Karen Morrison

The consolidation of large food companies will drive farm business and dictate when, how and where farmers produce, says an expert in agricultural finance and business management. The movement toward super-sized Wal-Mart stores with huge food departments will require farmers to shift from one-year plans to three- to five-year plans, said David Kohl of Virginia […] Read more

Fifty percent of new value-added farm businesses fail, says David Kohl of Virginia Tech. He said many farmers find it difficult to tackle the multitude of roles required by human resources, marketing and operations. In addition, it often takes longer than expected to get products accepted in the marketplace. Kohl said poor accounting is another […] Read more

A typical leading farmer in Western Canada is a 41-year-old university graduate who operates a large-scale incorporated farm and has farmed for less than 20 years. These are among the findings of a project on the best practices of leading farmers, presented at an international conference in Saskatoon Feb. 17-18. In separate presentations, Darrell Toma, […] Read more

Farmers must get closer to their customers to thrive, a British food industry specialist told an international congress on the best practices of leading farmers. Andrew Fearne, a senior lecturer at Wye’s Imperial College, said farmers remain distant from consumers while collaborations between retailers and processors are more common. “Collaboration is the norm downstream but […] Read more

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Focusing on assets instead of deficiencies can turn around the fortunes of rural communities, says Peter Kenyon, founder of the Initiatives for the Development of Enterprising Action and Strategies. Speaking at the Rural Economic Opportunities conference here Feb. 23, he said he created a bank of ideas to stimulate discussion and […] Read more

KINDERSLEY, Sask. – Life is a buffet line rich with inviting options, says Karen Wright of Rockhaven, Sask. “There are lots of choices but you can only take in so much,” the time management specialist told those assembled for a one-day Agrowoman forum Feb. 13. Wright, who farms and operates KDW Consulting Services, told women […] Read more

Lower timothy prices should not deter farmers from growing the crop, said hay buyer Albert Van Genderen of Lethbridge. The president of NAFTAC Commodities estimated that last year’s prices were likely at their lowest. “I hope it doesn’t go any lower or timothy will lose its glory,” said Van Genderen, interviewed during the Canadian Hay […] Read more

PARADISE HILL, Sask. – Reporting offensive or inappropriate behaviour in on-line chat rooms to police can help prevent future abuses, says const. Scott Warnke of the RCMP detachment in Glaslyn, Sask. Speaking to students at Paradise Hill School’s Wellness Day about the dangers of computer use, he told them to avoid talking to strangers and […] Read more

Sharpen your pencils, dust off the calculators and try these calculations to get started on the road of business planning. The following calculations of a farm’s liquidity, solvency, profitability and financial efficiency can be measured against industry benchmarks to determine if there is cause for concern. Douglas Stroh of Meyers Norris Penny said ratios are […] Read more

Spilling the beans to an outsider on a farm’s financial situation can feel a bit like streaking at the Grey Cup for some families. Sharing sensitive, personal information can be intimidating. But it may also be necessary to get useful advice from business planners or agrologists – advice that can eliminate costly management mistakes, lead […] Read more