A constraint is something that limits or restricts people in some way in what they are doing, need to do or could be doing. It impacts on a person’s action or behaviours. Some are simple. You would like to buy a piece of land. The asking price is very high and as a result, you’re […] Read more
Author Archives
Options to consider when coping with drought aftermath
Now what do we do? There were certainly concerns late into the winter, and then even more concerns as an early spring approached with a significant (severe in many areas) deficit in soil moisture. But, with every new year there is optimism that the new year comes with the chance for upside and good outcomes. […] Read more
Gut-wrenching decisions can test farmers’ risk tolerance
Some of you will know my background, but most will not. I farmed in western Manitoba for nearly 20 years. My brother still farms there. I watched it rain, freeze and blow. I watched when it didn’t rain. I watched as insects and disease ran rampant. I watched the stress creep into our lives. Always […] Read more
Clear understanding of financial details key to success
I’m sure you will have read something in the past that defines the vision and mission of a business, including farms. At the risk of repetition, I’m going to summarize. A vision describes the future state of the farm. It provides insight to the question of what it is you are working toward. Both vision […] Read more
Commodity price spikes welcome but have consequences
What are your thoughts about the existence of a commodities supercycle? Whether we’re in one is open for debate. From some of the reading I’ve done, even economists aren’t all of the same opinion about the presence of a supercycle. What we do know is that the grain and oilseed sector has seen tremendous price […] Read more
Predetermined transition could ease farm succession
Discussion centred around transition tends to focus quite a bit on the generation that is exiting. Thinking about that causes me to wonder how we could determine when someone actually started farming in the first place. We could say it was when someone started working on the farm, but that would be before they became […] Read more
Comparing today to the ’70s produces scary possibilities
Yogi Berra, the famous New York Yankees catcher, is credited with saying, “it’s like déjà vu all over again.” He had dozens and dozens of sayings that were funny but provided some meaningful life lessons at the same time. So, I’d like to pose a question: are farmers currently in a déjà vu-all-over-again scenario? Let’s […] Read more
Organizational chart can help develop management plan
There is an abundance of information and resources pertaining to a farm’s business vision, but there’s not so much written about a vision for management. In other words, resources to help a farm family determine what they are managing toward. I’m talking about management structure — who manages what, who does what. An organizational chart […] Read more
Retiring producers can find meaningful roles on the farm
Here is a rhetorical but really important question. How do we take the wisdom and experience from the retiring generation and pass it on successfully to the younger, or incoming, generation? This wisdom and experience comes from life’s lessons. There’s a saying that you can’t teach experience but that you can teach from experience. Makes […] Read more
Many families unsure how to go about making changes
By the time you read this article, 2020 will be in the rear-view mirror. There will be lots written about 2020, most notably the pandemic and including how things have changed and how things will continue to change as a result. This will be a global discussion. Let’s drill the discussion down to the farm […] Read more
