meetings a safe place

Meetings, especially with family members, also need to be a safe space where people feel comfortable sharing what’s on their minds.

“You don’t want what you discuss to leave the room, the meetings are confidential, everybody knows that, and so people know that they can express things that they’re not happy about without negative repercussions,” Jenereaux says. “Everybody needs to say what’s on their mind and get that out and in the open, but we also need to do that in a respectful way.”

9. Make sure each meeting has a purpose

“When you leave the meeting there should be action items and timelines on what you’re doing; otherwise what did you accomplish besides just having coffee time and chatting?” Jenereaux says. “You need to have outcomes for every meeting.”

Davies suggests drawing up an activity plan which can be a simple spreadsheet that shows who should be doing what and acts as a reminder, especially for the things that are not day-to-day.

10. Take it slow, don’t give up

If the Spurr family might make it sound easy, Jenereaux is the first to admit that it’s hard to do meetings and even harder to do them well.

“It’s takes discipline to make it work, so don’t give up,” Jenereaux says. “Sometimes, you are going to fail. We fail all the time, we’re not the role model for meetings. We are great in the wintertime and early spring, and then in late spring, summer and fall we are going off the rails a lot of times. We’ll miss meetings, and that’s going to happen, and instead of beating ourselves up that we didn’t do everything that we said that we were going to do, we regroup when we have time and just try again the next year to do a little better than we did before.”

The post A plan for successful farm meetings appeared first on Country Guide.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner are due to fly to Mexico City on Tuesday to try to pin down final details of the agreement, an administration official told Reuters late Monday afternoon.

Congressional aides and industry sources said that a proposed deal has been sent to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will make the final decision on whether and when to bring the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (CUSMA) to a vote.

“We’re studying the proposal,” a senior Democratic aide told Reuters, adding that there was not yet an agreement to announce.

The Mexican government has also invited Canada’s deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, to Mexico City, a Mexican official said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office on Monday said Freeland would also be in Mexico City on Tuesday to “participate in meetings with the United States and Mexico on NAFTA.”

CUSMA, which would replace the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), encompasses US$1.2 trillion in annual trade across the continent. Its backers say it is responsible for 12 million U.S. jobs and a third of all U.S. agricultural exports.

It needs to be approved by lawmakers in all three countries. In the United States, Democrats have so far been reluctant to stage a vote that would give a political victory to Republican President Donald Trump.

And time is running out for a vote before year end. Lawmakers from both parties said that waiting until next year could make it more difficult to ratify, because the presidential election campaign — and perhaps impeachment proceedings against Trump — will be in full swing.

Many on Capitol Hill were reluctant to declare that a deal had been struck. Since negotiations to replace NAFTA first started in August 2017, deals have been imminent numerous times, only to be delayed by last-minute hitches.

Leaders of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico signed the initial CUSMA agreement more than a year ago, but since then, Democrats controlling the House have pressed for changes to strengthen the enforcement of new labour standards and relax data protections for biologic drugs that they fear will mean higher drug prices.

Pelosi is scheduled to meet on Monday evening with senior House Democrats who have been working on changes to the pact, a Democratic House aide said.

Lighthizer last week also added a new demand — that the trade deal strengthen the automotive rules origin to include steel and aluminum that is “melted and poured” in North America.

The prior requirement that 70 per cent of the steel and aluminum in North American cars come from the region did not specify a production method, opening the door to the used of semi-finished metals from China and elsewhere.

Trump, who blamed NAFTA for the loss of millions of U.S. factory jobs during his 2016 re-election campaign and vowed to quit or renegotiate it, said Monday that “a lot of strides have been made over the last 24 hours” on CUSMA.

“I’m hearing very good things. I’m hearing from unions and others that it’s looking good,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump spoke earlier with AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka about the CUSMA negotiations, a person familiar with the call said.

Trumka, one of the most powerful U.S. labour leaders, has been a major party to the negotiations, pushing for stronger labour enforcement provisions that ensure Mexican workers are allowed to unionize.

Trumka earlier told the Washington Post that there was a deal on CUSMA that he was reviewing with his executive committee.

“We have pushed them hard and have done quite well,” Trumka was cited as saying by the Post.

Neither Trumka nor an AFL-CIO spokeswoman responded to queries about the pact or the phone call with Trump.

