How the farm succession landscape is changing - Country Guide
Farm families have been calling in lawyers, accountants and business advisors to help with their transition planning for decades.| Country Guide
Farm families have been calling in lawyers, accountants and business advisors to help with their transition planning for decades.| Country Guide
How can you tell your parents that the accountant they've had for years might not currently be the best option for the farm?| Country Guide
“Solutions to the greatest challenges and opportunities are not found in strategy or quick fixes, they are found within the people who have problems.”| Country Guide
Although the number of women working in leadership positions in agriculture is increasing, women are still in the minority and continue to experience gender bias.| Country Guide
Reading Time: 7minutes Some farm managers love to spend the winter poring over their financial statements and analyzing all ratios and indicators and how they’ve changed over time. Others would rather be outside working with cattle or at conferences learning the latest disease management techniques. If you’re not in the first category, your banker might know more about […] Read more The post A guide to farm financial ratios appeared first on Country Guide.| Country GuideCountry Guide
Reading Time: 4minutes Some people just fall into the world of agriculture — and consider themselves lucky to have stumbled into such a happening industry. Kelsey Owen-Cooper is one of those people. Owen-Cooper grew up in rural Ontario, surrounded by farm influences. Her grandparents grew up on farms, her father worked on a local dairy (frequent visits to […] Read more The post The wildly adaptable side of next gen agriculture appeared first on Country Guide.| Country GuideCountry Guide
Land prices are up. Inputs are up. Commodities are volatile. And that’s just a start. Climate change is getting real. Interest rates are too. And the international scene is chaos. Does it all add up to good news for your farm in 2024?| Country Guide
When asked to define “success,” most farmers will tell you it’s about more than money. Family often comes up. High yields and good soil health are top of| Country Guide
The dad-daughter relationship is emerging as one of agriculture’s greatest strengths. Country Guide spoke with two young Manitoban women about how they’re| Country Guide
Of course any story on what’s ahead for Canada’s mid-size farms is going to start with a forkful of numbers. And of course, if you’re a mid-size farmer,| Country Guide
For at least a century, researchers have been trying to define the essence of good leadership and its key elements.| Country Guide
If the kids are expressing an interest in the farm or their answer to the question “Do you really want this opportunity?” is yes, then both kids and| Country Guide
If you’re thinking of asking for a raise but know that conversations about money can be awkward — especially if the boss is mom or dad — then you’ll want| Country Guide
It didn’t take long in my accounting career to learn that farmers don’t like paying income tax. No one does really, but farmers seem to have a particular| Country Guide
A business plan is like a road map for your farm. You can plan your route, set a destination and track progress.| Country Guide
How to create shareholder agreements to help with farm succession, deal with unexpected events and ensure the farm corporation remains viable.| Country Guide
Author and 'recovering farmer' Gerry Friesen shares strategies for dealing with stress and tools for better farmer mental health.| Country Guide
Your wisdom, wealth of experience and knowledge are the farm's greatest asset. Share your greatest leadership stories.| Country Guide
How to use a measured approach to farm technology and equipment purchases.| Country Guide
This is the future. The farm’s central computer has all the farm data. It also scans seed performance comparisons, product labels and scientific papers in milliseconds.| Country Guide
The U.S. tariff situation could lead to new markets and has already led provincial governments to remove interprovincial trade barriers to facilitate trade across Canada.| Country Guide
Reading Time: 4minutes July sun beats down on Kristen Raney as she works in her Clavet, Sask., flower garden. Weeding and watering are constant this time of year and so, from June to August, this flower farmer, blogger and writer maintains a strict routine to keep up with the demands of weddings, artisanal markets and the farm stand […] Read more The post VIDEO: A week in the life of a flower farmer appeared first on Country Guide.| Country GuideCountry Guide
Reading Time: < 1minute In this week’s episode of Awkward Ag, Patti Durand answers a letter signed by “Trying to Find Balance” who asks Patti what they can say to other farm team members who make them feel guilty about trying to find a work-life balance. Do you need some advice on how to have an awkward conversation with […] Read more The post VIDEO: Trying to find work-life balance on the farm appeared first on Country Guide.| Country GuideCountry Guide
