Reading Time: 8 minutes What do young women think about the male-dominated ag industry that they are about to enter? I had been asking myself this question, and I wanted to find out, so I talked to a selection of female ag students. What did I hear? Without exception, these young women all wanted to know why I was […] Read more
Are you ready for this?
Columnist Leeann Minogue learns that if you don’t get on board with how these young women think, you’ll get left behind
Five moves to make in 2022
With so much opportunity, so much risk, so much change and so much uncertainty, can this be a historic year for your farm?
Reading Time: 7 minutes Despite drought, floods and a continuing global pandemic, Canadian farm businesses came out of 2021 with a notable increase in cash receipts. While economists expect farm revenues to continue to grow, it’s a figure that will only tell half of the story for financial success. Revenue growth does not equate to profitability. The other half […] Read more
Editor’s Note: Summer in the new Canada
Reading Time: 2 minutes When COVID-19 first struck, who could have guessed that the biggest lesson it would teach us is how dangerous it is for Canadians to stop interacting with and appreciating each other. It’s being called the winter of our discontent. What name will we give to its summer? What, individually, are you going to do to […] Read more
Hanson Acres: Standing in line, waiting, waiting, waiting…
Worrying about spring long before it arrives
Reading Time: 4 minutes When he went inside to change into some “going to town” jeans, Jeff heard his eight-year-old daughter Jenny complaining. “This Rice Krispie cake doesn’t taste right,” Jenny was telling her mother. “Did you use the wrong recipe?” Jenny wasn’t usually whiny, but she’d had a lonely week at home. She didn’t have symptoms, but her […] Read more
Overcoming personal biases
You think you’re not biased. So put it to the test
Reading Time: 3 minutes Do you stand with your arms crossed when you talk to an employee or family member about work? Do you ignore some people when they share ideas or contribute to a conversation? Are you cheerful when you say good morning to some work colleagues, but others not so much? These are all warning signs of […] Read more
Bright spots and blind spots
Bright Ideas: “Hugely successful businesses have been built on this principle,” says IBM founder Tom Watson. “It’s worth giving it some thought."
Reading Time: 5 minutes Farmers frequently take stock of tangible assets. They know how much money they have in the bank, how much machinery they’ve got ready to go, and how much of which crop inputs they have on hand. But what about intangible assets? Could we be keeping better track of our knowledge and skills, and should we […] Read more
Getting comfortable at your computer
More computer time can cause pain and disability, so reduce your risks with these simple tips
Reading Time: 5 minutes Increasingly, farm work is computer work, which introduces a new set of risks. The human body is meant to move. Long periods of working at a computer aren’t what we’re designed for, and they can be damaging to the body, causing pain and disability. This kind of work puts the body at risk of musculo-skeletal […] Read more
Your role in supporting mental health
Farmers’ mental health is still a challenge, but there’s one thing we do know: With the right support, you can make a difference
Reading Time: 5 minutes University of Guelph professor Andria Jones-Bitton has been involved in farmer mental health since 2015 when she spearheaded a survey that documented the extreme levels of stress, anxiety, depression and burnout experienced by Canada’s farmers. Distressingly, though, Jones-Bitton says preliminary results from a subsequent survey her team conducted in 2021 indicate stress levels are as […] Read more
Is a joint venture right for you?
On Canadian farms, and especially in succession planning, joint ventures are still uncommon. That may soon change, but it means you’ll have to wrap your head around these essential concepts
Reading Time: 10 minutes They aren’t going to work on every farm. Joint ventures are common in industries such as natural resources, energy and property development, but they haven’t yet found a real home in agriculture, and certainly not as a farm transition tool. With the price of farm assets such as land and equipment soaring, though, and with […] Read more
Think Like a Rocket Scientist
Guide Books Review: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life
Reading Time: 3 minutes Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and LifeBy Ozan Varol(Public Affairs • $35) Among the fascinating books I’ve encountered while writing these reviews, Ozan Varol’s Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life stands out. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