Mexican senators endorse changes

Details of the proposed changes have not been disclosed. Mexican officials rejected U.S. demands to allow U.S. factory inspectors to supervise labour enforcement, but have said that Mexico would allow panels of experts and a third party to review labour standards.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday said that Mexican senators had endorsed changes to CUSMA that had been accepted by Mexico. He urged Pelosi to move forward with a vote on the trade deal.

U.S. Senate finance committee chairman Charles Grassley spoke with USTR’s Lighthizer about the pact on Monday and is hoping for a deal announcement soon, said Grassley’s spokesman, Michael Zona.

Congress had been scheduled to leave Washington by the end of this week, but consideration of spending and defense bills is likely to keep lawmakers working for a few more days beyond that.

“We have to bring this to an end,” Johns Hopkins University professor Jonathan Sands, who directs the university’s Center for Canadian Studies, said of CUSMA approval. “Every part of the trade debate is up in the air right now, with the trade war on China and trade tensions with Europe ramping up.”

U.S.-China trade talks are set to come to a head this week. New U.S. tariffs on some US$156 billion worth of Chinese consumer goods are due to take effect on Sunday unless an interim deal is reached before then.

— Reporting for Reuters by David Lawder and Sharay Angulo; additional reporting by Richard Cowan, David Shepardson, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal; writing by David Lawder. Includes files from Glacier FarmMedia Network staff.

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Again this year, the venues and opportunities for learning and gaining insight — be it on new equipment, new agronomic trends, or new markets — continue to broaden the horizons of farmers and industry stakeholders alike.

There’s just so much more to glean and absorb out there.

Once again for the start of 2017, Country Guide provides the following quick reference of meetings and conferences running to March. It’s worth noting that many of these events require registration in advance, and many come with admission fees. For more detailed information on most of the events featured here, visit the accompanying website links provided.

January

24th Annual Southwest Agricultural Conference

Wednesday, January 4 and Thursday, January 5, 2017
University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus
Ridgetown, Ont.

• The Southwest Agricultural Conference returns in January with another outstanding lineup of speakers and numerous educational opportunities, as “Tradition Meets Innovation.” Featured speakers include Jerry Carroll, who is expected to harvest a bumper crop of hilarity and wisdom as he shares stories of growing up on the family farm, and Greg Peterson, with his parody videos and experiences. Overall, more than 40 sessions will cover topics including precision agriculture, maximizing yield, nutrient management, cover crops and soil organic matter, all served up with the traditional trade show and Taste Ontario reception.

www.southwestagconference.ca

Salon de l’agriculture

Tuesday, January 17 to Thursday, January 19, 2017
Espace St-Hyacinthe
Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.

• Check the schedule for the many exhibits and presentations available in one location during Quebec’s annual three-day showcase.

www.salondelagriculture.com

The Beef Symposium

Saturday, January 21, 2017
Rozanski Hall, University of Guelph
Guelph, Ont.

• This year, the program will feature livestock keynote speaker Dr. Tim McAllister, principal research scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge Research and Development Centre. McAllister is respected internationally for his work on antimicrobial resistance, beef cattle nutrition, silage science, greenhouse gas emissions, E. coli O157:H7 and prion science.

www.farmsmartconference.com

Ontario Canola Growers Association Annual Meeting

Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Nottawasaga Inn
Alliston, Ont.

• Speakers will include the hilarious Brenda Robinson on “Addressing the Intergenerational Gap,” Angela Brackenreed on “Increasing Profit by Reducing Harvest Losses,” and John Heard on “Understanding Your Soil for Optimal Performance.”

www.ontariocanolagrowers.ca

Annual Convention of the Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario (LICO)

Wednesday, January 25 and Thursday, January 26, 2017
Best Western-Lamplighter Inn
London, Ont.

• The convention brings together those involved in farm drainage in Ontario, including drainage contractors, tile and equipment suppliers, engineers and municipal drainage superintendents and agency officials. Conference details and registration are available at the LICO website.

www.drainage.org

Chatham-Kent Farm Show

Wednesday, January 25 and Thursday, January 26, 2017
John D. Bradley Chatham-Kent Convention Centre
Chatham, Ont.

• This is the fourth annual event, featuring more than 100 local exhibiting companies, representing and serving all farmers of Southwestern Ontario.

www.ontariotradeshows.com/event/chatham-kent-farm-show

Guelph Organic Conference 2017

Thursday, January 26 to Sunday, January 29, 2017
Guelph University Centre
Guelph, Ont.

