The CASA conference will include a session on drone safety.

Farm safety conference to focus on new and emerging agricultural trends

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) will holdits 23rd annual conference “Agsafety — Make it a Record Year!” and annual general meeting in Edmonton, Alta., from October 3 to 5, 2017. “Farming is dynamic,” says Marcel Hacault, CASA’s Executive Director. “Trends, technology and legislation affect how we deal with farm health and safety. CASA is […] Read more



In their plan to retire from their successful career as farmers, Jurgen and Frieda will include their grandson Herb in their succession plan. Herb has been doing much of the farm work for half a decade. Jurgen and Frieda’s son and daughter have off-farm careers, and don’t wish to farm.

Farm Financial Planner: Succession can skip a generation

This couple will hand the farm over to a grandson, keeping preferred shares for income

In western Manitoba, a couple we’ll call Jurgen, 73, and Frieda, 71, have farmed for the last 52 years. Jurgen inherited the home farm of 320 acres in 1972. The farm grew slowly. Jurgen and Frieda expanded the farming by renting land and buying parcels as they became available. At present, the couple has 2,000 […] Read more

Guarding Wealth: Signs of future risk in the stock market

Guarding Wealth: Signs of future risk in the stock market

U.S. government initiatives are raising returns on government and corporate bonds

In the early days of the Clinton administration, Democratic Party strategist James Carville opined that, after death, “I’d like to come back as the bond market. That way, I could intimidate everybody.” Bond prices determine bond yields and yields determine the weight of public debt — how fast taxes can pay it down, how affordable […] Read more


wheat and U.S. currency

Riding on the U.S. dollar rollercoaster

Swings in the price we pay for the U.S. dollar will impact profitability on your farm

Since the Board Room Bully took over in Washington in November, promising to revitalize the U.S. economy and provide more jobs and opportunities for Americans, we have seen a change in attitudes in the markets. Just after the election, we saw the U.S. dollar index jump to historic levels, based on hopes that Trump’s plans […] Read more

Guarding Wealth: Keeping your financial portfolio stable

Guarding Wealth: Keeping your financial portfolio stable

How much risk do you want in your portfolio, and will risk bring you higher returns?

Choosing stocks and bonds is in some ways like picking the petals off a daisy. The choice: will it be regular income or capital gains (hopefully)? Some investment assets pay regular income. In this category are conventional bonds that promise annual or semi-annual interest payments and dividend-paying stocks that make no firm promises but that […] Read more


Guarding Wealth: Long-term investing is a sure thing

There are short-term risks, but inflation and survivor bias make long-term bets winners

Let’s have a heart to heart talk about the fundamentals of investing on the farm and off the farm and, for that matter, investing in education for a career or a used car. Every investment has character, whether it’s a tech stock and you have to bet on a new trend or product on the […] Read more

Bubble in the finance world

Guarding Wealth: When will the stock market bubble pop?

Stock markets are soaring in spite of increasing risks. If this is a bubble, will it last?

When is a bubble a bubble? The Oxford English Dictionary defines a bubble as “a significant, usually rapid, increase in asset prices that is soon followed by a collapse in prices… typically arises from speculation or enthusiasm rather than intrinsic increases in value.” The question is vital right now, for one of the best guides […] Read more


Guarding Wealth: Farmers would be hostages in a trade war

Guarding Wealth: Farmers would be hostages in a trade war

Canadian farmers could suffer from American initiatives to shut borders to imports

Donald Trump’s elevation from businessman to American president could injure Canadian farmers gravely. Little is known of his plans, less of the laws he may try to push through the Congress and executive orders he may issue. But trade war is on the table and through no fault of their own, Canadian farmers may be […] Read more

Farmer walking toward combine.

Make sure your farm is competitive

Prairie farmers are going to have to stay on the ball to remain profitable in today’s markets

After some of my recent articles (see links at the right hand column of your screen) talking about what is happening around the world in primary agricultural production — which countries are leading the way and who we in Western Canada are going to have to compete against in the world markets — I have had […] Read more