Reading Time: 3minutes In the final instalment of our Making the Future series Country Guide spoke with Beth Martel from St. Leon, Man. (Click here to read part one, part two, part three and part four.) Beth Martel grew up in Wales, U.K., and moved with her family to Manitoba in 2001, where they purchased a mixed cattle […] Read more The post Manitoba agronomist and farmer reflects on career in agriculture appeared first on Country Guide.| Country GuideCountry Guide
Reading Time: 3minutes Growing up I wanted to farm. I laugh now because what I defined as farming when I was young is not even identifiable in today’s operations: sleeping behind the seat of grandpa’s combine, driving the farm truck when I couldn’t reach the pedals and sitting shotgun in the grain truck with no air conditioning. This […] Read more The post The farm isn’t just a great place to grow up appeared first on Country Guide.| Country GuideCountry Guide
Increased costs are creating pressure on 2025 farm budgets| Country Guide
The cost to farm has doubled in 15 years, but this financial tool can help.| Country Guide
Let’s say that you have a good sense of what success would look like for you and you’re pretty sure you’re made of the stuff it will take to achieve it,| Country Guide
When I ask farmers to guess how long it will take to complete a transition plan, they usually say one to two years. The reality is that it takes much| Country Guide
The brainchild of British cycling coach Sir David Brailsford, marginal gains theory is the concept of tiny changes that add up over time.| Country Guide
Why - and how - to create a separation between farm and non-farm revenue.| Country Guide
Farm business planning is always a popular topic of discussion among advisors and management gurus. But statistics still show a slow uptake by farmers.| Country Guide
Twenty-two-year-old Béatrice Neveu from Rawdon, Que. is a dairy farmer who milks 60 (mostly) Jersey cows alongside her dad.| Country Guide
These Manitoba dairy producers have doubled their milk production and have optimized robotic technology to create a successful and balanced lifestyle for their young family.| Country Guide
As young farmers who are eager to grow their operation, Matt Bergman and DJ Wassenaar are focused on smart business planning and sustainable growth.| Country Guide
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eIHni5Q_ViU Are you getting bad vibes from someone with whom you usually feel quite connected? It can be tough for everyone| Country Guide
This is the first in a series of articles exploring the perspectives and experiences of young people who are finding their passion, flexing their skills| Country Guide
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xl54Wufm4tY A few years ago, I made a simple decision that would end up changing the way I see leadership. I signed up to| Country Guide
“There is nothing left in the tank,” says Beverly Beuermann-King. She sees it regularly. “People get tapped out ... One more thing can throw them over the| Country Guide
“It doesn’t matter whether or not tariffs actually happen, the uncertainty remains,” says Tyler Fulton, president of the Canadian Cattle Association.| Country Guide
Establishing meeting ground rules can help your family find ways to communicate that work for your farm.| Country Guide
Where many farm leaders manage family members, long-time employees or seasonal crews, there’s an opportunity to shift to mentoring them instead.| Country Guide
Creating a culture of appreciation and respect in the workplace can also help support its leaders, says a resiliency and stress specialist.| Country Guide
Are farmers leveraging their new-found equity to generate new business opportunities or farm wealth? To explore what farmland values mean for farms and| Country Guide
Long-time central Alberta agronomist Fred Wood says in the evolution of the consultant and farm client relationship “eventually you become friends.”| Country Guide
Brunel Sabourin, owner of Antara Agronomy and lead agronomist, says to provide the most benefit to a grower he prefers to work with all cropped acres.| Country Guide
Adam Funk provides agronomy services to clients in south-eastern Manitoba. He often looks to the U.S. to find new products, new varieties and agronomic research most relevant for his clients.| Country Guide
Long time southern Alberta crop consultant George Lubberts says farmers need to ask the same questions about new products or technology as any consumer.| Country Guide
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XwSQwbeTtUk Even the strongest leaders can find themselves caught in a swirl of frustration or fear when so much feels out| Country Guide
Technology provides vast amounts of information, but are we losing generational knowledge because of it?| Country Guide
In agriculture, we often push ourselves to be “rugged individualists,” but make no mistake: it takes a team to move a mountain.| Country Guide
A grain inventory adjustment expense in 2024 will affect your profitability and debt service ratio before you even spin a tire in the field this spring.| Country Guide
