As it’s January and we are finalizing crop plans and looking at our labour needs on our farm for the season and I thought I would share thoughts and tips for your labour needs on  your farm.  We’ve yet to enter the age of the jetsons, though we are getting closer every day. Until that day comes when automation and robots do most physical labour, the human power component of a farm is integral to its success.    I’d rather see the human component in agriculture continue and only become better in terms of conditions and wages. Each step we take … Continue reading Employees wanted: Hiring that special 1.3% of the population →

Creating a trajectory for achieving a personal/farm business goal feels like what I imagine Mario feels like when he attains a “star” in the OG Mario Brothers game for Nintendo. You are bright, flashing with energy and moving quickly while avoiding obstacles and tactically knocking over Koopa troopas and Goombas (risk) in pursuit of your raised flag pole. It’s exhilarating. As we begin a new turn around the sun, many folks have set their new year resolutions – and if you are a farmer, you have likely analyzed last year’s data and begun crop planning for the upcoming season. Creating … Continue reading Aiming for the stars within: Setting goals and benchmarks on the farm →

Sitting there at your computer desk, easy chair or couch, dreaming of starting your own farm in the depths of winter? Let me share some tips and tricks, which you can use when you find that dream property covered in snow and want to know what’s below. Sometimes winter is the only time of the year when there is time to go exploring land. When you live in a region that has snow for six months or longer, you can’t let the snow keep you from walking over potential properties for your farming adventure less they get gobbled up before … Continue reading Below the snow: What plants can tell us when we can’t see the soil →