Fuel theft is unfortunately an all-too-common problem on farms. As operations grow larger, and with more uninhabited farm yards, thieves may find fuel tanks unsupervised and unprotected. To keep fuel where it's supposed to be, Kenneth Johnson and Jace Ericson of Estevan, Saskatchewan came up with their own solution: a steel cabinet for fuel transfer... Read More
Category: Farm Management
Ontario farms tend to be dominated by field crops and managed pasture, but there are many opportunities for farmers to create habitat for endangered species. The Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program (SARFIP) is designed to help farmers make those opportunities become reality, explains Margaret May, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) Regional Program... Read More
Yield history, soil type, fertility, drainage, irrigation potential, and cropping options — those have traditionally been some of the main factors considered when assessing the value or rental rate for a parcel of farmland. But with telematics and data collection capabilities of farm equipment expanding rapidly, there's another field characteristic that should probably be considered:... Read More
A private member's bill tabled in the House of Commons last week aims to reduce the tax burden of intergenerational transfers of farms that are incorporated. "My bill would end a blatantly unfair situation that puts business people, farmers, and fishing vessel operators at a disadvantage when they want to pass their business on to... Read More
The online sharing concept that has produced Uber, Airbnb and other examples of peer-to-peer services aimed at better utilizing existing capital is developing in the U.S. farm machinery market. MachineryLink Sharing, which launched in the fourth quarter of 2015, bills itself as the industry's first internet-based equipment sharing program. Farmers, and even some equipment dealers,... Read More
"Innovation" is a buzzword in today's world, often associated with technology, but it's not necessarily about gadgets, as our guest for this episode in the Mind Your Farm Business series points out. "Innovation really is about grabbing ideas from other parts of the planet or other ideas you see people doing and bringing that back... Read More
The federal agriculture minister has launched online consultations on what Growing Forward 3 — or whatever name the Liberals give the next agricultural policy framework — should look like. Growing Forward 2, which encompasses most federal and provincial programs for agricultural research, market development and business risk management, expires on April 1st, 2018. Lawrence MacAulay,... Read More
After a long winter of farm shows, conferences and trade shows it made a lot of sense to hop back on an airplane and take the family on a vacation. It wouldn't surprise many of you that I have a few Aeroplan points to use up. Free flights!!! In today's world of busy, taking time... Read More
Farms and ag businesses could be eligible for federal funding if they hire young people to do work that benefits the environment. Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna visited AAFC's Central Experiment Farm in Ottawa on Monday to announce up to $1.9 million in funding over the... Read More
When thinking about risks to your farm, what comes to mind? Weather and market risks are usually at the top of the list, but there are many other areas where a farm business may be exposed. These risks are often unrecognized because nobody's taken the time to go through an exercise of assessing risks and... Read More