“I’ve learned some key points to becoming a better farm business manager. First, you can’t be afraid. It takes courage to expose your weaknesses and to put together a plan. Always think outside of the box. Let go and let others be involved. Work with a farm advisor to help give you a fresh perspective. Finally, take advantage of government funding to help build your business plan.”
     ~ Peter Vander Zaag, Sunrise Produce, Alliston, ON

Focus on farm business

Peter Vander Zaag is a strong believer in good farm business management practices. Two years ago, he and his wife Carla began making changes on their Alliston, Ontario potato farm when it was apparent the status quo was no longer feasible. Faced with tight commodity margins, the Vander Zaags would need to focus on new markets for their crop. The Vander Zaag children were also starting to enter the workforce, which added to the need for a new approach.

“I had to figure out how I was going to make it work so that I didn’t kill myself farming, help my daughter become a farmer, and be fair to my five other children, says Vander Zaag.” Their solution? They took a team approach by entering into partnerships with other potato growers and crop experts who now share in the ownership and management responsibilities of the operation. They expanded into niche markets, engaged a farm advisor to write a formal farm business management plan and ventured into succession planning. This begs the question – what was the cost of all this? Many farmers would say, ‘I can’t afford to do that.’

“Farm business management is the key to success of our operation,” says Vander Zaag whose farm is now one of the largest in eastern Canada for organic potatoes.

Vander Zaag is now poised to face the future with certainty. Challenged with a rapidly changing economic environment, other farmers might not be so confident. They need new business management skill sets to manage the realities of today’s agriculture. The good news is there are resources available.

Cultivate a culture shift

Vander Zaag’s commitment to his farm business has fuelled a passion to help others in this area. As chair of the Agricultural Management Institute (AMI), he is helping champion farm business management in Ontario. AMI offers funding for projects, conducts research and offers ideas, resources, links and business tools to farmers to help meet their goals.

“We have to change the culture from strictly production-oriented to farm business management-oriented on farms all across Ontario,” says Vander Zaag citing an AMI finding that suggests many farmers prefer field work over office work. “AMI is trying to help farmers think about their farm business and then provide them with information and new tools.”

Are you ready to try some new approaches to managing your farm business? The new AMI website is a great place to get started.