How To Start Farming With A Stranger

Here is a question from a reader about how to wind down their farm. I have deleted the names. Hi Andy, I’m D. My wife and I farm in Manitoba. We were at a meeting the other day and I expressed a concern about succession planning and got some unexpected responses. We are in our […] Read more


The Phenomenon Of “Shacking Up”

What is it about guys and shacking up? I’m not talking about co-habitating with some bikini-clad kitten who thinks you’re a god (boy, if I had a nickel for every time that happened, gosh, I’d have about three cents). No, I’m talking about the phenomenon of the male species, at various stages of life, who […] Read more

New Life For My Horse-Racing Dreams

With hopes of my career as a jockey fading, I think I may have found a new opportunity to satisfy my lifelong passion to race horses. Not only have I crossed the age threshold (and am in fact now setting a good stride across the chronological yard), but physical size has been a lifelong issue, […] Read more


Diary Of The 2010 Wheat Crop At Blackstrap Farm

SOILS AND CROPS On page five of the October 4 issue of Grainews,there are two pictures of one of my wheat fields. Early in the season, the crop was yellow and looked pretty sad from all the water, but I predicted the crop roots would reach nitrogen-rich soil at the critical time and turn around. […] Read more

A Plan For Organized Accounting

ANYBODY CAN START FARMING One chore that no one on our farm enjoys is bookwork. After spending the better part of two days on our quarterly GST return for March and July (I was late), I decided we have to come up with a better system. I have also decided that we simply cannot be […] Read more


A Marketing Plan For Ugly And Uglier Lentils

MARKET INTELLIGENCE Success hinges not on just a plan or strategy, but our ability to execute that plan. For example, if you need a single point to win a football game you have a few options: kick a field goal (if you’re close enough), attempt to score with the ball in the end zone, or […] Read more

Inflation Or Deflation? The Risks Depend On Your Outlook

For fixed income investors, inflation or deflation is important. It makes a massive difference whether consumer prices will rise or decline. If they rise, then an income stream from a bond or from a preferred stock will lose purchasing power over time. If we have sporadic or even steady deflation, an income stream will gain […] Read more



Investing In Iron: How Much Is Too Much?

A question that commonly comes up in our discussions with clients is, “What is the right machinery investment for my farm?” In our analysis we see a wide range of investment in iron which can have an impact on cash flow and, more importantly, net income of the operation. In order to illustrate this point […] Read more