Mind Your Farm Business

The work culture of a farm is much like its reputation — whether it’s intentional or not, it still exists. What makes a work culture? It’s not just people, it’s the behaviour of the people and how well they live out a business’s core values that create a work culture. People’s behaviour is shaped by... Read More

You can’t manage what you don’t measure, so the saying goes, but what you measure is just as important. If you aren’t familiar with KPIs — key performance indicators — this episode of Mind Your Farm Business is for you. Measuring the right things is just as important as the initial step to begin measuring... Read More

When you are managing a farm or agriculture business of any size, some areas may feel more daunting than others, or you quickly realize where strengths are and which avenues could benefit from outside help. That’s when it’s time to hire consultants. There is no shortage of consultants specializing in a variety of topics including... Read More

We’ve talked about the “why” of creating an advisory board for the farm or agriculture business, but the “how” of setting one up requires some discussion, as well. Terry Betker, founder of Backswath Management, says that putting together an advisory board is perhaps a little different than you might think at first. Maybe people’s minds... Read More

There is a difference between good work ethic and commitment and pushing too hard, to the point of burnout. What does burnout look like? And how do you balance racing against the weather, but stopping at “enough”? For those answers, host Shaun Haney goes to Hamza Khan, speaker and author of The Burnout Gamble, for... Read More

If ever you’ve been frustrated by seemingly never getting to those big jobs you’d like to work on, or you feel like all you need to do is work faster and harder to get where you want to be, Chris Croft has six strategies he’d like you to try. Croft is a management trainer and... Read More

Year-end financial statements aren’t just for year-end reviews — especially if they happen months after the year-end. Realistically, if you’re not reviewing the books until months later, the decisions being made in the present aren’t fully informed by the reality of the business situation, says Lisa Miller, partner with MNP Agriculture, based at Edmonton, Alta.... Read More

It would seem that no one has ever told the Jochums that “too many cooks spoil the broth.” Günter, Crystal, and daughter Fiona Jochum farm together just west of Winnipeg, Man. But they don’t just farm as a family, they also farm with Gunter’s brother-in-law. All told, there are a number of managers, and Günter... Read More

Understanding how multi-generation farms approach big-picture topics can help farm management teams (i.e. family members) better navigate difficult conversations on the future of the farm. In this second part of a discussion with Justin Funk, managing partner of AgriStudies, podcast host Shaun Haney explores how differences in how generations set goals, measure progress, use technology, and... Read More

When different generations work together in the farm business, conflict can arise over responsibility, ownership, succession, and day-to-day operations of the farm. Justin Funk, managing partner of AgriStudies, has done extensive research on what makes intergenerational farms unique in how they operate. In this Mind Your Farm Business podcast, Funk shares how differences in doing... Read More

Biologically speaking, some stress is good for the body. Stress responses are necessary at times to act quickly, to run, or to see a project through. That said, too much stress or being under stress for too long can lead to both mental and physical hardship. Farmers, as a group, are 68 per cent more... Read More

What a particular cost or investment adds to the business should be easy to assess and measure, but in reality calculating return on investment (ROI) can be inconsistent and difficult. As David Widmar, of Agriculture Economic Insights explains, ROI should be a simple calculation, but it’s not a perfect measure of performance as there are so... Read More

If your farm is not one that holds regular meetings, this is your encouragement to start small… but start. That’s because research shows that business that hold regular meetings are more profitable than those that do not. We’re not talking about a morning tailgate chat on what’s ahead — that’s an operational meeting to start the... Read More

The rules of order around a boardroom table may seem unimportant to a discussion on farm management, but the more complex a farm becomes, the more important good governance becomes. Brian Hayward, long-time agriculture business leader and now author of The Great Chair: A Window on Effective Board Leadership, says that as soon as a... Read More

Professional development isn’t just for those in corporate agriculture and it’s not just for those looking at taking on a new role, either. Vik Kail, human resources leader for Corteva AgriScience, says that there’s a place for professional development, both formally and informally, for all levels of employees, including owners and managers. Kail looks at... Read More

Farming with family can be rewarding, and also stressful. Transitioning a farm’s ownership from one generation to the next can be emotionally-charged and high stress, but would it be easier or any different if you were selling the business to a non-family member? Dick Wittman of Wittman Consulting says that many farmers may feel as... Read More

In leadership, aggressive behaviour can actually be less harmful to business than passivity. In other words, being unwilling to discuss a problem is actually more detrimental that having an argument about it. But just knowing that doesn’t make dealing with conflict any easier says Kelly Dobson, chief leadership officer at LeaderShift. In this Mind Your... Read More

Branding a farm is a concept that is maybe in its infancy for some farm owners. We all know the power of branding, and there are certain companies out there that all of us can think of, but what about your farm? There are farms that have retail or direct consumer models that if branded... Read More

In the busyness of the everyday, it stands to reason that some risk management issues fall to the back of your mind. Currency risk is one of those that might seem so out of your control that it’s not worth the brain power, but understanding what direction the Canadian dollar is headed and how that... 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