Watching the snow fly and hearing the wind howl is great motivation to have visions of Easter bread, tulips, lilies, and folks gathered to celebrate. I have written about Easter at least 20 times in the past 22 years. What more can I say? I attended a gathering last weekend where we were reminded again […]
Hiring the Right People and Winning the Talent War: Tips from Donald Cooper
My speaking colleague Donald Cooper recently presented Eight Essential Steps to Attracting, Engaging and Leading a Top-Performing Team at the Farm Tech 2017 conference in Edmonton. I appreciate Donald who, at age 75, has decades of business and life experience for creating a better culture on our farms. We hate to lose money as farmers, but […]
10 Things Millennial Farmers Want
I remember an article in a copy of Fast Company I picked up a few years back, that was describing “millennials,” the people in the workforce who were born after 1978. There were several insights about what made millennials tick, so I extrapolated what millennial farmers might want to see happen for them. I also […]
Tools and Tips for Strengthening In-Law Relationships
Over the years I have spoken quite a bit about in-law relationships on the farm, mostly because they can often be some of the most difficult when it comes to communication. As a farm family grows, however, these are some of the most important relationships to nurture, so working through any miscommunication and difficulties is […]
How to ‘Be There’ When Grief and Loss Overcome the Farm
A young professor Marsha Harris from Brandon University speaks softly to a group of mostly over 60 women explaining the keys to a truly lasting relationship. She tells us that most people just want their lovers to answer one question: Are You Really There for Me? Let that one sit for a moment. In what […]
Get Unstuck on the Farm: The Power of a Heartfelt Letter
Sometimes we have to go back to basics to keep healthy change happening on our farms. Lately, in my transition seminars, I have been encouraging frustrated young farmers to write a heartfelt letter of intent to their founding parents. People who are stuck with a large degree of anxiety and overwhelm from not knowing the […]
Creating a Firewall Against Divorce on the Farm
His face was weathered and worn as he approached me with wrinkled brows. “You talked about the fear of spousal break-up, and I’m curious how do I create a firewall to protect my farm?” (Note he said “my farm,” not OUR farm). The firewall word picture fits our computer’s security, but I wonder if the […]
The Power of a Grateful Heart
This week we have a special guest post from Ken Keis, Ph.D. I hope you enjoy! The Power of a Grateful Heart Regardless of our current circumstances, we can all choose gratitude! Before you start mentally listing off all the tough situations in your life, or jumping into how you have nothing to be grateful […]
Managing Brotherly Conflict on the Farm
“I can’t believe that we have farmed together for over 25 years and the fights between these two brothers just don’t stop!”, says the exasperated farm woman who has had enough with the conflict on the farm. This winter may be a good time to reflect on how you want things to be different at […]
How to Get Those Tough and Tender Transition Conversations Started
February 21, 2017, is a HUGE day for me. I feel like an expectant mother, (even at age 60!). February 21st marks the launch of our baby, the online course Get Farm Transition Unstuck. Why have I spent hundreds of hours with my co-writer Dr. Megan Mckenzie to create practical tools? Because young farmers […]
