I met Joe Kluender at a conference in Sacramento, California, years ago. He is now retired from a well-respected career in farm business management consulting. His company, Farm Family Dynamics, was located in Minnesota. He and I collaborated on different things. The main thrust of the following article is taken from work originated by Joe. […] Read more
Tag Archives family farm
How to keep family healthy without breaking the bank
As a farmer, you manage the finances of your business and know how hard it is to earn and keep a dollar these days. Even tougher is spending that hard earned money on paying dental bills and medical expenses for you and your family. The key is to get the most out of your money, […] Read more
Discourage theft in rural areas
Open doors invite thieves | RCMP offer tips to minimize risk
ROSALIND, Alta. — Preventing theft is mainly about common sense, an RCMP detachment commander said at the Rosalind Agricultural Society Ag Day. A locked car or door and a well-lit driveway go a long way in preventing rural crime, said cpl. Beth Philipp of the Camrose RCMP. “Property protection is not rocket science. If the […] Read more
Staying small suits young operators
HARDISTY, Alta. — Stepping onto the Pure Country Food Inc. farm is like stepping back in time. Darcy Goodrich and his eight-year-old son, Ronan, fill pails of grain from the chop house and haul the buckets on a sled to the pigs and chickens. Ronan collects eggs that will be washed and sold to customers. […] Read more
Farm couple opens door to educate and enlighten
Dispelling myths | Successful small-scale farmers use their experiences to help others interested in making agriculture a career
PILOT MOUND, Man. — Stuffing ground beef into one-pound plastic bags is not a glamorous job, but the messy reality doesn’t bother Clint and Pam Cavers. Running a ranch and a meat shop has taught the Caverses that farm life is more about meat covered aprons and less about the sun setting over a rustic […] Read more
To be, or not to be … a farmer
WINNIPEG — Parents with children in hockey know all too well that it’s not easy to pull back the bed covers on a – 28 C Saturday morning and drive to an early morning practice. It may not represent the same level of dedication — or madness — but nine Manitobans did force themselves out […] Read more
Family farm paves way for next generation
BIGGAR, Sask. — Sustainability is a recurring theme when Leam, Crystal and Nathan Craig gather around the kitchen table each week to toss around ideas about the future of the family farm. The Craig family settled in the Biggar area nearly a century ago when Leam’s grandfather arrived from Ireland and homesteaded on a quarter […] Read more
Farmer rejects big-is-better ‘bias’ at food summit
Small farm viability | Some industry experts say policies that support small, inefficient farmers can depress prices
TORONTO — An underlying theme from many agribusiness-connected speakers at a national food conference last week was that the future of the food industry depends on achieving “economies of scale.” On Feb. 8 during a speech on industry viability, Conference Board of Canada vice-president Michael Bloom said farm number decline is concentrated in the sector […] Read more
Farm accident has happy ending for young children
Quick action | Boys treated for hypothermia
A rollercoaster of emotions continues for Paula Goossen, more than a week after she almost lost her son in an icy dugout. She praises higher powers for a happy ending but shudders about what might have been. “One minute you’re just so thankful they’re OK and the next you’re like, ‘oh, it could have been […] Read more
B.C. couple brings taste of Africa to Canada
CRANBROOK, B.C. — Rod and Mal Paterson are counting on South African-Canadians like themselves who crave a taste of home. Biltong Canada, their Cranbrook, B.C., company, cuts, marinates and dries beef using a recipe that dates back to the 1600s. “We’re not just selling food but selling nostalgia, home and life as it used to […] Read more
