Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Farmers can expect tighter margins for the foreseeable future, according to one farm management specialist. “This is not 2022 or even the early parts of 2023; this is a return to historic-type margins,” says Darren Bond, a farm management specialist with the Manitoba government. “I think that profit is still attainable for […] Read more
Making a profit in 2024 could be challenging for farmers
High costs and low commodity prices lead to return of tight margins
Show me the money – and how to resuscitate a newborn calf
Profitability was a popular topic on the Beef Cattle Research Council website but not the most-read posting
Reading Time: 2 minutes Profitability was a recurring theme when it came to the most popular articles offered by the Beef Cattle Research Council in the past year. But the most popular blog post by far was a story and accompanying video offering calving tips, including why people shouldn’t hang calves upside down if they need help breathing. “The […] Read more
Deere buys up ag software maker Harvest Profit
Software's integrations with non-Deere systems to continue
A North Dakota company whose software is used to help farmers gauge a crop’s profitability on a field-by-field basis will now run with the Deere. John Deere on Nov. 12 announced it has acquired Fargo-based Harvest Profit for an undisclosed sum. Harvest Profit — whose software was already integrated with the John Deere Operations Center […] Read more
When times get tough, toughing it out may not be the answer
Some farmers are way more profitable than others — so do what they do, says farm finance expert
Reading Time: 4 minutes These are difficult days for farmers — but also a time to look at what you can do differently. “If you’re not a top performer, you’re likely not consistently profitable, you’re going to be susceptible to those market fluctuations, and you’re probably unable to consistently invest in your business,” said Connie Adam, associate partner at […] Read more
Producers can reduce carbon hoofprint while boosting profitability
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you want to raise more environmentally friendly cows, there are several things you can do, say experts. And make money from doing them. Over the last 30 years, the beef sector has improved efficiency by 15 per cent, but it can still do more to reduce methane emissions, said John Basarab, senior research scientist […] Read more
Numbers don’t lie — but can mislead if there’s not enough of them
When it comes to making decisions on the farm, the more data the better — especially if that data comes from other farms
Reading Time: 5 minutes Did you know that there’s a direct correlation between the divorce rate in Maine and the per capita consumption of margarine in the States? It’s true. If you chart the data on a graph going back a decade or two, one line rises and falls with the other. That’s the problem with data like this […] Read more
Profit from knowing your cost of production
A video and e-learning tool on Alberta Agriculture’s website will help you boost efficiency and profitability
Reading Time: 2 minutes Not knowing your cost of production has a large impact on profitability, says a provincial business expert. “Knowing how much it costs to raise, grow, produce, or process your product enables you to calculate the price you need to make a reasonable profit,” said new venture specialist Marissa Brewer. “Going from a base cost of […] Read more
New season of Cow-Calfenomics
Total of six seminars start Nov. 25 in Medicine Hat, conclude in Vermilion
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cow-Calfenomics is back and this year’s seminar theme is Seizing Opportunities in the Alberta Cow-Calf Sector. Topics include opportunities and threats in herd expansion; linking pasture systems to optimize performances and profitability; cost of bred heifers; managing prosperity; human resources strategies; and innovative business models. The first round of seminars will be held in November […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
