Cattle producers will have access to significantly higher borrowing limits under an enhanced Manitoba Livestock Associations Loan Guarantee (MLALG) program, according to Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development minster, Ron Kostyshyn. The borrowing limit for the MLALG program has increased to up to $8 million from $5 million for associations and up to $500,000 from... Read More
Category: Farm Management
With all the excitement about data and new tools for recording farm production and operational activities, collecting the data is often the easy part. The challenge comes in turning the data and observations into simple, actionable information. Whether it's vehicle or equipment activity, irrigation tracking, soil test results, basic field records or the markets, the... Read More
The growing season is a busy one but once in a while some unexpected free time will bust its way into your itinerary. So what do you do? Like me, many of you likely struggle more with free time than with a full calendar of appointments or to do's. Here are some thoughts on some... Read More
Welcome to an occasional series here on Real Agriculture — where we ask three farmers or ranchers four questions about their business, production and next steps. This first column features three Ontario sheep producers (you'll have to ask them if they want to be called shepherds): Colleen Acres, of Maple Meadow Farms at Osgoode; Chris... Read More
Zero should be every farm's goal when it comes to number of injuries or accidents during seeding — how do you make that a reality? Tractors, trucks and seeding equipment across the country are starting to roll for #plant15, and with another busy season comes an elevated risk of injuries and fatalities on farms. Unfortunately,... Read More
Ontario farmers who are accessing or have plans to access Growing Forward 2 funding have a new list of rules to learn. Of particular note, says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), intake dates have changed, as have the rules surrounding invoice dates, to highlight just a few... Read More
Farmers and fishing businesses will save a projected $50 million in taxes over the next five years thanks to another increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains exemption announced in the federal budget this week. The exemption, which helps farmers reduce their tax burden when transferring ownership of farm assets, has been raised to $1 million... Read More
April brings many things, but the most important are spring planting (or seeding, if you're in the west) and, of course, the beginning of the Major League Baseball season. As I watch farmers getting into the field while also enjoying baseball on the radio again, I started to think about the similarities of the start... Read More
As expected with lower crop prices, new data from Farm Credit Canada shows the red-hot market for farmland cooled off in 2014. According to FCC's annual Farmland Values Report released April 13th, the average value of agricultural land in Canada rose by 14.3 percent in 2014 — down from an increase of 22.1 percent in... Read More
Ontario beef farmers will now have access to double the individual loan limits under the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee program. For the purchasing of feeder cattle, new members who are enrolled in the program are now able to access a loan for up to $100,000 (an increase of $50,000), and existing members are now... Read More