By now we know that the world as we know it has changed completely for the time being. For all intents and purposes, “normal” life has been cancelled for 2020. Even if social distancing, non-essential closures and travel restrictions are lifted by this summer, there will not be a rewind to business as usual. The […]

When marketing sheep in Canada, farmers have three major routes; live auction, contract with an abattoir or direct marketing to consumers. The most common route is through a public live auction. The sheep are sold by the pound for what they weigh when they arrive at the sales barn. Sheep prices are seasonal and cyclical. […]

Farmers pride themselves on the farm code of honour. There have been a lot of business deals in agriculture that function on a handshake or a verbal promise. And while a verbal agreement can be considered binding, paper documents are better protection. If it isn’t on paper, you have nothing. I’m going to over three […]

Its an unfortunate truth but I have yet to meet a farmer that did not at one time or another have a reliable source of off-farm income. Since this is an important part of the process of saving up for your farm and during the start-up phase of your farm, I have a couple of […]

Unless you are planning on having a hobby farm or simply want to live in the country, starting your farm is essentially starting up your own business. You are an entrepreneur just as much as the shopkeeper on Main Street. This means you should seriously consider how you intend to structure your business before making […]