Planning ahead KEEP CALM IN TURBULENT TIMES December 2022 - IN THESE DAYS of volatile markets, the best thing Ontario grain growers can do for the foreseeable future is to keep calm and have a plan. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW• Having a plan for…
Consider your options GLOBAL UNCERTAINTY WILL IMPACT 2023 CORN MARKETS December 2022 - IT HAS BEEN a tumultuous year for corn markets around the world and looking into 2023, it looks like more of the same. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022 changed the paradigm…
Value-added on the farm CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS October 2022 - (J.M.) WHAT KIND OF VALUE-ADDED OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ONTARIO GRAIN FARMS? (A.B.) Value-added farm enterprises can look different for every farm. They can be physical, like selling products at a farm retail store or…
The farm transition CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS September 2022 - (J.M.) HOW DO YOU DEFINE ‘FAIR’ WHEN IT COMES TO SUCCESSION PLANNING? (D.W.) Every farm family defines fairness differently, and I think it comes down to values and traditions for most families. For parents or…
Custom agri-contractors CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS August 2022 - (J.M.) WHAT IS THE DEMAND FOR CUSTOM FARM AND FIELDWORK IN ONTARIO? (C.H.) Custom farmwork is becoming more popular. As equipment prices and labour issues continue, hiring a contractor is quickly becoming a smart business…
Managing your footprint CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS June 2022 - (J.M.) WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FARMERS CONSIDERING LOWERING THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT? (G.G.) My first question to farmers who are thinking about lowering their carbon footprint is — are you ready to make the…
Free online course CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS April 2022 - (J.M.) TELL US ABOUT THE NEW FOUNDATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (J.C.) The new Foundations in Agricultural Management online course (www.guelphagriculturalmanagement.com) is free, and available to any Canadian farmer interested in learning and developing new…
Employee retention CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS March 2022 - (J.M.) HOW CAN I BUILD AND RETAIN THE RIGHT TEAM OF EMPLOYEES FOR MY FARM BUSINESS? (I.M.) It’s tough to be an employer in today’s tight labour market. Especially as people adjust to so many…
Today’s labour market CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS February 2022 - (J.M.) WHAT DOES THE CURRENT LABOUR MARKET LOOK LIKE? (I.M.) The current labour market is tightening and employees have more choices. Before COVID-19, the agriculture industry was competing with all employers. The competition for that…
Equitable workplaces CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS December 2021 - (J.M.) WHY DO WE NEED EQUITABLE WORKPLACES? (J.R.) We spend the majority of our time at work. So, to quote my Bloom colleague Vinciane De Pape, “work is where we spend so much of our…