• More than 40 workshops covering topics such as organic crop and livestock production, soil health, crop rotations, switchgrass, nitrogen management, pasture-raised pork, market gardening and much more. The free two-day trade show Saturday and Sunday includes more than
  150 exhibitors including small equipment suppliers, grain traders, garden supplies and food sampling.

www.guelphorganicconf.ca

2017 Farms.com Precision Agriculture Conference & Ag Technology Showcase

Tuesday, January 31 and Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Best Western-Lamplighter Inn
London, Ont.

• This fourth annual Precision Agriculture Conference will be of interest to farmers, ag retailers, agronomists and agri-business professionals interested in learning more about how new technologies can reduce costs and increase yields. The agenda will highlight a balance between leading-edge expert keynote speakers from across North America and a panel of hands-on precision ag farmers who will share how they use technology to improve their farming operations. The conference will also include a trade show with precision ag, machinery and services providers, and a lively networking event.

www.farms.com/precisionagriculture

Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers Conference

Tuesday, January 31 and Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Four Points Sheraton
London, Ont.

• An annual event bringing processors and growers together with industry suppliers and government, to address issues affecting the industry. Advance registration is recommended.

www.opvg.org/conference

February

Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) Annual Conference and General Meeting

Tuesday, February 7, and Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Best Western-Lamplighter Inn
London, Ont.

• Two full days of dynamic speakers, informative presentations, engaging panel discussions and networking. For information on how to register and updates on the agenda, check out the website.

www.ontariosoilcrop.org/association/annual-general-meeting/

Eastern Ontario Crops Conference

Tuesday, February 14, 2017
North Grenville Municipal Centre
Kemptville, Ont.

• This is a co-operative effort between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Eastern Ontario Crop Advisory Committee, and is designed to provide growers and agribusiness personnel with in-depth crop management information. Participants may select up to eight sessions from more than 20 presented throughout the day. Certified Crop Adviser credits will be available for most sessions.

www.eocc.eastontcropconference.ca/

2017 World Ag Expo

Tuesday, February 14 to Thursday, February 16, 2017
International Agri-Center
Tulare, California

• The event celebrates its 50th anniversary this winter and is billed as the world’s largest annual agricultural exposition, with more than 1,500 exhibitors and the latest in farm equipment, communications and technology. It also includes free seminars and daily equipment showcases.

www.worldagexpo.com

National Farm Machinery Show (“The Louisville Show”)

Wednesday, February 15 to Saturday, February 18, 2017
Kentucky Exposition Center
Louisville, Kentucky

• The largest indoor farm show in America will cover more than 1.2 million square feet and serve as host to 850 exhibitors along with new product launches.

www.farmmachineryshow.org

Cattlemen’s College

Tuesday, February 21, 2017
International Plaza Hotel
Toronto, Ont.

• Held in conjunction with the Beef Farmers of Ontario’s Annual General Meeting. No registration required.

www.ontariobeef.com

Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario 2017 Conference

Tuesday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Best Western-Lamplighter Inn
London, Ont.

• Among those presenting are Dr. Jeffrey Reuter on “Soil Management and Its Impact on Water,” Tom Sewel on “Regenerative Agriculture,” Cameron Mills on “Cover Crops,” Steve Laroque on “Control Traffic Farming,” and Dan Forgery on “Long-Term No Till on a Large Scale.”

www.ifao.com

Beef Farmers of Ontario 55th Annual General Meeting and Banquet

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 to Thursday, February 23, 2017
International Plaza Hotel
Toronto, Ont.

• Featuring keynote speaker, Anne Wasko, market analyst at Gateway Livestock.

www.ontariobeef.com

March

2017 Commodity Classic

Thursday, March 2 to Saturday, March 4, 2017
San Antonio, Texas

• Farmer-led and farmer-focused, this premier event attracts thousands of farmers and agri-business representatives. Grower education, innovation and ideas plus a chance to listen and learn from some of the key leaders in the agri-food industry.

www.commodityclassic.com

2017 East Central Farm Show

Wednesday, March 8 and Thursday, March 9, 2017
Commonwell Exhibition Building, Lindsay Fairgrounds
Lindsay, Ont.

