Family farms involve a complex interaction between two worlds — the family and the business, and both these worlds are impacted when a new person arrives. This person can be the glue that keeps things together, or the dynamite that blows things apart. We're talking about what happens when a son or daughter-in-law marries into... Read More
Category: Farm Management
For 32 years, Rob Hall worked in agricultural banking in Ontario – sometimes at the very top of the food chain, and always on the management side of the desk. Now, he’s switched sides. He’s on the farmer’s side. And he’s eager to talk in plain language. In February, Hall launched BankSpeak, a business finance... Read More
We often speak of best practices in agriculture as they relate to decisions made in the field or in the barn, but they go beyond that, to the office, to the meeting room, and even to interactions with the public. In his presentation at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, Marty Seymour, director of industry and... Read More
We’ve all heard the horror stories of intergenerational transfer, but, says beef producer and lawyer Ryan Scorgie, it can actually work out, provided families are willing to navigate through some challenging waters. “One of the challenges we’ve seen in this industry is people don’t necessarily look at ranching as a specific business…but it is —... Read More
Competition gives me energy. It keeps me focused. --Conor McGregor-- In sports, athletes compete to be the best, both in a team, and on an individual level. Every year (four years in the case of the Olympics) athletes get the opportunity to prove themselves against the best in the world or at their given level.... Read More
Farmers are among the most innovative and adaptive people in the world. There are many examples of situations where farmers have noticed a benefit to using a new piece of technology or a different management practice and quickly adopted it, whether it's the move to less tillage, the quick appearance of GPS monitors in tractor... Read More
Agriculture ministers from across Canada issued what they're calling the "Calgary Statement" following their annual federal/provincial/territorial meeting, held in Alberta this week. The document outlines the priorities for the next agricultural policy framework, which will replace Growing Forward 2 in April 2018. "We got the framework in place, just how much dollars and how it... Read More
Mobile phones have become an essential piece of equipment on most North American farms. A study just completed by Ipsos underlines what we've seen here at Real Agriculture — how farmers have fallen in love with and come to rely on their smartphones, even more than the general public. The research firm found over 80... Read More
As Canadian farms continue to grow, so does the need for talented employees who can help farmers reach their business goals. But how do you find and attract these individuals? And once you have them in your employ, how do you keep them? Human resource consultant Lynn Perry joins us for episode 20 of the... Read More
Dairy farm expansion typically focuses on adding more cows to increase production. That’s certainly the case for Monkton, Ontario-based producers Rick and Theresa Portena, but the Portenas also want a better opportunity to milk cows themselves. In this inaugural episode of Real Agriculture’s Dairy School, the Portenas’ share the strategy on why they invested in... Read More