Take a New Approach

to Farm Business Management

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Club Advisory Service 

AMI has coordinated a list of Club Advisors available to any new or existing farm clubs across Ontario.  They will provide advice and guidance in the building of new clubs as well as direction and expertise to help existing clubs maintain their momentum. 

An established or newly created Farmer-Led Club (comprised of a minimum of three (3) registered farm businesses) may acquire assistance from a Club Advisor through AMI.   Services include:

1. Up to two (2) meetings facilitated by a Club Advisor 

The objectives of the meetings are to establish a foundation for which the club will operate, such as

• Identify priorities and areas of expertise within the group;
• Define the specific goal(s) of the group;
• Develop an action plan outlining meeting times and discussion topics that will assist the group in achieving its goal(s)

2. A written business plan for the Farmer-Led Group

The Club Advisor will complete a business plan on behalf of the farm business management club.  The plan will detail the purpose and goals of the club, an action plan and specific parameters for the club’s long-term success.  

There is no charge for this service to the clubs.

Ready to get started? Check below to find the advisor in your area... 

Club Advisor Roster

The following advisors have specific experience in working with farmer-led groups and the development of club goals, objectives and action plans.  Their primary purpose is to assist the club in building a plan for which the club will meet, interact and achieve SMART (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, timely) goals.

Services are limited to two (2) meetings and the development of a club business plan.  Additional advice and /or services will be covered by club members or funding programs (pending approval).

Angela Leach

Angela has been facilitating group sessions for over 10 years.  She will work with your club to build a solid foundation by helping you:  analyse needs; identify areas of expertise; establish goals; and build a practical action plan.   Angela is known to bring energy to groups and keep you focused on getting results. 

She has worked with groups such as Farm Credit Canada, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association, "Buy Fresh Buy Local" groups and private agri-business in Ontario.

Pierre Glaude

Pierre Glaude is a former Vice-Chair and a founding member of the Agricultural Management Institute (AMI). He has been involved in Farm organisations in Ontario over 25 years primarily with l'Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens.  In 1989, he has been a co-founder of two Farm Business Management Clubs in Eastern Ontario and 1993 of a third one in North Eastern Ontario.

Recently, the three clubs have amalgamated but they are still going strong. During that time he has also been strongly involved in Rural economic development in various capacities with a focus on organizing small groups for local economic and social advancement.

Richard Broadwith

Richard Broadwith M.Sc. is the principal consultant and partner with BCI Marketing Partners Inc. in Guelph, Ontario. Richard has also been instrumental in developing a number of management groups in the dairy, hog, crop management and the organic sector and moderating a range of business management, marketing, and skills development workshops for producer groups and start-up enterprises across Canada.

Richard's group activity includes mentoring, assistance in skill development and problem solving for participants and organizational and strategy development for the group or club.

David Sherwood

You could say that David wrote the book on Farmer-led Clubs, because he used his practical experience to help write the booklet used in this AMI process, called The Power of Groups (see the download link below). 

 He is a former dairy farmer and the volunteer coordinator of the Economic Development Committee for his community.  As a consultant, David has worked for OMAFRA, for the Kemptville and Alfred agricultural campuses of the University of Guelph, and he provides business coaching to individual farmers. 

 Most importantly, David has started or helped a lot of rural development groups, and he can help you form a group that meets your needs.

Hugh Martin

Hugh worked with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for over 33 years in various roles.  For 10 years Hugh was the Organic Crop Production Program Lead.  He has worked with production and marketing clubs and with agriculture groups such as the Organic Council of Ontario, Ecological Farmers of Ontario and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. 

Hugh specializes in organic and crop production technologies and has also worked on issues related to organic certification and to local foods. He is a Certified Crop Advisor in Ontario.

 To learn more, contact a Club Advisor directly, or the AMI office at 519-822-6618.

Power of Groups Booklet

The Power of Groups booklet is designed to provide direction, useful hints and inspiration to farmers who may be considering the idea of small farmer-led groups as a new approach to management. This booklet helps to demonstrate the benefits of working in small groups, whether they relate to profitability, quality of life, information-sharing or knowledge development. This Booklet shares the advice of experienced agricultural producers on how to form a group that can help improve your bottom line.

If you would like to have a free copy of this booklet, please contact the AMI office. The booklet can also be downloaded by clicking here.