88 per cent of farms lack written succession plans, and by 2033, 40 per cent of Canadian farmers will retire, marking a significant transition in Canadian agriculture. | Getty Images

Much to consider when preparing farm’s next generation

In 2023, the Canadian Bar Association reported that $53 billion worth of land is expected to change hands as farmers retire over the next decade. Despite this, 88 per cent of farms lack written succession plans, and by 2033, 40 per cent of Canadian farmers will retire, marking a significant transition in Canadian agriculture. Additionally, […] Read more

Long hours in the tractor and late nights calving can affect employees in ways that are not always obvious. | Getty Images

Take action on mental health

The first part of the busy season is (mostly) in the rear-view mirror, so you may be taking stock of how your operation performed and are planning improvements in the next few months. As you analyze your operation, take time to check in with your team. Long hours in the tractor and late nights calving […] Read more

While no two transition plans are alike, there are commonalities among lots of families and farms that manage through this important stage of the business lifecycle. | Getty Images

Use care and intention when forming a transition team

No two transition plans are the same. That is obvious to anyone who has read about the subject or has partially or completely navigated through the process. However, there are commonalities among lots of families and farms that manage through this important stage of the business lifecycle. One of those is that you will likely […] Read more


Farm families who are considering buying an asset are encouraged to thoroughly consider not only the price and value but also the broader implications of its worth.  |  File photo

Variety of factors go into determining an asset’s worth

In my many years of work helping farm families to enhance their businesses, I often am asked questions such as, “how can I justify paying the currently high market prices for (insert agricultural asset here) to be able to grow or maintain my operations?” or “how are others able and willing to pay such high […] Read more

The report goes into detail on some of the workforce challenges our industry will face between now and 2030. | Screencap via cahrc-ccrha.ca

Opportunities are on the horizon: is your farm team ready?

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council recently published its labour market forecast, Sowing Seeds of Change. The report goes into detail on some of the workforce challenges our industry will face between now and 2030. Producers say recruitment is becoming more difficult because of a lack of skilled labourers, the nature of the work (manual […] Read more


Strategy works; you just need the discipline to see it through. | Getty Images

Developing strategy is hard because it takes discipline

On Dec. 31, 2023, Terry Betker, founder of Backswath Management, stopped writing for The Western Producer after 13 years. The team at Backswath has big shoes to fill as we take over the reins from Terry. Our voices will be different than his, of course, but we look forward to writing about various topics including, […] Read more

If you’re struggling to figure out how to move forward, it may make sense when I say there are potentially three “buckets” that could be challenging: the personal, family and farm business buckets. | Getty Images

Columnist signs off, but knows ‘I didn’t get it all done’

Are you approaching retirement, or are at a stage where you can see it on the horizon? Maybe you know someone in that situation, or maybe you aren’t thinking about that yourself but people close to you think you should be. If you’re struggling to figure out how to move forward, it may make sense […] Read more

Many family farms do not recognize that their management system is not keeping pace with the growth of their family and business structure. | Getty Images

Legacy risk formula and farm management

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


What can you do to enhance how your character and communication are assessed? | Getty Images

Farmers can takes steps to increase borrowing chances

I teach a course in the University of Manitoba’s ag diploma program that has an emphasis on lending and how financial management information factors into lending processes and decisions. Half to two-thirds of the students typically have plans to return to the farm. The balance either plan to enter the agriculture industry or are unsure […] Read more

The tricky part about using ratios to analyze a farm’s financial performance — and much different from a traffic light, where there’s only one signal to heed — is that each ratio has its own red/amber/green signal. | Getty Images

Does green mean go? Maybe amber is a better colour

I have the enjoyable privilege of driving my young granddaughter around Winnipeg, where she and I live. Like every youngster her age, she’s super observant and not shy in telling me what to do and where to turn to get to our destination. She’ll tell me when she thinks I’ve gone the wrong way and […] Read more