There may be a sense of relief that a person who was draining energy and creating conflict and drama on the farm is no longer working there.

Fired from the farm

How do you tell a son or daughter that they are not a good fit for the farm?

As a farm family coach I hear the struggles of farmers who are used to being able to quickly repair or fix problems that arise daily. When these hard-working, well-intentioned folks have a farming adult child who is not a good fit for the farm, great stress lingers far too long. If you try to […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Green jobs eligible for wage subsidy

A new Career Focus Green Jobs program is offering wage subsidies to help employers with an environmental focus hire new graduates, a federal release says. The program targets small- and medium-sized businesses to help reduce the cost barriers of hiring new graduates by subsidizing their salary by 50 per cent to a maximum of $13,500 […] Read more


Keeping busy on and off the farm

Taking on a full-time off-farm job will add to Toban Dyck’s stress level, but will also add fun

Busy begets busy. I had no idea there was space in my schedule for another full-time job. Apparently, there was. Life is busy right now. But I love it. I now work in the ag sector, collaborating with experts, professionals, and many other people smarter than I am. If you’re an adult and take the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Workers wanted: Agribusiness sector hiring

CNS Canada — More people have applied for jobs in Canada’s agribusiness sector as of late, according to an industry researcher, but some agricultural sectors still face a critical labour shortage. “People have said that they have received more resumes this year than in previous years,” said Debra Hauer, project manager at the Canadian Agricultural […] Read more


young farmer

Six tips for hiring and keeping your farm employees

Farm Management: Thinking of hiring more staff to make sure next season runs more smoothly? Try these hiring tips

One of the advantages of family farming (and family-owned businesses in general) is working with people who naturally love and trust each other. While there are common frictions and unique difficulties in working with family, it is usually more fulfilling than working with the relative strangers. Unfortunately, as farms get larger and tasks get more […] Read more

Men in doorway of barn

How to fire farm employees

Nobody wants to fire employees. Learn how to do it kindly

Farms are unique places of employment: they are often family businesses, they are not unionized, the work is often seasonal, they sometimes house their employees, and they are exempt from some provincial employment standards. As grain farms on the Prairies grow, so do their number of employees. While some farms still get by with a […] Read more