By Dick Haney Whether You are Entering or Exiting a Business as General Manager, Timing is Everything. “You got to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em, know when to walk away, know when to run.” Probably many of you have identified these words as part of a song written by Kenny Rogers called... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
In November Syngenta celebrated its 10 year anniversary. I’ve been President for nine of those years, and have seen first hand the rapid pace of change taking place across the agricultural landscape in Canada. And change, while often feared, can be a good thing – it can bring with it opportunity. Since 2000, the Canadian... Read More
Across North America everyone is talking about the bullish tone of corn and soybeans. Is wheat going to be the weaker sister in 2011? How much higher will the wheat price have to go to buy some acres back from corn, soybeans, canola and lentils. Some farmers and analysts are even saying that the attention... Read More
By Dick Haney We are living in the real time information age, and it is providing both challenges and opportunities in our businesses, but most importantly it is affecting how we make decisions. This change has arrived with the force of a tsunami and it is invading our workplace from all directions. These changes are... Read More
By Shaun Haney We hear a lot nowadays about value chains, the integrated food system and the farmers incredibly important role in it. How many time have you heard the term, "Gate to Plate?" I can buy into this concept as long as all participants are getting a fair return for their investment in the... Read More
As most of you know, I am from Western Canada but as I learn more about Ontario agriculture it seems that many of the concerns are the same. There are differences between the east and the west but overall things like income stabilization, risk management and government lobby tend to always come forward first no... Read More
Corn is the story that keeps on telling. With USDA revising yields and ending stocks lower in the US, the farmers with decent yields have enjoyed some great returns this year. I have even seen some corn acre forecasts for 2011 being discussed on CNBC's Squawk Box. When there is this much hype and we... Read More
The Succession Saga - Part Two By Dick Haney The Prince Charles Syndrome is an affliction that affects not only Royal Families, but potentially your family business as well. The House of Windsor (The ruling English Monarchy) is arguably one of the most successful family businesses on the planet. Although the House of Windsor has... Read More
Managing risk is a major part of running any farm or livestock operation. Alberta recently tried to aid it's provincial livestock producers by launching the Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP). Recently Ontario Provincial Ag-Critic, Mr. Ernie Hardeman, MPP, questioned why the Ontario government was stalling in implementing a similar program to ensure Ontario producer competitiveness.... Read More
By Shaun Haney Few debates in life involve an all or none scenario. Some people try to make things this way but in reality it is not possible. This is similar to the debate of whether organic agriculture and modern agriculture can co-exist. The better question is why not? As I have mentioned many times... Read More