• The East Central Farm Show is celebrating its 37th annual edition, with 180 exhibitors in 2016 and 15 to 25 new exhibitors expected.

www.regionalscia.org/ECFS.html

Western Fair (London) Farm Show

Wednesday, March 8, to
Friday, March 10, 2017
Western Fair District
London, Ont.

• An anticipated event for southern Ontario and much of the province, spread over three days, featuring more than 360 exhibitors, with hundreds of products, services, experts and equipment demonstrations. Organizers aim for a venue with exceptional customer experience and a breadth of information and contacts.

www.westernfairdistrict.com

2017 Atlantic Farm Mechanization Show

Thursday, March 9 to
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Moncton Coliseum Complex
Moncton, N.B.

• Innovation and adjusting to change are two of the hallmarks of the agri-food industry, and that’s reflected by the “Spotlight on Farm Technology” theme at this year’s showcase. More than 160 exhibitors will serve as hosts for this three-day event, with everything from commercial harvesters to lawn mowers.

www.farmmechshow.com

Ottawa Valley Farm Show

Tuesday, March 14 to Thursday, March 16, 2017
EY Centre
Ottawa, Ont.

• There will be 350 exhibitors under one roof. In 2017, the OVFS celebrates its 90th anniversary with several special events during the show. Free parking, free wi-fi,
  $12 admission, children under 12 get in free.

www.ottawafarmshow.com

The post Your winter agricultural conference scheduler appeared first on Country Guide.

It’s also why Country Guide is offering our annual Meetings and Conferences Schedule for 2016, with events taking place between December 15 and April 6. Note that some of these events require advance registration or admission fees. For more details on each, visit the website links posted with many of the entries.

DECEMBER

Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario

Marketing Workshop, Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Springfield Golf & Country Club, Guelph, Ont.

• Included on the agenda are presentations by Mike Mock of the Anderson Group, Steve Kell with Parrish & Heimbecker, Gord Nysteun with Input Capital, Mike Wilson with Thompsons, Craig Drury with Ag Canada and a cost-of-production panel featuring John Molenhuis and Jim Burns.

Website: ifao.com

JANUARY

23rd Annual Southwest Agricultural Conference

Tuesday, January 5 and Wednesday, January 6, 2016
University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, Ont.

• The Southwest Agricultural Conference continues its tradition of learning excellence with “Building Tomorrow’s Agriculture,” providing another outstanding lineup of speakers from around the globe. Featured experts include David Sax on the economic and cultural impact of what’s on your plate and in your pantry, and retired General Lewis MacKenzie who will distil 36 years of knowledge into effective leadership lessons that benefit everyone. Plus more than 40 sessions with topics from maximizing yield to marketing, precision agriculture, cover crops and fertility. Complementing this lineup of speakers will be the traditional trade show and Taste Ontario reception.

Website: southwestagconference.ca

Salon de l’agriculture

Tuesday, January 12 to Thursday, January 14, 2016
Espace St-Hyacinthe, St-Hyacinthe, Que.

• Exhibits and presentations are available during this three-day annual showcase.

Website: salondelagriculture.com

Grain Farmers of Ontario District 15 Meeting

Friday, January 15, 2016, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Earlton Arena, Earlton, Ont.

• A Grain Farmers of Ontario update will be held in the morning, and a meeting of the Temiskaming Crop Coalition held in the afternoon. Rob Saik has been invited as the keynote speaker.

Website: gfo.ca

Annual Convention of the Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario (LICO)

Wednesday, January 20 and Thursday, January 21, 2016
Best Western — Lamplighter Inn, London, Ont.

• The convention brings together those involved in farm drainage in Ontario — drainage contractors, tile and equipment suppliers, engineers and municipal drainage superintendents and agency officials. Conference details and registration are available at the LICO website.

Website: drainage.org

YieldSmart

Friday, January 22, 2016
Manulife Financial Sportsplex and Healthy Living Centre, Waterloo, Ont.

• The theme for this year is “Optimize Your Crop Production System” with Dr. Jerry Hatfield, plant pathologist with the USDA-NRCS, based in Ames, Iowa, who researches the interaction of soil, air and water in the row-crop production system. The day will focus on how principles of production impact practical production outcomes and decision-making, in an effort to capture the genetic yield potential of that seed is in the bag.

Website: farmsmartconference.com

FarmSmart Ag Conference

Saturday, January 23, 2016
Rozanski Hall, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.

