As of Monday, March 4, 2013, the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) is accepting cash advance applications for the 2013-14 Advanced Payments Program (APP). “This is the third year that we have accepted applications ahead of the April 1st program start date,” says Rick White, General Manager of CCGA. “By doing so, we provide farmers... Read More
Category: Farm Management
Michele Payn-Knoper, agvocate, farmer and author, recently launched a book aimed at connecting consumers and farmers, in hopes of bringing some civility to the farming and food conversations happening today. The book is called "No More Food Fights," and is written in two halves, with a bridging chapter to connect the two. One half of... Read More
"Farm succession can get heated," says Thamesville, Ont., farmer Dennis Jack. "But you have to get on with life and deal with it or you will destroy your own life worrying about." In this episode of the Agricultural Management Institute's (AMI) new farm succession video series, Jack talks about his family's succession struggles and how... Read More
Is there such thing as a perfect farm? If so, what does it look like? Is it a fixed size? Is it highly specialized, or incredibly diverse? The perfect farm is a concept that Gary Martens, instructor with the department of plant science at the University of Manitoba, brought up to me some time ago... Read More
Being your own boss, as farmers are, should mean you don't ever have to write up a witty resume, right? Well, maybe not. In the quest to secure a land base from the ever-increasing number of non-farming landlords, farmers now and in the future are going to have to get creative in how they approach... Read More
No doubt many farmers, if asked, would tell you that it's the lifestyle that drew them to farming. That group would also tell you that you have to work hard in order to keep that lifestyle. That means treating your farm like any other business which means long hours away from the family at times,... Read More
Many farmers consider the farm to be their retirement nest egg. Of course the farm will play a significant role in funding retirement, but relying solely on farm assets can create challenges when it comes to farm succession. "You can run into trouble if you put all your eggs in one basket," says farm succession... Read More
High land prices got you down? Does $3,000 an acre just seem to darn high? Well there's no doubt that land prices have climbed significantly in recent years, a little history lesson teaches us that when combined with very low interest rates and high commodity prices land is not priced outlandishly. Alberta Agriculture's Merle Good... Read More
When should you start succession planning? The earlier the better, says farm succession expert Len Davies. In the second episode of the Agricultural Management Institute's (AMI) new farm succession video series, Davies takes us to the Veenstra family farm near Port Colborne, Ontario. Here we meet Andy Veenstra who shares succession tips and strategies he... Read More
What are the key steps that farm families need to consider when developing a farm succession plan? It's a looming question for many farm families right now. To help in the process, the Agricultural Management Institute (AMI) has produced a new farm succession video series, viewed from the kitchen tables of Ontario farm families as... Read More