A new Driving Back to Work grant program in Alberta will make the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) required to earn a Class 1 commercial licence more affordable. The new program, titled The Experience and Equivalency program, will reduce the time it takes for Class 3 drivers to upgrade to their Class 1. A dedicated $3... Read More
Category: Farm Management
Farming with family can be a tricky situation, and being able to make sound business decisions is such an important part of it. How do you decide on management decisions, equipment purchases, crop inputs, and the like? A key strategy to tackle decision making and delegating accordingly is to have regular farm meetings for everything... Read More
Family farms that hold regular business meetings are 21 per cent more profitable than those who don't. That may be, but the mere mention of "meeting" likely makes you roll your eyes or maybe grumble in disapproval. Family meetings might bring up some not-so-pleasant memories, but Elaine Froese, farm family coach, says it doesn't have... Read More
Around eight in every 10 Canadians support the broad idea of a one per cent tax on people who have more than $20 million in net assets, according to poll results published by Abacus Data this week. The survey results coincide with calls from certain politicians in Ottawa to move ahead with a so-called "wealth... Read More
Three of Ontario's ministries (Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Health; and Labour, Training and Skills Development) have committed to a strategy to prevent COVID-19 transmission, and protect workers and the province's food supply chain ahead of next year's growing season. The joint government-industry Prevention, Control and Outbreak Support Strategy for COVID-19 in Ontario's Farm Workers... Read More
From farm level to the corner office, there are more jobs available in agriculture than ever before. But the possibility of a future talent shortage is a definite concern, and that discussion was part of the recent farm management-focused week of the Syngenta Media Summit. "It's been a hot topic lately, specifically in Syngenta, but... Read More
Benchmarking is a comparison, but it's not a competition. Benchmarking can be a useful tool to understand where your farm management practices can improve on yield, profit margin, operation efficiency, or gross margin. Even human resources can be benchmarked, but it's what you do with the numbers next that really counts. Maggie Van Camp, national... Read More
John Deere has announced the acquisition of Harvest Profit, a farm profitability software company based in Fargo, North Dakota. The company, which has focused on helping farmers understand their crop production costs and revenue, was founded by Nick Horob in 2015. "Harvest Profit software helps farmers forecast and measure profitability on a field-by-field basis," notes... Read More
Performance reviews for staff just aren't talked about enough in regards to farm management. They also don't have to be a negative experience; both employee and employer can provide feedback during a performance — they're not a one-way conversation. Joining us for today's RealAg LIVE is Jennifer Wright, senior HR advisor with the Canadian Agricultural... Read More
If I want it done right, I'll do it myself. Is that a phrase that you often say or think as a farmer? Delegation is a learned skill and one that doesn't always come easily, especially if you're used to working independently. On a recent Farmer Rapid Fire segment over on RealAg Radio, host Shaun... Read More