• This year’s featured speaker is Dr. Temple Grandin, of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Grandin has had a profound impact on the livestock industry globally, in terms of animal welfare and bringing agriculture to non-farmers. There will be more than 50 sessions, including a look at field crops, livestock, soil management, environment, business management, marketing and others. Again this year, the Beef Symposium is an important part of the program that brings farmers from across Ontario.

Website: farmsmartconference.com

Ontario Canola Growers Association Annual Meeting

Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston, Ont.

• Keynote speaker will be Rob Saik, chief executive officer of Agri-Trend, speaking on the film project “Know GMO — An Uplifting Discussion about Food” focusing on the need for open discussion and understanding in urban populations concerning the controversial topic of GMO products. Other topics will include “Fine Tuning Your Cost of Production” and presentations from our Canola Challenge winners.

Website: ontariocanolagrowers.ca

Chatham-Kent Farm Show

Wednesday, January 27 and Thursday, January 28, 2016
John D. Bradley Chatham-Kent Convention Centre, Chatham, Ont.

• This is the third annual event, featuring more than 100 local exhibiting companies, representing and serving all farmers of southwestern Ontario.

Website: ontariotradeshows.com/event/chatham-kent-farm-show

SIMAQ — Salon Industrie Machinerie Agricole de Quebec

Thursday, January 28 to Saturday, January 30, 2016
Centre de Foires ExpoCité, Quebec City, Que.

Website: salondequebec.com

Guelph Organic Conference 2016

Thursday, January 28 to Sunday, January 31, 2016
Guelph University Centre, Guelph, Ont.

• More than 40 workshops covering topics such as organic crop and livestock production, perennial weed control, cover crop options, grass-fed beef, certification, beekeeping, greenhouses, plant breeding and market gardening. The free two-day trade show Saturday and Sunday includes more than 150 exhibitors including small equipment suppliers, grain traders, garden supplies and food sampling.

Website: guelphorganicconf.ca

FEBRUARY

2016 Farms.com Precision Agriculture Conference & Ag Technology Showcase

Tuesday, February 2 and Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Best Western — Lamplighter Inn, London, Ont.

• The agenda brings expert keynote speakers such as Lisa Prassack of Prassack Advisors, a North American precision ag strategist, and a panel of hands-on precision ag farmers who will share how technology has improved their farming operation. The conference will also include a tradeshow with many of the leading precision ag, machinery and services providers, and a lively networking event.

Website: farms.com/precisionagriculture or call 1-877-438-5729 Ext. 5013

Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers Conference

Tuesday, February 2 and Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Four Points Sheraton, London, Ont.

• An annual event bringing processors and growers together with industry suppliers and government, to address issues affecting the industry. Advanced registration is recommended.

Website: opvg.org/conference

Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) Annual General Meeting

Tuesday, February 9, and Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Best Western — Lamplighter Inn, London, Ont.

• Two full days of dynamic speakers, informative presentations, engaging panel discussions and networking. Keynote speakers include Dr. Tim Harrigan, Michigan State University, on “The U.S. Agricultural Response to Lake Erie Algal Blooms”; John Burk, Bay City, Michigan and Blake Vince, Merlin, Ont., on cover crops, and Dr. John Varty, McMaster University, will recount his adventure crossing Canada in his tractor with his fiancée in 2012.

Website: ontariosoilcrop.org

2016 World Ag Expo

Tuesday, February 9 to Thursday, February 11, 2016
International Agri-Center, Tulare, California

• This is billed as the world’s largest annual agricultural exposition, featuring more than 1,500 exhibitors and the latest in farm equipment, communications and technology. It also includes free seminars and daily equipment showcases.

Website: worldagexpo.com

National Farm Machinery Show (“The Louisville Show”)

Wednesday, February 10 to Saturday, February 13, 2016
Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Kentucky

• Now entering its second half-century, this showcase event offers the most complete selection of agricultural products, with 860 exhibitors, side-by-side comparisons and new product launches.

Website: farmmachineryshow.org

Ontario Bean Growers Annual General Meeting

Thursday, March 24, 2016
Kirkton-Woodham Community Centre, Kirkton, Ont.

• The meeting will start at 9 a.m. and will include an update on the Ontario Bean Growers’ strategic plan for research and market development initiatives, plus election of district directors and a special guest speaker.

