There are some elements of farming that will always be the same, but to move ahead and grow as a farm, it's the changes that need to be kept up with. Whether it's technology that keeps evolving every year or the ever changing dynamic of the consumer market, change isn't just good when it comes... Read More
Category: Farm Management
We have all heard the saying, "what goes up must come down," but does that maybe not apply to land values? This week FCC released its newest version of the Farm Credit Canada Farmland Values Report and the results continue to verify the upward trend of land values. It is becoming ever more difficult to... Read More
For a lot of farmers marketing wheat can be a lot like playing "Let's Make a Deal". You pick what's behind door number one and hope it's better than what's behind doors two and three. It's guesswork and a lot of luck. For other farmers, it feels like you're preparing to write a thesis, with... Read More
When agricultural commodity prices rise there are expected effects. Costs like fertilizer prices and machinery costs are always natural to rise in a rising commodity market. One of the costs that has not been discussed much is rising farmland rent costs. Ontario has some of the highest land rent rates in Canada for the major... Read More
Farmers are great at growing crops and raising livestock but I don't know many that really like to crunch the numbers. I feel that farmers are naturally entrepreneurial and tend to keep the farm financial plan in their head. For many farmers this works but it can result in some surprises from time to time.... Read More
In the short term the financial picture for agriculture looks very good. Both farmers and livestock producers are very excited about the possibilities in 2011. With profit comes bullish behaviours of expansion and growth. In different areas of Western Canada there has been some reports of very steamy land rental rates based on the prices... Read More
Creating a business plan and making sure you execute the plan is a very big challenge for farmers. In fact it is a great challenge for all business owners. Agriculture can even be tougher because of the underlying industry foundation of the "agricultural lifestyle." Added on top of this is the increased amount of un-controllables... Read More
The Succession Saga – Part Six By Dick Haney Anyone on the slippery side of 50 has I’m sure asked themselves the question, “What do I want my legacy to be and how will my time be remembered?” This is one of the most important life questions that one will ever attempt to answer and... Read More
By Dick Haney I just finished watching the wild card NFL game between the defending Champion New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks. The game was played in Seattle and the Seahawks were 11-point underdogs. In short, they just weren’t supposed to win, but they did. The turning point of the game was in the... Read More
By Dick Haney As we started out the New Year, there were at least in my family the obligatory college football games to be viewed on January 1st. These games are part sport, part pageant and in many instances the most visual expression of loyalty that we will probably see all year. The stands are... Read More