Reading Time: 5 minutes When a friend has suffered the death of a loved one, we want to help but often we are unsure what to say or do. Even worse, we worry that what we think we should do could be exactly the opposite of what we actually should say, and could cause damage to our friend or […] Read more
How to help a grieving friend
No, you can’t take a friend’s grief away. But you can help
U.S.-China deal should secure Canadians’ release, Trudeau says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that the U.S. government should not finalize a trade deal with China unless the pact also secured the release of two Canadians detained by Beijing. The two men were picked up separately in December 2018, shortly after police in Vancouver held Huawei Technologies […] Read more
Reaching fair rents for farmland
There are at least eight ways to negotiate land rental rates. But is there a right way?
Reading Time: 6 minutes Back-to-back years of ugly weather mean many farmers will be re-thinking rents this December, especially farmers who still have crop out in the field or who have experienced yield or quality losses, or who’ve been hit with increased harvest and drying costs. If a land lease is up for renewal next year, they’ll be asking […] Read more
Seven strategies of successful farmers
Here’s new evidence that business skills increase farm income, no matter what size the farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes With the harvest finally in the bin, farmers across the country are evaluating their farm management practices and they are making management decisions for the future. Business management skills are more important than ever as farmers face huge challenges, including unpredictable weather, volatile markets, labour shortages, succession, and much more. In this environment, a great […] Read more
Family through succession: Moving succession to a financial discussion
As we look into concrete financial options, a sense of excitement replaces the family’s initial worries
Reading Time: 7 minutes Many of you have been following our journey with the Hunter family. To recap, the Hunters are a fourth-generation farm family with a mixed crop and dairy farm in southwestern Ontario. Mary’s husband Jack passed away two years ago. She is 80 now and continues to live on the farm. Her only child, Bruce, works […] Read more
Comment: Answering the ‘Call for Action” – Holding space for each other
Reading Time: 3 minutes Thank you Angela Straathof for your great comments about the perception of agriculture only having room for women who fight. In this coming meeting season, I challenge us all to invite new people to the table, ask the quiet ones for feedback, support someone who is a ‘helper’, redirect the ‘fighters’ to use their passion […] Read more
Comment: Why does agriculture only have room for women who fight?
Reading Time: 3 minutes A recent article ‘Why aren’t farm women fighting harder?,‘ for the December 2019 issue of Country Guide has garnered a significant amount of attention online and on social media. Upon reading our article, Angela Straathof wrote the response below as a “call to action” for the agricultural industry. – Country Guide staff “Be bold. Speak […] Read more
Ford recalls Super Duty pickups on post-crash fire risk
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Ford Motor Co. said Friday it would recall 547,538 of its Ford Super Duty pickup trucks across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, citing the risk of a post-crash interior fire. The second-largest U.S. automaker said the recall covers certain models between the years 2017 and 2019 with carpet flooring that could experience a […] Read more
Making a name in crop protection
Can FMC build a new company you’ll actually want to do business with?
Reading Time: 7 minutes The insiders at FMC have a plan for getting you to become a loyal customer of a company you’ve barely heard of in an industry dominated by huge names you can’t forget, like BASF, Bayer and Syngenta. Can FMC do it? The big test may be in your mailbox right now. As a company, FMC […] Read more
Guide Health: Charging up your electrolytes
Try either of these homemade recipes for a healthier sports drink
Reading Time: 2 minutes You may have heard the term electrolytes. It’s often used in advertisements for sports drinks that are supposed to help you run faster, jump higher, and be a much better athlete! It’s true, too. Electrolytes are very important to your body. It’s just that a sports drink probably won’t improve your athletic performance. Electrolytes are […] Read more