Website: ontariobeans.on.ca

Cattlemen’s College

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 (7 to 9 p.m.)
International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, Ont.

No registration required.

Website: ontariobeef.com

Beef Farmers of Ontario 54th Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, February 17 and Thursday, February 18, 2016
International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, Ont.

• Keynote speaker will be J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist with Farm Credit Canada, with his “Economic Outlook for Beef Producers: Growth on the Horizon?”

Website: ontariobeef.com

Eastern Ontario Crop Conference

Thursday, February 18, 2016
North Grenville Municipal Centre, Kemptville, Ont.

• This is a co-operative effort between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Eastern Ontario Crop Advisory Committee, and is designed to provide growers and agribusiness personnel with in-depth crop management information. Participants may select up to eight sessions from more than 20 presented throughout the day. Certified Crop Advisor credits will be available for most sessions.

Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario 2016 Conference

Tuesday, February 23 and Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Best Western — Lamplighter Inn, London, Ont.

• Among those presenting are Joel Gruver on cover crop choices for strip till, Tom Sewell on moving from sustainable to regenerative agriculture, Jamie Scott, cover crop guru, Steve Larocque on “Beyond Agronomy” and Loran Steinlage on interseeding cover crops into continuous strip tilled corn.

Website: ifao.com

International Potato Technology Expo 2016

Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27, 2016
Eastlink Centre, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

• Billed as the leading potato industry event in North America, this event draws growers, equipment manufacturers and other industry stakeholders.

Website: masterpromotions.ca

MARCH

2016 East Central Farm Show

Wednesday, March 2 and Thursday, March 3, 2016
Commonwell Exhibition Building, Lindsay Fairgrounds, Lindsay, Ont.

• The East Central Farm Show is celebrating its 36th annual edition, with 180 exhibitors in 2015 and 15 to 25 new exhibitors expected.

Website: regionalscia.org/ECFS.html

Western Fair (London) Farm Show

Wednesday, March 2 to Friday, March 4, 2016
Western Fairgrounds, London, Ont.

• This has become one of the more anticipated events of the winter season for southern Ontario and for much of the province, with more than 360 exhibitors and all facets of the agricultural industry.

Website: westernfairdistrict.com

2016 Commodity Classic

Thursday, March 3 to Saturday, March 5, 2016
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Farmer led and farmer focused, this premier event attracts thousands of farmers and agribusiness representatives. This year marks the addition of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) as an affiliate.

Website: commodityclassic.com

Ottawa Valley Farm Show

Tuesday, March 8 to Thursday, March 10, 2016
EY Centre, Ottawa, Ont.

• This is the 89th annual edition of this show, making it Ontario’s longest-running agricultural exhibition.

Website: ottawafarmshow.com

Grain Farmers of Ontario March Classic

Tuesday, March 22, 2016
London Convention Centre, London, Ont.

• This year’s theme will be “Cultivating Consumer Relationships” with a special focus on demographic trends. Plus a trade show with more than 60 exhibits and evening banquet.

Website: gfo.ca

2016 Ontario Pork Annual General Meeting

Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre, Guelph, Ont.

• Starts with an afternoon of guest speakers and includes a business meeting the following day.

Website: ontariopork.on.ca

APRIL

London Swine Conference

Tuesday, April 5, and Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Hilton London, London, Ont.

• Developed to provide a platform to accelerate the implementation of new technologies in commercial pork production in Ontario, this annual conference offers a specialized agenda, with Tuesday’s proceedings dedicated to sow production and Wednesday’s to wean-finish production.

Website: londonswineconference.ca

The post Leap into 2016 with these agricultural meetings and conferences appeared first on Country Guide.

That’s why some farm owners and managers are taking a page out of the business world’s playbook by forming peer groups.

Trena and Myles Fox who farm near Gravelbourg, Sask. had tried joining a corporate peer group in Regina, but it wasn’t proving to be a good fit for them, so they jumped at the chance to join the First Farm Managers Network once they heard about it.

“We see a huge benefit in networking with other farm families and learning how other top producers are trying to find new solutions to old problems, and looking at things from different angles,” says the couple. “We have to set goals for ourselves, which makes it real and accountable. There’s nothing like talking about your goal with 20 other people to put the fire in your belly to get it done.”

