Canadian farmers feel relatively stable and positive about their farms' current financial outlook, even in the face of declining commodity markets, according to the March Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index. Last month, the RealAgristudies Insights Panel was surveyed a fourth time since September 2022 on their opinions and overall sentiment on a number of critical agricultural... Read More
Category: Farm Management
Update, as of April 17: The Public Service Alliance of Canada announced a strike deadline on Monday morning. The union says more than 155,000 PSAC members, which includes staff with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Grain Commission, will begin strike action on Wednesday, April 19 if a deal cannot be reached by 9... Read More
It’s easy to assume that today’s farmer is bombarded with salespeople trying to get them to buy products for the farm. After all, buying farm products, inputs in particular, is very predictable. In the fall farmers will begin purchasing seed for next year, then book fertilizer, and chemical, etc. This differs from livestock farmers that... Read More
Many entrepreneurs struggle with finding the right people to join their team. Right now, the employment market is also very tight as supply is low, and competitiveness for workers is so strong. So much attention is paid to the recruitment of new employees, but how often do we actually focus on the onboarding process? Research... Read More
It was Albert Einstein that said, "When you stop learning, you start dying" In today's world of fast-paced change and competitiveness, farmers and ranchers face immense challenges on a daily basis. All entrepreneurs face the stiff challenge of staying current, but not everyone views or tackles the skills gap the same. In February, RealAgristudies dove... Read More
"If I'd give any advice, I'd say don't be afraid to ask questions...don't ask a question because you know the answer. Ask a question because you genuinely want to know, and get their opinion and get their advice. And when you ask that question, when you explore that curiosity, you're wiser, and the folks who... Read More
After undergoing some major changes through the '80s and '90s, business risk management (BRM) programs for farmers across Canada have remained largely the same for the last two decades. While there have been a few tweaks to AgriStability and its siblings in the BRM family of programs, AgriInsurance, and AgriInvest, the risks that farmers and... Read More
There are talents we're born with, and then there are skills we develop. Even our talents, without practice or work, can only get us so far. Learning and development really never ends, if you think about it, and some of us truly lean in to on-going training, improving, and learning, but some of us just... Read More
There's something about us rural folk and the appreciation we have of just how beautiful our surroundings can be. For those of you that know me, you know that sunsets, sunrises, and a bright starry sky can make me take a deep breath in ways that not much else can. Lately, I've been stuck in... Read More
Premier Doug Ford's government released its latest budget for Ontario, with a major focus on health care and housing. Tucked in the budget, however, are a few items directly or indirectly applicable to agriculture in the province, including a focus on improving veterinary access in under-serviced areas, support for trades, and a manufacturing credit. In... Read More