The Farmer Coach Report Card – Year One

Wow, it’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by since we started Farmer Coach last July. Since then, we’ve launched two cohorts of the program and continue to have our participants coming back for ongoing learning sessions.  During…

After the Hangover – Once you recover from the seeding hangover, do you take stock?

It happens on every farm, and we all know it well. That time after seeding when not only do you not want to see anybody from work, but the thought of getting back into a tractor cab has you claustrophobic. It reminds me of the movie The Hangover,…

The Business of Farming – How success in business translates to success in farming.

Sticking with my Warren Buffet theme lately. Charlie Munger was (and still is) Warren Buffet’s business partner and closest friend. Together they have built a $991B enterprise and well into their 90’s are still considered the most brilliant…

A Piece of the Puzzle – How This Generation is Leading to Change in Agriculture

“It’s where the donkey died”, probably my favourite descriptive of the original farming homesteads across Western Canada.    Growing up in agriculture, I have the same stories as most of you. Sleeping behind the seat of the…

Out of Touch – Are Agriculture Advisors Falling Behind the Producer’s They Help?

Complacent: Showing uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.   Okay, this one is self-serving in a way. I feel like I could take this blog in many different directions as today I get to be the author, the consultant,…

Big, bigger, biggest – The Western Producer

The Canadian Census of Agriculture data tells a clear story. Large farms dominate agriculture in Western Canada. Assuming a large farm is 5,000 acres or more, 4,956 farms on the Prairies fell into that category in 2021. Back in 2011, large…

When the Dam Breaks – What Will be the Fallout When (Not If) Commodity Prices Drop?

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times” -  G. Michael Hopf   Interpret this quote how you want, I know what it means to me in today’s society.…

A Letter to my Banker – A Guide for What you Should Expect from Your Lenders

Farmer 1 – We go to our banker to ask for money. Farmer 2 – We give the banker the opportunity for our business.   All lending institutions are not created equal; and no lending institutions should ever take your business for…

The Wealth Paradigm – How Land Costs and Finance Have Become the New Risk Factors

Overnight, land and finance costs have overtaken machinery and labour as a differentiator in management on farms.   I grew up as an accountant during an era when machinery costs were escalating. During my time in public accounting,…

Have Ag Journalists Lost Touch? How progressive producers have outgrown old narratives.

Popular Narrative – Agriculture producers face more risk than they have ever faced. Between policy, volatility in both commodities and inputs, inflationary costs, and weather occurrences, it has never been a more stressful time to be a farmer.   Unpopular…

The Love of the Land – Why land ownership in agriculture is no longer only about farming.

Man sells his farm and walks into a financial advisors’ office.  “What should I invest in?” “Buy land.” Whether through family farm legacy, or just the pride of ownership, farming and land real estate have been intertwined…

Small steps make big gains – The Western Producer

Evan Shout, president of Maverick Ag, chief financial officer at Hebert Grain Ventures and coach at Farmer Coach, is a proponent of the five-percent rule, in which farmers increase yields and decrease expenses by that amount. He spoke at the…