Mission Statement

" To identify the best practice of leading farmers across Canada and create a body of knowledge for: policy formation, information transfer and human resource development, in order to enhance farm business management, introduce new business models, attract investment capital, improve competitiveness, increase and sustain profitability at the farm level and renew rural communities.:

One Step to Success
by C.M. (Red) Williams, President, Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation

The Best Practices of Leading Farmers Project, led by Saskatchewan Agrivision, has identified some of the characteristics of the top 1% of farmers . . . the ones that seem to be always a step ahead. We are specifically examining this group because they are making the management decisions now that could be the common practices of the majority a decade ahead.

Some key attributes set these success people apart. Almost invariably they are married with both spouses involved in management decision making. They often use peer review to enlarge their management base, be it the local banker, other top farmers, the extended family, or in the very best cases an external board of directors of some form. They concentrate on what they are good as and farm out the other tasks. Their operation is under constant change, in step with a long term plan, which is modified as opportunities of difficulties appear on the horizon. They do no hunker down in their breached boat when troubles strike, waiting for the tide to float them free. Because they know that without taking action the next tide would only push them deeper into the sand.

Some might question the rationale of concentrating on the very successful operations. However, studying the average producer just identifies the problem and not the farmer-made solutions. And the best practice solutions may inspire the next tier to take that one critical step to success. Success may be to purchase more land (only maybe), or selling some land, taking on a new enterprise or a new partner, and then another step and another, but keeping moving.

If doing the same things over and over and hoping for different outcome is not the answer, then the alternative for many may be to look for ways to change. One safety factor in change may well be to study the management practice of farmers who are highly successful and take that first step.