Reading Time: 9 minutes What does an average farm look like in today’s Canada. If there is such a thing these days, there’s a good chance it looks a lot more like Scott Beaton’s farm than you would ever have thought possible. Beaton didn’t grow up on a farm, or think he’d ever have one of his own, but […] Read more
Goodbye to Canada’s ‘average’ farm
It used to be that one farm on a road was pretty much like every other. Not anymore
Five new trends in estate planning
It’s easy to feel like everything is under control. After all, you signed your will years ago. So everything is great, right?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Canada is in the midst of a massive intergenerational transfer of wealth with the owners of trillions of dollars in assets thinking they’ll pass all that wealth on to their children. Despite this historic handoff from one generation to the next, the Investment Planning Counsel reveals that few Canadians have discussed their investment plans with […] Read more
Hanson Acres: The countdown begins, with eight more weeks to go
“Remember,” Elaine was told, “not everyone’s going to agree with you.”
Reading Time: 4 minutes “Thanks Jeff,” Elaine said, barely looking up as her husband refilled her coffee cup. Elaine and her mother-in-law were at the kitchen table, working on Elaine’s campaign. With eight weeks to go until the end of elections for the board in Saskatchewan, Donna was re-reading the final draft of Elaine’s candidate bio while Elaine tweeted […] Read more
Second activist investor buys into Elanco
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Hedge fund Starboard Value LP has taken a stake in Elanco Animal Health and nominated three directors to the animal healthcare company’s board, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The WSJ report did not mention the size of Starboard’s stake in Elanco, which makes treatments for pets […] Read more
Defibrillator for your brain
Guide Books Review: Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath
Reading Time: 3 minutes Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen Dan Heath Simon & Schuster / 320 pages / $30 Most of us feel that the way we make decisions is the only natural way to do it. There isn’t a better way. If there was a better way, we’d already be doing it. Or would […] Read more
Guide Health: Menopause and hot flashes
Keeping fit and watching your weight can curb menopause symptoms, but three-quarters of women will still get hot flashes
Reading Time: 2 minutes While menopause affects all women, its symptoms and timing vary greatly. With age there is a cessation of ovarian function, but it is not a sudden stop. Rather it is a waning over an average of two to 10 years. Menopause occurs anywhere from age 40 to 60 with the average age of 51. (Obviously […] Read more
Editor’s Note: How good is the advice I’m getting?
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s a question we didn’t ask farm accountants when we asked them what traits separate their average from their above-average farm clients. The days of bookkeepers and cash accounting aren’t over, of course. Every farm has different needs. But accountants and accrual-based accounting are the new norm, and the transition has helped enable the professionalization […] Read more
How to know if your farm business skills are keeping up
In the last five years, every farm has upped its business management. So is your farm middle-of-the-pack? Above average? Below? Get ready for some surprises
Reading Time: 8 minutes When you ask Shawn Hass, vice-president and portfolio manager at RBC Dominion Securities in Lethbridge, Alta., what his cutting-edge farm clients are doing that sets them apart from the rest of the pack, his first answer will likely surprise you. “They’ve built an office or have one on site,” Hass says. “The most successful farm […] Read more
Kazakhstan’s president orders ban on foreign ownership of farmland
Reading Time: < 1 minute Almaty | Reuters — Kazakhstan will permanently ban foreigners from owning or renting farmland in the vast central Asian nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Thursday, ending a lengthy dispute that once prompted anti-government protests. Kazakhstan is a major producer of grains, oilseeds and meat in the former Soviet region sandwiched between China and Russia […] Read more
Canary seed competing with other crops on the rise
'There's a fight for acreage'
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — During the fall of 2020, canary seed crossed above the 30 cents per pound mark — where it’s currently staying. And those who work with the crop expect its price to remain above that mark this year. David Nobbs, pulse merchant for Purely Canada Foods at Saskatoon and former chair of the Canary […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
