The year 2021 will be marked for a few things. Of course, it is year two of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of us in Western Canada, it will also go down as a drought year, and how the pattern is going to continue is as yet unknown. What else is 2021 going to be […] Read more
Now is the time for strategic planning
Gather your ideas and then prioritize what is needed in the near-term
Speaker promoting well-being takes the stage at Advancing Women in Ag Conference
Beverly Beuermann-King is ready to talk about supportive conversations, depression and self-care
Resiliency has been brought to the forefront in these last few months. It is the key to move forward in these changing times. The old strategies don’t work anymore,” says Beverly Beuermann-King, mental health and resiliency expert. Beuermann-King has been referred to as the “resiliency builder.” She has been a long-time spokesperson for mental health. […] Read more
Communication and team-building
Communication is a major component of building teams
Years ago, I heard a comment that the most underutilized resource in agriculture is people. The statement still rings true for me today and I believe our people are an area of huge potential. For most of us, in one way or another, we are all part of a team, whether it be our work […] Read more
Building resilience
Do you have the tools to recover from or adjust to adversity?
Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, at least it is not as bad as ’02.” Or perhaps, “This is even worse than ’02.” The situations vary in their severity but everyone in Western Canada is experiencing some degree of drought. And nobody in this business wants to think back to what happened after the drought of ’02. […] Read more
Rethinking what we know
“If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”
There is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein that goes something like this: “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of consciousness that created it.” This seems to make a lot of sense, but how does one go about moving to a different level of thinking? The speed of change seems to be […] Read more
Building a career as a livestock buyer
Lyal Fox Jr. reflects on what’s changed, what’s remained constant and what he’s learned over the years buying livestock
The Fox family is well known in the Canadian livestock industry, as breeders of Holsteins, Percheron and Morgan horses, polled Hereford and Angus cattle, and sheep. They have been involved in many different operations all over the world. One family member, Lyal Fox Jr., forged a slightly different path as a livestock buyer. In the […] Read more
Crafting a new meat business
Trish Tetz shares how she and her husband Greg launched a new business at the start of the pandemic
Starting a niche marketing meat business is no small feat, but launching it at the beginning of a pandemic takes the challenge to a whole new level. For some time, Trish and Greg Tetz of Three Hills, Alta., had the dream of “opening the conversation between producers and consumers. We wanted to be transparent and […] Read more
Talking about farm finances
It’s not easy to talk about money, but it’s a necessary conversation for farming and ranching families
Communicating about difficult topics is something all of us struggle with, and one of those difficult topics is finances. Many studies cite finances as one of the top stressors in relationships. Those of us in agriculture are not immune to this challenge. “Emotion is definitely number one of the barriers to farmers talking about finances. […] Read more
Finding synergy with farming, cattle and ethanol
Even with more than 50 years in the feeding business, Pound-Maker is still finding ways to dial in its various ag businesses
The majority of cattle feeding in Western Canada has been centered in Alberta. But since the early ’70s, an operation in Saskatchewan has stood out. The corporate vision statement of “Leadership in sustainable, innovative agriculture” of Pound-Maker Feedlot at Lanigan, Sask., illustrates the company’s unique approach with the synergies of Canada’s first livestock feeding operation […] Read more
Couple find love, learning at Lakeland College
Corey Bloder and Maxi Biederstadt credit their college experience with helping them dial in their farming operation
Corey Bloder and Maxi Biederstadt not only credit Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta., as the place where their romance blossomed, but also the place of incredible learning and networking. Bloder grew up on a mixed farm near Unity, Sask., with a focus on Simmental cattle. Biederstadt came from Edmonton and although she did not grow […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
