Free workshop helps farmers assess their operations

Feb 20, 2024

Primary producers who adopt farm business management practices have increased profitability, confidence, peace of mind, and family and farm team harmony.

Finding out what those best practices are and where to start is the biggest struggle.

Recognizing this, Farm Management Canada created the Seeding Success: Farm Business Practices Assessment Workshop to help producers improve their business practices by combining self-assessment and action plan development with access to support resources.

Participants will work their way through a series of self-assessment questions to identify their current practices under key management areas including production, marketing, finances, human resources, succession planning, social responsibility, and business goals.

Based on their self-assessment, participants will identify their top priority areas for improvement to start creating action plans.

Participants will not be asked to share personal or financial details of their operations, but rather assess their practices against industry practices. Information on additional support and resources including advisory services, training, and cost-share funding opportunities will be shared.

The one-day workshop is free, and open to all Canadian producers. Farm families and management teams are encouraged to attend the workshop together.

The workshop is being offered in February and March in multiple locations across Canada.

Click here to see more...

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.