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Alberta consultant, Merle Good, right, speaks with Nova Scotia farmers Wayne and Nicole Oulton in Edmonton about getting the most out of tax strategies and new approaches to farm business arrangements.
Columns, Features

Defining roles can save the farm

Deciding and confirming “who’s in charge here” can take frustration out of the family farm

By
Improved communications and actually defining roles and responsibilities on a family farm can not only make the day go better, but can actually save a farm business, says a long-time Alberta consultant. Confusion over who is in charge can lead to some very stressful situations, says Merle Good, a well know consulting agricultural tax specialist […] Read more
(Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)
Dairy Cattle, Livestock

Farm kids: Don’t worry about wages

By ,
A new study by Cornell University agricultural economists says family members who work on the family dairy farm make $22,000 less annually than comparable hired managers, but are handsomely compensated with “socioemotional” wealth. “While $22,000 seems like a large penalty, there are non-financial rewards they experience working for the family business,” Loren Tauer, professor at […] Read more
Farm Life, FarmLife

Who am I as father, founder and farmer?

You need to be intentional about being rich in relationships

By
As an outsider looking in to the many farm families that I am honoured to share time with, it always saddens me to see folks who cannot seem to grasp happiness beyond what they do as farmers, especially when it is time to let go of control of decision-making and let the next generation be […] Read more
Family with three children (3-9) walking on muddy road, cows in background, rear view
Farm Life, FarmLife

Top ‘phrases’ for coaching farm families

The Elaine Froese (phrase) that pays

By
One snowy day at a beautiful ranch home in southern Alberta around the expansive kitchen table, the farm team said, “Elaine you should make a list of your top phrases that you use in coaching.” “OK,” I said, knowing that many of the best projects are started by attentive practical ranchers and farmers who call […] Read more
Men watching a sunset
Columns, Crops

A look back and a step up

When the next generation moves home to the farm, it’s a time for change and role re-evaluation

By
I am somewhat late for the season of “year in reviews,” so I thought I’d do one better and review, briefly, my last three years on the farm. In May 2015 it will be four years since I moved back to the farm, so I’ve been through four crop seasons. When I moved back to […] Read more
Mentors are in our lives for a time and a season; at some stage such a relationship should become one in which each person "co-mentors" the other.
Farm Life, FarmLife

Being a compassionate farm mentor

By
Things on our farm are changing again — an employee moving on. In Stephen Poulter’s book The Father Factor, he talks about the fathering style of a “compassionate mentor.” This is a great style for farm founders to embrace over the winter months as they train the next generation for success. Smart farm dads and […] Read more
FarmLife

What good fathers do to embrace sons-in-law

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One of the overlooked team players on the family farm is the son-in-law who is married to the successor, the daughter of the founders. Let’s consider some of the dynamics that you need to be aware of to help understand what is going on for the son-in-law (SIL). Why the SIL behaves the way he […] Read more
Farm Life

Too frosted to forgive?

Forgiveness is an issue that farm families need to take a look at

By
Man, I can’t believe that guy, every time I make a mistake, he just can’t accept my apology, and he keeps really good track… for years!” Does your farm team have the ability to apologize, and accept mistakes? I was saddened to hear a young farmer confide with me that in all his years, he […] Read more

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