While much of the attention around the federal budget release on Monday was focused on the billions of dollars in new spending and programs, the budget also includes a significant measure that will make it more attractive for incorporated farms to purchase certain types of capital, including tractors, trucks, and other farm machinery. The budget,... Read More
Category: Farm Management
Professional development isn't just for those in corporate agriculture and it's not just for those looking at taking on a new role, either. Vik Kail, human resources leader for Corteva Agriscience, says that there's a place for professional development, both formally and informally, for all levels of employees, including owners and managers. Kail looks at... Read More
After a 30 month negotiation period between the longshoremen and their employer, as of April 13, there is a partial strike at the Port of Montreal. Greg Northey, vice president of corporate affairs with Pulse Canada, says the negotiations really picked up last summer when there was a total of 15 strikes, with one that... Read More
The effects of COVID-19 on agriculture were surprising, and some sectors of the industry were affected more than others — grain and oilseed operations fared much better than say, intensive horticulture crops, in terms of labour. For this RealAg LIVE! host Kara Oosterhuis is joined by Debra Hauer of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council... Read More
The Ontario government is providing $10 million to allow more farmers and agri-food operators to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), enhance cleaning and disinfection measures, and redesign workstations to better protect workers. Under the new Enhanced Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program (EAWPP), farms and agri-food businesses that hire three or more employees will be eligible for... Read More
Farming with family can be rewarding, and also stressful. Transitioning a farm's ownership from one generation to the next can be emotionally-charged and high stress, but would it be easier or any different if you were selling the business to a non-family member? Dick Wittman of Wittman Consulting says that many farmers may feel as... Read More
Rural and urban communities have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic differently. From gaps in healthcare, to transport challenges and through to isolation, the pandemic has brought to light some significant differences between city and rural dwellers. Dr. Gabe Woollam, a family physician based at Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, and president of the Society... Read More
The meeting of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial ag leaders ended without a full agreement on what Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Marie-Claude Bibeau proposed back in November, 2020. At that time, Bibeau offered to remove the reference margin limit and increase the coverage level from 70 per cent to 80 per cent. The cost structure of... Read More
Canadians' reliance on technology and systems for essential services, including in the agriculture sector, require constant innovation and vigilance in cyber security. Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair has announced $500,000 over four years to the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance for their Cyber Security Capacity in Canadian Agriculture project. The funding is... Read More
It's that time of the year. Animals are having their young. Frost is leaving the soil. Spring has officially "sprung." This is such an exciting season. Personally, it's one of my favourites. Spring feels like New Year's Day to me, as it feels like a fresh start again. Time to start the garden. Time to... Read More