One of the hardest transitions for farm leaders is learning to release control, not in a passive way, but in an intentional, healthy way.| Country Guide
For over a decade, most succession plans were framed largely on some version of giving the assets to the farming children while using life insurance and/or estate-based gifts for the non-farmers.| Country Guide
Being a leader isn’t just about a fancy business title. It’s about leading by example, inspiring and empowering those around you.| Country Guide
Country Guide had a specific question to ask Syngenta CEO Jeff Rowe, such as what makes an Illinois farmboy the right fit to lead one of agriculture’s largest companies?| Country Guide
For generations, Canadian farms have been more than businesses. They are the backbone of our national food security and rural economic infrastructure.| Country Guide
Mental Health Week is a great opportunity for farmers to talk openly about mental health and how they can take practical steps to manage the stress and anxiety that comes with the industry.| Country Guide
On-farm research trials can help producers make better management decisions.| Country Guide
Finding your farm's competitive advantage in economic down cycles.| Country Guide
How farmers can manage stress and protect their mental health, and where they can access help.| Country Guide
Farmers work largely by themselves, especially on small to mid-size farms. But that no longer means you have to farm alone.| Country Guide
If you've been planning a farm project for more than a decade, it's time to look at why you're stuck.| Country Guide
There is just one word to describe the value of farmland in Canada: high. Or maybe that should be HIGH. Cultivated farmland across Canada jumped an| Country Guide
It’s no secret that many farm and ranch operations facing the prospect of transition to the next generation feel stuck and unsure how to proceed.| Country Guide
A financial advisor explains why you should consider digitizing your farm bookkeeping.| Country Guide
The sooner you start to think about retiring, you can minimize the impact of the adjustment when that time comes.| Country Guide
Farmers share how they've built additional enterprises to add revenue, diversify risk or create an opportunity for the younger generation during succession planning.| Country Guide
Farms and others discuss how vision statements help them expand and evolve their business.| Country Guide
Cattle Young Leaders program More than 180 mentor/mentee pairs have completed the Canadian Cattle Association’s annual Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL)| Country Guide
Subscribe to the Country Guide Podcast on YouTube Music or Apple so you can catch new episodes as they’re released. Numbers Toolkit: The Farmer Coach:| Country Guide
Alanna Koch may be near the end of her decades-long career, but many of the issues she faced as a working parent are still relevant today.| Country Guide
Carla and Tyrone Borsa had already put a lot of research into their sheep operation before the first set of hooves hit their pasture in 2022.| Country Guide
Chad and Stacey Meunier own Meunier Livestock Ltd. where they raise 4,500 cows, manage a finishing feedlot and crop forages to feed their cattle.| Country Guide
Twin Peaks Creamery opened its doors in spring 2023 and John Pruim’s dream of making ice cream from his family's dairy farm became a reality.| Country Guide
Farming is a complex business full of daily decisions with expensive consequences. Country Guide associate editor, April Stewart, sat down with Evan| Country Guide
Setting goals for a new calendar year can often feel like a challenge, but taking a proper evulative approach can help ensure success.| Country Guide
Looking for a way to talk to urban consumers about how farmers produce food? Jeanine Moyer takes farming right to the heart of Toronto.| Country Guide
On the surface, the news isn’t great for farmers looking to expand. Everywhere you look, it’s a seller’s market. The law of supply-demand is working| Country Guide
The current speed and cost of farm consolidation might have you wondering if growth will be possible for your operation.| Country Guide
How to avoid succession conversations from getting bogged down and getting things moving again.| Country Guide
One farm succession advisor tells families to take everything everyone has recently read or heard about succession and just put it off to the side.| Country Guide
It’s not easy to sell a business that you’ve poured your heart and soul into. And selling an agribusiness isn’t as simple as selling a piece of equipment or land.| Country Guide
To meet all the conditions required to grow a crop or animal, on-farm investments must be made and for farmers that very often means debt.| Country Guide
Are you even a real farmer if you haven’t had tough conversations on the farm? Here's how to approach the conversations that can make or break your farm business.| Country Guide
Of course farmers are proudly independent, and of course there are huge advantages in fixing your own problems and setting your own direction. But if| Country Guide
