Reading Time: 9 minutes Not that many decades ago, Canadian farmers were wondering if they should incorporate their farms or keep on running their businesses as sole proprietorships. Now farmers are asking, ‘how many corporations should we have?” As incorporated farmers make more sophisticated strategic plans, many are adding more than one corporation to their family portfolio. Alongside farm […] Read more
How a second farm corporation may help you at tax time
[The "Next" Issue] If you’re farming with just one corporation, you may be missing a tax trick
Having the right (business) stuff for your farm
For farmers like Jennifer Peart, upping their business game takes real discipline. The good news is the pay-off makes it very worthwhile
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s less true than it used to be but it’s still safe to say that few of today’s farmers got into farming because they love business management. Instead, it’s the production side of agriculture that drew them in. It was their passion for growing and raising food and working with soil, livestock and equipment. Still, […] Read more
Seven steps to great farm management
Reading Time: < 1 minute – From the article ‘The right business stuff’ in the October 2024 issue of Country Guide. Leadership / Embody the essence of leadership in everything you do, from strategic thinking and proactive planning to embracing self-care and empathy for yourself and others. Some farm management tasks can be contracted out, but you can’t outsource leadership. […] Read more
The greatest challenge for this farm operation
Their business schedule and clear must-do’s drive farm growth
Reading Time: 5 minutes Finding the time is our greatest challenge,” Jennifer Peart acknowledges from their farm at Jerseyville, Ont., where she and husband, Charlie Anderson, are committed to making their business management as strong as their production capability. It isn’t easy. It isn’t simple. But the couple find they’re making gains by defining who is responsible for what, […] Read more
Bryt Farms positions itself for growth in dairy industry
Whether it’s a classic expansion or a leap into the unknown, the pressure is on
Reading Time: 6 minutes “So many people told us ‘You can’t do it’. I think that just lit a fire underneath us and made us work harder.” Which is what Dave and Jennifer Bryson of Dobbinton, Ont., have done, proving all the doubters wrong. But they did something else too. The Brysons developed a decision-making model that keeps them […] Read more
Down the road from Jeremy Clarkson
They’re each calledJeremy and each is a unique U.K. farmer of a kind you may never find in Canada. On top of that, our Jay Whetter is a fan of both. But which is the one we should be watching?
Reading Time: 9 minutes I was coming into the very southwest of England, into the county called Cornwall, where there was a lot I wanted to see and do, including a visit to farmer I’d been looking forward to meeting here named Jeremy Oatey. Before going to the airport, a colleague at the Canola Council of Canada asked me […] Read more
Summer Series: Skills training that can make you a better farmer
[Make It Count] It’s a whole new world. For Jamie Christie, mid-career education means driving farm growth by adding skills no one used to think are needed on the farm. Which should be on the top of your list? And where to find them?
Reading Time: 9 minutes First, you could get process-minded about it. If you recognize it would pay to get serious about adding an education focus to your farm, there’s a logical way to get started. Make a list of the current skills that everyone involved in the operation has, then assess where there are knowledge gaps and training needs. […] Read more
Summer Series: The importance of creating clear job descriptions
[Make It Count] If job descriptions sound like a waste of time, you haven’t looked deep enough
Reading Time: 5 minutes Yes, job descriptions do take time and effort. And yes, they can seem bureaucratic, like the sort of thing that makes you glad you don’t work for the government. But those in the know say job descriptions on your farm will be worth the investment, and their value will be even more valuable if your […] Read more
Summer Series: Creating a positive culture
[Make it Count] Will creating a better workplace culture really improve your bottom line enough to justify all the buzz it’s getting?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sure, a positive workplace culture can make your farm a more enjoyable place to work, and who doesn’t want a few more smiles in their day? But will a better workplace culture really improve your bottom line? According to a growing body of psychological research, the answer is a clear “yes.” The new science says […] Read more
Summer Series: Get more from your farm advisors
[Make it Count] Boost the returns from your investment in advisors’ fees with these tactics
Reading Time: 6 minutes Hiring business advisors and consultants is becoming a top habit on Canada’s most profitable farms, as identified in Farm Management Canada’s Dollars and Sense study. Whether it’s in accounting, law, human resources, succession planning, agronomy, livestock nutrition, communications or marketing, advisors are filling in the gaps in the farm team’s expertise. It turns out, though, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
