Reading Time: 3 minutes This is the third in a series of articles looking at the future of Canadian agriculture. The first article considered “foresight,” a formal planning process used to envision the future. In the second article, entrepreneur Robert Saik said that in the future, farmer’s mental machinery will be the most important on-farm asset. Mary Robinson, president […] Read more
‘Now is really our time’
Futurology: It’s important to set aside time to consider the big picture
Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)
Guide Books Review: How having even one difficult person can ruin an entire team
Reading Time: 4 minutes By Amy GalloHarvard Business Review Press Farming is seldom a solo venture. Not only do the older and the younger generations overlap but as farms get bigger and more complex, more employees get hired too, so learning to work with others is essential. Negative relationships are bad for business. We know this, but there’s still […] Read more
Editor’s Note: Competent, not boastful
Reading Time: 2 minutes Like every other issue of Country Guide, our pages show Canada’s farms are getting more and more individualistic. That’s a good thing. It’s a professional thing. And it won’t stop If you’re having a bad day, you’ll find our January 2023 issue of Country Guide a pretty easy target. That’s okay. For example, Richard Kamchen […] Read more
Guide Health: Taking care of your teeth is always a good idea
Some people have an increased risk for poor dental health. Are you one of them?
Reading Time: 3 minutes The saying is that everyone takes their teeth for granted unless they have a cavity. This underscores a very real problem. It is too easy to think that dental care is only useful for preventing tooth pain. Instead, it boosts our overall health too. Between one- and two-thirds of Canadians have had a cavity or […] Read more
In search of the next big idea
How would you know if there’s an option out there that is just right for your farm?
Reading Time: 3 minutes When somebody wants to sell you something, they have to talk it up. That’s fair. Everyone knows it’s a basic business principle. They also know the importance of buyer beware. Today, though, there just seems to be so much hype around, especially if you’re talking new ideas for differentiating what your farm produces. It can […] Read more
Hanson Acres: “It’s moving east!”
Neighbours drop everything, Donna races home … our story continues
Reading Time: 5 minutes The smoke had worked its way into the tractor cab, making it harder for Jeff to see. His cell phone buzzed and he grabbed it. “I don’t know if we can keep this fire out of your yard.” It was Brian Miller. “My son’s got the Pro-Till over there. There’s flames right behind him.” Jeff […] Read more
Bringing back civility
In a world that is losing its manners, the next step is yours
Reading Time: 5 minutes Incidents of road rage are up. So are aggressive speeding and dangerous driving. Meanwhile, politicians are receiving death threats, even in rural municipalities, and we see so much lashing out at one another on social media. Is incivility rampant in our society today? It can certainly feel that way. What happened to the good manners […] Read more
Guide Health: Drugs for your brain’s health
Reading Time: 2 minutes Everyone worries about memory loss, but keep in mind that losing keys is not memory loss. Everyone misplaces their keys sometimes! The Alzheimer’s Society’s 2020 numbers have 569,600 Canadians living with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and almost two-thirds are women, but women live longer than men and Alzheimer’s disease is a disease of older […] Read more
Editor’s Note: That thing about young farmers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Today’s mid-career farmers have got things figured out. They know they’re different. They’re more professional, they’re more management oriented, they’re more strategic, but … But, as a group, they’re at risk of getting outshone by the young farmers in the next generation that are starting to show what they can do. You’ll see it in […] Read more
How to become the partner everyone wants to work with
On today’s larger farms, the partners are up close. They’re your relatives. They farm out of the same yard. Shouldn’t they recognize what you bring to the farm? Maybe not, says cross-border farm advisor Andy Junkin
Reading Time: 3 minutes Maybe your partner is your parent, in-law, sibling, cousin or friend. It doesn’t matter. At some point, says advisor Andy Junkin, there is bound to be tension in the relationship. In fact, if you dig into any farm, that kind of tension is something you’re bound to see, which explains why he calls his service […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
