This is Part Two of our series about the importance of having a mentor. You can read Part One here. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a hockey fan. I love to play it, watch it and now, I coach it. So, I love that my mentor and friend, Danny Klinefelter, quotes Wayne Gretzky when […]
Expand your mind, expand your network A few folks have asked why Evan and I decided to start Farmer Coach. The answer is two words – Danny Klinefelter. If we can impart even one iota of the wisdom Danny has shared with us, then we will consider Farmer Coach a success. I joke that Danny […]
As we work towards our climate and production goals, the importance of agricultural policy can’t be overstated. And, if it isn’t done right, the consequences could be disastrous to Canadian farmers. I can deal with a bad year, a bad crop, and even Mother Nature, but I can’t insure against bad policy. Our global reputation […]
How we attract the next generation to play on our teams One of the constant struggles on the farm is finding and keeping good people. For too long, farm work has been considered menial, low paying work. In Saskatchewan, we lose many potential employees to the oil and gas sector, which has traditionally paid better […]
I call myself a recovering accountant. I joke about it, but I do love numbers. Numbers don’t lie. As much as I have a soft spot for a family farm and building a legacy for my children, it always comes down to the financial statements. If your operation is not profitable its isn’t very sustainable […]
A recurring theme in many of my blog posts is collaboration. We are stronger together than we are alone. For too long, the mindset of farmers has been that they must go at it alone. We often refer to it as “rugged individualism” – the idea that one must be self-reliant and independent from any […]
It has been great to finally get back to in-person events. Recently, I was invited to speak at the Globe and Mail’s Sustainable Agriculture event about my vision of the farm of tomorrow. I’ve linked the presentation and the event videos below, but here’s a high-level recap. It’s a perspective that I think is important […]
As the federal government gets ready to increase the carbon tax on April 1st, we are hearing a lot from Canadians, including farmers. And, rightly so. As farmers, we view the carbon tax as a direct hit to our bottom line. But, I’m not writing today to debate the carbon tax. What I would like to […]
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard these sayings and phrases from people I meet while doing business, traveling and speaking at agriculture events in Canada and the U.S. We’ve heard them for so many years, some of us foolishly believe they are true. With the help of Evan Shout, Hebert Grain Ventures’ Chief Financial Officer, […]
It’s an important time in Canadian agriculture. A pandemic and the war in Ukraine have proven to many just how important our domestic food supply is. Farmers are being asked to ramp up production, supply more food for our growing population, helping to fill a void left by Russia and Ukraine’s curtailed grain production. We’re […]
People always ask me how much I know about the soil on our farm, and my answer is: I know more with every passing year. Together, Dad and I have farmed about 50 crops since 1978 and, over the last five years, we are finally starting to understand what’s happening in the soil thanks to […]
As we approach Family Day Weekend in many provinces, it seems to be a great time to talk a bit about family and farm culture. Like many, we run a family farm in Saskatchewan. It was started by my grandfather and then taken over by my dad, Louis, in 1978. I started renting land in […]