Reading Time: 4 minutes Farm leaders know that in a tight labour market, policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will help them attract and retain the best talent. Those not making headway on these critical issues will be left behind. That, by the way, is from a business prof, not a sociologist, and in addition to his […] Read more
Summer Series: Bringing DEI to the farm
[Change Management] Building diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives into your farm pays off. Here are five tips for getting it right
Summer Series: Your next decision
[Change Management] Can you take the same path as Kristjan Hebert? Should you even try?
Reading Time: 9 minutes Agriculture already has so many buzz phrases meant to show you’re smart. There’s “Do more with less,” there’s “Work on the business, not in it,” and, of course, there’s “What got you here today won’t get you to where you want to go tomorrow.” It isn’t that they’re wrong. It’s that they’re too much like […] Read more
Summer Series: Preparing a business plan for your farm
[Change Management] Whether the change you’re looking at is big or small, the experts insist a business plan will make it more successful
Reading Time: 5 minutes A business plan is like a road map for your farm. You can plan your route, set a destination and track progress. But without a map or a plan, how does a farm business owner know what success looks like? Or what you’re capable of achieving? And, most importantly, how do you decide which changes […] Read more
Summer Series: Their new family plan
[Change Management] With their direct-to-consumer venture, this farm is welcoming the next generation back home
Reading Time: 6 minutes For Nora Paulovich, as for farmers all across Canada, farm success means two big things. It means nurturing the land, and nurturing the family too, building and preserving the farm for future generations. And as on other farms, Paulovich and husband Bob Noble’s adult children see their parents’ dedication and it inspires them. They want […] Read more
Summer Series: Long-distance farming
[Change Management] For Michael Carter, when a family can make the right changes at home, their odds of success with expanding across provincial borders and hundreds of kms away go up and up
Reading Time: 9 minutes The idea sounds right for the times. If you can’t expand at home, either because land is so expensive or because there just isn’t any for sale, look further afield. Maybe two hours away, maybe four, maybe even in a different province and so far away you basically have to set up a whole new […] Read more
Summer Series: Measuring success on the farm
[Change Management] We talk a lot about farm success. But how do we know if we’re getting there?
Reading Time: 6 minutes When asked to define “success,” most farmers will tell you it’s about more than money. Family often comes up. High yields and good soil health are top of mind too, and health, safety and employee relations can be as well. We know these non-financial factors are important. Still, when the farm team gathers at the […] Read more
Summer Series: The uneasy middle
[Change Management] Canada’s mid-sized farms are under pressure. But don’t write them off quite so fast — at least not all of them
Reading Time: 8 minutes Of course any story on what’s ahead for Canada’s mid-size farms is going to start with a forkful of numbers. And of course, if you’re a mid-size farmer, those numbers aren’t exactly a joy to read. Instead, let us reprint part of an email from our in-box at Country Guide, just one of the more […] Read more
Summer Series: Opportunities ahead
[Change Management] What’s in store for Canada’s farms in 2024? The news is good, mostly
Reading Time: 10 minutes Land is up. Inputs are up. Commodities are volatile. And that’s just a start. Climate change is getting real. Interest rates are too. And the international scene is chaos. Does it all add up to good news for your farm in 2024? Bad news? And what can you do to keep your farm on the […] Read more
Summer Series: 7 trends in agriculture for 2024
[Change Management] The long term is clear. The world will need Canadian farmers to feed a global population expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. But what about the short term, like next summer?
Reading Time: 6 minutes High interest rates, skyrocketing input costs, labour shortages, climate change … the exact mix varies from country to country but farmers around the world are facing threats to their ability to grow more food, which means farmers everywhere are looking for opportunities to improve production, preserve profits and protect the environment. What does it all […] Read more
Summer Series: Podcast with Olivia Riddoch
Reading Time: < 1 minute In the latest Country Guide podcast episode we spoke with Olivia Riddoch of Fairwind Farms. She shared her story about the career change that brought her back to the family farm where she now manages crop protection on over 4,000 acres. Tune in at country-guide.ca/ and don’t forget to subscribe to the Country Guide Podcast […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
