Elaine Froese' Farm Family Blog

11 Tips to Stay Renewed

August 15th, 2011 by Elaine

I wish I had gone to bed earlier last night instead of filing emails until midnight. I should know better since I need to get a really good sleep to stay on top of the daily demands of the farm. Vacuuming 4 shop vacs of water out of our water-logged basement this morning only reminded me to be thankful for the dry years.

I have no idea what kind of summer you are having. It might be scorching hot and dry on your farm, or you might be having a forced sabbatical year like us. Very few acres to harvest, only 10% of our land got seeded.

Regardless of your external circumstances, as your coach via this column I have the Hudson Institute’s 11 tips for staying power: ways to be self-renewing: Continue reading 11 Tips to Stay Renewed »

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Joy of Harvest Washed Away

July 8th, 2011 by Elaine

When I kissed my husband goodbye this morning he said “I am headed to the swamp !” That pretty much sums up the feelings of many farmers who greet the mist of the morning with sadness. The joy of the harvest across much of the prairies has been washed away. About 40% of Manitoba cropland is left unseeded. Our new plan for the summer is weed control. We seeded 20% of our crop.

The president of Keystone Ag Producers announced on radio this morning that the economic ripple will be felt in Manitoba. Mr. Chorney said that we’ll need 2 months of dry weather to dry things out, so that we can manage the fields for next year. This is a call for creativity and patience as witnessed by the new “dualies” on the back of our high clearance sprayer that hit the soggy fields yesterday. Continue reading Joy of Harvest Washed Away »

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The Father Factor in Farming

June 8th, 2011 by Elaine

Your father’s particular parenting style is the template that forms the father factor in your career.” “ If your father has died, that doesn’t mean that the feelings from the relationship are dead”. (Dr. Stephan B. Poulter, author of The Father Factor: how your Father’s Legacy Impacts Your Career. www.onefatherfactor.com )

Sometimes as a farm family coach I feel like a detective, patiently gathering clues via conversations from the fathers , mothers, sons and daughters who are struggling with their farm careers. Last month I found a treasured resource; the book “The Father Factor” was recommended by a farm business advisor as the best book he has read, next to the Bible !

I’ve been writing about Father’s day in this paper for 16 years, and I think that I am most excited about finding this new tool for all farm families to access. If you want to glance through the first chapter go to http://mensightmagazine.com/Articles/Poulter,%20Steven/fatherfactor.htm Continue reading The Father Factor in Farming »

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Being Smart with Your Personal Wealth Bubble

May 9th, 2011 by Elaine

Mother’s day is less than a week away, but you still have time to get her the book she needs. I have done a lot of work this winter with women and money seminars and “Who gets the farm and when ?” sessions with farm families.

Here’s what I have observed:

People are overwhelmed by the complexity of succession planning and they don’t know where to start.

Finances are a major barrier, especially people’s fear of the income stream after farm transitions, not being enough to meet the lifestyle plan for the next 2 decades.

Farm folks who have ploughed all of their financial resources back into the farm asset bubble may not have put any funds into what Alberta’s Merle Good calls the “personal wealth bubble.” Folks with a personal wealth bubble have more flexibility in planning for the successor’s needs since they don’t need all their lifestyle income from the farm cash flow. Continue reading Being Smart with Your Personal Wealth Bubble »

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“How Long Do You Have to be Married Before You Get to be Family?”

May 4th, 2011 by Elaine

A new daughter-in-law asked… “How long do you have to be married before you get to be family ?” This powerful question is part of Jolene Brown’s new book “Sometimes you need more than an 2 x 4!…how to tips to successfully grow a family business.”

Jolene Brown and I are friends and colleagues. We both have strong messages for encouraging farm families to address the tough issues, treat others well, and grow great businesses. I would encourage you to consider her new book as a gift to the new brides in your neighbourhood. (www.jolenebrown.com ) I am asking the young farm women I meet to give me their insights as the “daughter –in-law” for my next book on “daughter-in-law dynamics.” Continue reading “How Long Do You Have to be Married Before You Get to be Family?” »