How to help your farming father be really happy

How to help your farming father be really happy

What do fathers who are enjoying relationships with their successors say?

When I first typed out the title it was, “How to make your farming father really happy,” but that didn’t sit well because I believe that each of us as emotionally mature adults gets to wake up every morning and decide what our mood and responses will be. We get to choose to be happy […] Read more

Does anyone care about the farm?

Does anyone care about the farm?

Some questions for farm families to help create a successful legacy

I’ve just read David Specht’s book The Farm Whisperer…secrets to preserving families and perpetuating farms. It’s a great, quick read of inspiring questions for farm families wanting to transition management and ownership to create a successful legacy. Specht and I met on the Internet… I Googled him, then picked up the phone, then we exchanged […] Read more


Farm women… love yourself more than your cows!

Home Quarter: Are you tired of being last? Decide what to hang on to and what to let go of

The cartoon featured a man and wife sitting upright in their bed with the man holding a pitchfork and a Holstein cow between them. The caption reads: “Honey you love your cows more than me!” Some dairy folks don’t find this funny, because they see a grain of truth in the humour. The cows often […] Read more

Family with three children (3-9) walking on muddy road, cows in background, rear view

Top ‘phrases’ for coaching farm families

The Elaine Froese (phrase) that pays

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