Sustainable agriculture is both a philosophy and a system of farming.

Redefining agricultural production

Organic, regenerative, sustainable. What do all of these new terms mean?

Agricultural production used to be basically divided into two camps; conventional and organic. The two production styles have clear delineations and are pretty much exclusive of each other. Today the lines between these systems are being blurred as farmers are beginning to embrace sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. All of these different terms can be […] Read more

Farm Financial Planner: Farm transfer could lead to “hobby farm” status

Farm Financial Planner: Farm transfer could lead to “hobby farm” status

Passing on an unprofitable farm can raise tax challenges for the next generation

A couple we’ll call George and Mary have farmed in south-central Manitoba for the last 35 years on a third-generation family farm. Each is 60 years old. Their dilemma is generational transfer. Their issue is the fundamental low level of profitability that could, if not handled properly, cause the farm owner to lose their ability to […] Read more


Feeding our elders

Feeding our elders

First We Eat: It’s important that seniors eat well and have supports in place to help with meals and groceries when needed

Last month an elderly friend called me, wondering if I could help him and his wife cope with food for a couple of weeks. They were living in assisted living after he’d had a stint in the hospital, but both were anxious to get back into their own home, a move scheduled for several weeks […] Read more

Protect yourself from financial risks

Protect yourself from financial risks

Q & A with Nutrien Ag Solutions

Q: How can I protect my farm business from financial risks? A. Farming is a risky business, but there are a few things you can do to protect your operation. Start with a business plan. A good business plan includes plans to market grain well ahead of actual grain movement to mitigate price risk and […] Read more


Society says that we ought to “retire” at 65, that 50 is the new 40... and on it goes.

Froese: Don’t let age be your cage

Pay attention to what decade of life you’re in and what needs to be addressed at that stage

Hopefully you are reading this in full sunlight with the heat of the sunbeams bathing your arms in warmth. #Harvest 2019 is but a memory, yet for some may be now #harvest2020! A podcast guest, a functional medical doctor says, “Don’t let age be your cage,” when folks complain about the aches and pains of […] Read more

If a situation is becoming stuck, 
try asking the other person how they 
would like to
move forward.

A new frame to see transition possibility and movement

Here’s some language tools to use to help persuade and influence others

If you’re fighting storms or sorting cows, grab five minutes to soak this story in. You cannot neglect tending to the needs of your cows. Let’s talk about embracing the same urgency with your farm transition conversations. My speaker friend Shelle Rose Charvet, author of Words that Change Minds, has tools for better language that […] Read more


Losing brain function is a loss so there will be much grief to go through.

Froese: Dealing with the denial of dementia

This is very difficult for a spouse who sees decline and the partner won’t accept their loss of abilities

BDO’s Maggie Van Camp, leader of agricultural development, sees the key foreboding issue for agriculture as farm succession. She asks, “Who is going to farm in future generations… and how the heck are we going to transfer the management and ownership of those farms? Never before have the older generation lived this long; Never before […] Read more

Family sees four options to get farm finances on track

Family sees four options to get farm finances on track

If you’re in financial trouble, address the problem without abandoning your goals

Farmers facing financial issues should address these issues as soon as they occur. In this case, Joe and Sally saw a potential problem and took steps to find a way forward. Although this example is a small farm, the issues and options are equally applicable to larger operations. A farm couple that we will call […] Read more


Farm Financial Planner: Farm succession through intergenerational money lending

Farm Financial Planner: Farm succession through intergenerational money lending

Lending cash to the kids: A “family bank” can transfer assets to the next generation

A couple we’ll call Bob and Tess, both 59, have farmed in central Manitoba for four decades. Their farm has 3,000 acres, mostly in grain. Bob’s health has declined, and he feels he cannot carry on much longer. Their son, Fred, is 24. He hasn’t been farming, but he would like to supplement his income […] Read more

Cover crop growing after harvest.

Why didn’t my cover crop work?

Kevin Elmy lists nine potential causes of things that could go wrong when you try growing cover crops on your farm

Ever try something and it didn’t work the first time? What’s the next step? Try again doing the same thing, modify the approach or give up? Ideally, getting a mentor or someone with experience to find out what went wrong will help create a successful situation. Or maybe it just doesn’t work. Cover cropping is […] Read more