Today, they are members of First Farm Managers Network, a peer group involving the owners and managers of nine farms from Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. It has been active for about a year, with the group meeting face to face in Regina about three times a year.

As a peer group, it’s providing a valuable and effective platform to host candid discussions about farm management topics.

• More on Country Guide: The value of peer groups

The First Farm Managers Network was deliberately established with farmers from three different provinces to give geographical separation and prevent any competitive issues, but that separation also meant that it was important from the beginning for the members to learn about and become comfortable with each other.

“It’s important that the people involved build relationships so they can get to the level of trust that’s required to make a group really effective,” says Jacqueline Gerrard, a farm business consultant with Backswath Management, which had the idea for the peer group and has been facilitating and offering administrative support for it.

“When the group meets, the daytime is for the meeting and agenda discussion, and the evening is set aside for social interaction,” Gerrard says. “I think participants often learn as much after hours as they do in the formal discussion.”

Accountable to your peers

Kristi and Dustin Burns of Windy Poplars Farms near Wynyard, Sask. were also looking for a way to do some benchmarking and professional development with people who are their peers but not their neighbours.

The Burns say they’ve been impressed by how quickly the group has developed trust. “Over the three meetings we’ve attended, the trust and candour have really grown,” says Kristi. “The last topic the group discussed was an employee conflict issue and people were able to speak openly to that because they have developed a comfort level with each other over the last few months.” The greatest value of the peer group is being able to have frank and honest discussion with like-minded people, says Dustin. “We all want to have a professional farm and good work/life balance, and to be leaders in our industry,” Dustin says. “We have implemented things that we have seen and heard about from other farms already. Whether it’s weekly meetings, or ways to deal with employees, or ways to deal with people we rent land from, it has been really valuable for us.”

10 Steps to a successful peer group

Below are essential elements of a successful peer group based on experiences of the First Farm Managers Network, a peer group of nine western farms, with thanks to facilitator Jacqueline Gerrard of Backswath Management. For more background see next page for this month’s AME Management column, entitled “Peer Groups” by Backswath’s Terry Betker.

1. Identity
It’s important that the peer group has a name and develops its own vision with a charter and bylaws as to how it is going to function. That said, the intent is that the group eventually takes ownership and decides how it will run it and who will facilitate and organize the group.

2. Facilitation
A well-functioning peer group should have facilitation, and it’s usually best to choose a facilitator from outside the group, and be prepared to pay for the professional service they offer. The facilitator doesn’t have to be a subject matter expert, and it’s not his or her role to give opinions about the topics discussed. The facilitator’s job is to find out what the members want to talk about, set the agenda, and make sure everyone gets a chance to talk and no one is dominating the discussion.

3. Organization
Organizing a peer group takes a lot of time and energy which few farmers have time for. This is another reason why peer groups don’t pop up organically. A facilitator is the logical person to perform this role. Arranging meeting dates and facilities, setting deadlines, and sending out information so the participants can prepare for the discussion are all important to ensure that participants get maximum benefit from their time together.

4. Farmers lead the discussion
Peer groups are a farmer-to-farmer discussion forum. Each farm group brings a farm management topic to the meeting that they want to discuss. It can be anything from employees and finances to succession planning or the right equipment-to-asset ratio for the operation. Everyone gives input.

5. Trust
To avoid competition, peer groups often bring together farmers who don’t know each other. It’s essential they become comfortable enough with each other to have open, honest discussions. A peer group meeting should always include time set aside for members to socialize and build personal relationships.

6. Accountability
Each person brings a personal or work-related goal to the group, which creates accountability, because they then follow up at each meeting with a report about how that goal is developing.

7. Focus
From the start the peer group must determine its focus. The First Farmers Network decided to focus on farm business management instead of production, with topics such as how to manage growth, where to invest, how to involve family, managing time, leadership, human resources, and how to structure the management team. Each group’s focus will depend on the farms involved.

8. Mindset
A peer group can include any size or type of operation from feedlots to potato farms, and in any geographical location, and farmers of any ages, but the most important thing is that they all share a common, progressive mindset and are open to new ideas.

9. Measuring progress
Being able to measure progress towards a specific goal or the effectiveness of changes implemented as a result of group discussions helps reinforce the value of the group, and helps participants to set realistic timelines for themselves in the future.

10. Commitment
Group members need to be fully committed to attending meetings and participating openly and honestly in the discussions.

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