Benchmarking is a comparison, but it's not a competition. Benchmarking can be a useful tool to understand where your farm management practices can improve on yield, profit margin, operation efficiency, or gross margin. Even human resources can be benchmarked, but it's what you do with the numbers next that really counts. Maggie Van Camp, national... Read More
Category: Farm Management
John Deere has announced the acquisition of Harvest Profit, a farm profitability software company based in Fargo, North Dakota. The company, which has focused on helping farmers understand their crop production costs and revenue, was founded by Nick Horob in 2015. "Harvest Profit software helps farmers forecast and measure profitability on a field-by-field basis," notes... Read More
Performance reviews for staff just aren't talked about enough in regards to farm management. They also don't have to be a negative experience; both employee and employer can provide feedback during a performance — they're not a one-way conversation. Joining us for today's RealAg LIVE is Jennifer Wright, senior HR advisor with the Canadian Agricultural... Read More
If I want it done right, I'll do it myself. Is that a phrase that you often say or think as a farmer? Delegation is a learned skill and one that doesn't always come easily, especially if you're used to working independently. On a recent Farmer Rapid Fire segment over on RealAg Radio, host Shaun... Read More
Almost everyone who lives in a rural area is well aware of the challenges with infrastructure and services — from keeping schools open, to attracting and retaining doctors, to building roads and fixing bridges. Fewer though are likely fully aware of just how far behind their local town or municipality has fallen in keeping up... Read More
John Kowalchuk is just a #regularfarmer from Rumsey, Alberta. He's also a regular guest on RealAg Radio's Farmer Rapid Fire segment, because John loves to farm and loves to talk about farming. That makes John a great guest for RealAg LIVE! In this episode, Shaun Haney asks John about what crops he's trialing, what crop... Read More
The unexpected bump up in commodity prices going into November begs the question: how long can it last? "A simple rule of thumb: high prices cure high prices," say Brennan Turner of FarmLead's Combyne Ag Trading Network. "I think there's definitely a combination of factors that are kind of driving the markets right now; first... Read More
The Bank of Canada has announced it will hold firm at a 0.25 per cent interest rate for now; and, given the commentary around the announcement, likely for some time. According to J.P. Gervais, chief economist with Farm Credit Canada, it's not an unexpected outcome. "When you comb through the [Bank of Canada] statement, what... Read More
The Alberta government says part of "prioritizing jobs for Albertans" includes making changes to the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program in the province. Alberta's government plans to limit the number and types of jobs available to new TFWs — making jobs "available for unemployed Albertans," according to a press release. As of November 1, additional... Read More
The federal government has announced further updates on how the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) will work, including the option for businesses to open a business account in order to qualify. Announced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic economic shutdown, CEBA is an interest-free $40,000 operating loan. If you repay 75 percent of the... Read More