Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s a moment every leader remembers: that moment when someone looks at them differently. Not because of what that leader did, but because of how they did it. That’s mentorship. There have been a few times in my career where I’ve had glimpses of a true mentor. Those moments stand out. But the most impactful […] Read more
VIDEO: How to go from managing to mentoring
Summer Series: How you lead matters. Subtle but powerful shifts in your leadership style can make a world of difference to your employees and, consequently, to your farm business
Is it time to get a farm management coach?
[The Rent Shake-Up: Leadership] If you've considered this question, Kelly Dobson says, “Congratulations, you’ve self-identified as a leader.”
Reading Time: 4 minutes Let’s say that you have a good sense of what success would look like for you and you’re pretty sure you’re made of the stuff it will take to achieve it, but it’s just not happening. Could a coach help? Kelly Dobson describes himself as a “professional capital ‘C’ Coach with a graduate degree.” Coaching, […] Read more
The mentorship option
[Leadership] How to know if it’s some great one-on-one insight from someone who has already been there that will help your farm the most
Reading Time: 7 minutes All kinds of professionals offer farmers advice. Think of accountants, agronomists, bankers, business planners, fitness coaches, marketing experts, soil scientists, succession planners, vets. It can be overwhelming. Even so, when you need someone to help you pull all the pieces of your business and personal life into one big picture, you might be looking for […] Read more
So, you want to be a mentor?
Here are a few organizations to consider
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle Young Leaders program More than 180 mentor/mentee pairs have completed the Canadian Cattle Association’s annual Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program since 2010, including Brenda Schoepp and Jeff Braisher. That’s an impressive track record. Jessica Radau was an ag journalist and a mentee in the Canadian CYL program in 2018. Now she looks after […] Read more
Farmer Coach: Reflections on year one
Reading Time: 2 minutes When Ryley Richards learned out about Farmer Coach, he signed up. So far, he says, it looks like a good choice. The 41-year-old manages his family farm an hour south of Regina along with father Rod and three full-time crew members, plus a few additional hands at busy times. Over the years, the farm has […] Read more
Managing millennials
Six tips to help this generation thrive, and boost your farm productivity too
Reading Time: 5 minutes You’ve heard all of the bad things about the millennial workforce. These “kids” want trophies just for showing up for work. The entire generation thinks it’s somehow entitled. And if they do show up, they have zero work ethic. The science agrees, to a point. Data do show that millennials (the generation born between 1980 […] Read more
The next big step: mid-career mentorship
You’re already smart and dedicated, but is that really enough for today’s challenges?
Reading Time: 6 minutes When Adam Gregory signed up for LeaderShift’s year-long national farm leadership program, he didn’t anticipate waking up at the crack of dawn to do group yoga. “Some people were way out of their comfort zone,” Gregory laughs. “I’m open to trying anything, so it wasn’t a hurdle for me.” There’s more to LeaderShift’s program than […] Read more
Serious about mentoring
The idea of mentorship is catching fire in agriculture, with new programs popping up all the time. Should you sign on?
Reading Time: 8 minutes Lance Stockbrugger always knew he wanted to farm. “It was going to be my career,” he says. “It was just a matter of how I was going to get there.” When he was 11, Lance’s father was killed in a motor vehicle accident. The family — Lance, his mother and his three siblings — were […] Read more
Feds pondering more self-reliance in Canada’s food
'Even if we are already in a good position, we can always do better,' Bibeau says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is looking for ways to make Canada’s food supply more autonomous. In an interview Thursday, Bibeau pointed to her minority Liberal government’s pledge in the throne speech to further support the food value chain. That could mean a review of food infrastructure across the country, according to Bibeau. Specifics aren’t yet […] Read more
Preparing the next generation to take over the farm
How can you be sure they’re ready for the responsibility of running the operation?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Transferring the farm to the next generation is a complicated affair that involves finances, tax implications, legal strategies and good communication among all those affected. With all those balls in the air, the one element that Mom and Dad often think about, but somehow don’t actually get serious about, is whether the next generation is […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
