Without question one of the key components of a successful farm conference is the caliber of the networking opportunities available. FarmTech's great speaker lineup and face-time-heavy agenda lends itself very well to meeting new and interesting people. At this year's event, RealAgriculture's founder Shaun Haney sat down with a few attendees to discuss what brought... Read More
Category: Farm Management
As news of the sixth and seventh confirmed on-farm case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was announced (as of February 5, 2014), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is urging farmers to make use of a special biosecurity intake for farmers impacted by the devastating disease.... Read More
Stuck in some pricey land rent agreements? Worried that falling crop prices can support recent land payments? You're not alone. Merle Good, farm business consultant and farm succession expert, is set to present at the very first CropConnect conference set for February 18 and 19, 2014 at Winnipeg, Man. In the audio interview below, Good... Read More
By Bernard Tobin It's been a quiet January for farm appraiser Marleen van Ham. That lack of activity leads her to think that 2014 Ontario farmland prices will range from flat to a five per cent decline in some areas. Van Ham, a broker and appraiser for Agri Choice Real Estate Appraisals Inc, says she's... Read More
Maintaining good relationships should be a priority in any succession plan, but sometimes it's hard to get past the financial and legal jargon associated with the process. For both reasons, a farm business should consider appointing a third party to mediate discussions. And, in the meantime, it doesn't hurt to learn about some of your... Read More
Following the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in the Canadian cow herd in 2003, cattle producers saw a 30% to sometimes more than 50% drop in prices. What’s more, the slammed-shut U.S. border impacted cattle flow south for years. In over a decade since the BSE crisis, the Canadian cattle industry hasn’t so much “recovered”... Read More
Bigger is sometimes better, but everything comes at a cost. Choosing bigger tractors and wider implements may mean a faster planting season, but can the farm shoulder the cost? The idea of finding the right size of machinery for your farm was tackled by John Molenhuis, business analysis and cost of production program lead, with... Read More
Most farmers know which crops are their best money makers. Naming your most productive field is likely pretty easy, too. But do you know how profitable each field or area of a field is? If you could create a profit map by field zone, would it change the way you farm? You likely would, and,... Read More
All of us have attended a seminar in the past that provides us with the key criteria to make your farm successful. In many cases these are quite broad and not very personalized. For some fun, lets narrow it down and focus on one question that allows only one solution. I present you with a... Read More
Farming can be an overwhelming business, with scientific and economic complexities in every decision. Just deciding on seeding plans or organizing a work crew for silage season can be incredibly stressful. And just when you thought the decisions couldn't be anymore prevalent, you get a call from a land company requesting access to survey for... Read More