I have never owned a hog or participated in the business at all but from the outside it does appear to be a very tough financial business. I have had several chats with producers that have been in the business for a long time and the concerns are real for the long term sustainability of... Read More
Category: Western Canada
By Dick Haney Succession, or as some call it- Sucksession, the silent killer of small business, is potentially the Ebola disease of family business longevity. I am going to approach this topic from a different number of directions over the course of a number of weeks. This topic will be analyzed and dissected from the... Read More
By Shaun Haney Due to the demand for canola acres this fall, canola seed is in high demand from growers across the prairies. For some reason some farmers are asking questions about the quality of carry over canola seed from last year. The assumption is that whether bare or previously treated, the carry over seed... Read More
In case you haven't noticed, equipment is getting bigger every year. Bigger is always relative depending on where you farm. As farms become larger, farmers need to make sure that they are operating with the most ideal efficiency. Getting bigger equipment is not always as easy because it requires larger trucks, larger tractors and more... Read More
Some things change and some things just stay the same. Some things are predictable and some things are not. As expected carcass weights have peaked for the fall as the trend downwards has begun. While at the same time basis levels have been strong resulting in stronger pricing. According to Anne, pre-2003 basis levels were... Read More
By Shaun Haney There was a time when your banker was your friend, your confident and your advisor. This was especially true in agriculture where farmers had a very close relationship with the man that was lending them the money. Your banker lived in the community, he knew your business, he analyzed it, and gave... Read More
If you are interested in politics and economics like I am there is no more interesting fodder every night on the television than in the United States. I love debates and conflict on topics and the US has no shortage of them right now. Whether you are right, left or moderate you cannot deny the... Read More
Two weeks ago I interviewed Mischa Popoff who has written a book entitled, "Is it Organic?" This interview initiated several comments and emails directly to me that were both positive and negative. Whenever we have controversial issues I am trying to engage different stakeholders to ensure that you are permitted to form your own opinions.... Read More
By Shaun Haney Who spends less time at a desk than farmers. One of the advantages of farming is the ability to be outside in the elements growing crops and being stewards of the environment. Farming has become a much more complex career in the last 15 years where they need access to information and... Read More
The last seven years have not been kind to the income statement and balance sheet of the cattle feeder in Canada. With that has come a harsh reality for many small to mid €“sized feeders that were dealing at schedule one banks. Many on the schedule ones have decided to focus on the larger feeders... Read More