Entries by Kristjan Hebert

Old MacDonald doesn’t exist – he went bankrupt

I find it interesting that the term “large farm” is seen as a dirty phrase in many agriculture circles. The “big guys” are taking over, buying up land, and putting the small “family” farms out of business. Wait a minute…we run a large prosperous family farm that employs 15 people and gives back to our […]

Dear Justin, the welcome mat is always down

Like many, I was surprised to learn that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited our province on January 16th and, reportedly, didn’t let our Premier know. I was also dismayed to learn he had no interest in visiting a farm or talking about agriculture. I know he’s busy, and these itineraries are jam-packed, down to the […]

How do we send a unified voice to Ottawa?

Love them or hate them, grower groups exist in Canada to represent all kinds of primary producers. In fact, there are so many of them, I lose track – from provincial groups and national groups to sector and crop-specific groups. At HGV, we pay significant amounts in check-off dollars to many of these organizations. Don’t […]

Farming Facts vs Fiction: Part Two

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I’m passionate about the importance of farmers telling our own story. If we don’t, someone else will tell it for us and I’m not ok with that. To that end, I take every opportunity to chat with people and answer their questions about agriculture, […]

What’s my word of the year for 2022 (and 2023)?

If there is one thing Canadians learned in 2022, it was how important agriculture is to each and every one of us. First the pandemic, then the war in Ukraine and now a looming recession with the cost of everything, including our food, skyrocketing. I’ve decided my word for the year is “volatility.” Seeing bare […]

Meet my mentor, Danny Klinefelter

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 […]