Resources

Managing the impact on global supply chains

This webinar covers: - How EDC is monitoring the impact of the virus and its effect on global supply chains - How the virus outbreak will impact the global economy and which countries will be most affected - How to protect your company against the risk of not getting paid if your suppliers or customers don’t pay - How to get more working capital from your bank

Access Webinar

COVID-19 disruptions bring opportunities and challenges to food supply chain

The Canadian economy has been under a lot of stress. The first quarter Gross Domestic Product declined by 8.2% YoY, and the unemployment rate reached 13% in April. And there’s likely more negative economic data coming in the second quarter and household income will be pressured.

Read Article

AgriRecovery

The AgriRecovery Framework is part of a suite of federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) Business Risk Management (BRM) tools under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. AgriRecovery is an FPT disaster relief framework intended to work together with the core BRM programs to help agricultural producers recover from natural disasters. The core BRM programs are, in part, designed to help producers deal with the income and production losses they experience when disasters occur. AgriRecovery cannot duplicate or replace the assistance provided by these programs.

Visit Site

COVID-19 Challenges Push Forward Innovation and Strategy

The agriculture and food production industries continue to face their fair share of challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes changes in everyday tasks to produce food. However, many are also proving that necessity is indeed the mother of invention.

Read Article

How to effectively manage your covid-19 risks

This is a time of rapid change. Drastic ad hoc actions are being made to address challenges to operations, safety, supply chains, technology, data security, communications, and cash flow management. Ad hoc strategic actions pose major risks and the evaluation of risk with each action is critical

Read Article

Pivoting your Farm Production and Marketing Plan During COVID-19

The Pivoting your Farm Production and Marketing Plan During COVID-19 webinar will provide growers with a framework for identifying their risks and making plans for their production and marketing. We will discuss how these changes can be used to help mitigate risk. Content will include using cost of production analysis to understand impacts of crop choices and opportunities for accessing alternate marketing outlets. This webinar is most applicable to small- and medium-sized farm operators.

Access Webinar

A Guide for Direct Sales to Consumers During COVID-19 and Beyond

During these unprecedented times, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) recognizes that it is not ‘business as usual’. We hope to provide some support and guidance to help you continue to market and sell your agricultural products.

Open PDF

AgriShield

AgriShield® is the first Canadian platform to offer a 360° vision to assess and manage risks on the farm. This platform guides farmers through 6 families of risks that they may encounter. It also helps to leverage existing risk management tools and professional services offered to farmers. With AgriShield®, producers are be able to put an action plan in place to minimize threats and maximize opportunities for their business.

Visit Site

Decision Making Process

Management is decision making, or more precisely, it is determining which alternative will most likely allow the decision makers to achieve their goals. But as this page describes, decision making is more complex than that simple description. The purpose of this page is to consider whether a person can enhance their decision making or managerial skills by thoroughly exploring how decisions are made and implemented.

Visit Site

10 Steps to a solid business plan

A business plan is a key tool that can set you up for business success. It helps you focus on your goals and provides the answers you need to make your financing and loan process easier. Here are 10 things you should include as well as some resources to get started.

Read Article

Certificate Course in COVID-19 and the Economics of World food and Agriculture

This timely certificate course was designed to help participants to process and interpret all of that information through the lens of agricultural economics. Drawing upon information from around the world, we considered the links between COVID-19 and our agri-food system, both the direct links between the disease and the food system, and the indirect links between our risk management behavior and the food system.

Visit Site

Risk management basics: What every farmer needs to know

Agricultural producers make decisions in a risky environment every day. With the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the globe, producers are faced with decisions that could have major impacts on their farm operations. There are three primary risks associated with COVID-19 that all farmers should consider at this time. They are: Disruption of income, Impact on food and farm safety, Impact on human health.

Read Article

Managing the Agricultural Challenges Brought on by COVID-19

Hear from agriculture experts leading the charge to integrate drone technology into their fields. Expect to learn how DroneDeploy can be used to: enable eyes on the field with automated stand counts, evaluate early-season crop emergence, spot areas that need to be replanted and assess potential machinery issues.

Access Webinar

Canada FarmSafe Plan

Good planning can help a farm become and stay successful. Farmers develop business, marketing and environmental plans to ensure the success of their farm; so why not plan for safety?

Visit Site

Smooth out decision-making with process and a plan

A fictional case study by MNP

Read Article

How advisors add value to your farm management plan

Experts in various fields can help farmers better understand the nuances of farm management. Consulting with one or more farm advisors in aspects ranging from farm transition to animal care gives farmers focused advice from specialists.

Read Article

Did COVID-19 disrupt trends in Canada ag and food trade?

The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic extend to all sectors of the economy. For ag and food trade, the long-term effects could be important as the COVID-19 pandemic has exemplified the fragility of food supplies that depend on imports. In response, several countries are developing their ag and food sectors to become more self-reliant.

Read Article

Preparing your farm for agriculture technology

There are considerable benefits to using ag tech, but advantages come from asking questions, coming up with a plan for the farm and understanding how agricultural technology can empower a farm’s unique needs.

Read Article

Establishing a Floor Price by Buying Put Options Video

This video explain the basics behind the many risk management strategies available that offer price protection for short hedgers involved in producing or selling grain and oilseed products. Farmers, merchandisers, grain elevators and exporters understand the impact that a decline in prices could have on their business. It is important that they at least familiarize themselves with various alternatives for mitigating this risk and protecting their bottom line.

View Video

Business Risk Management Programs

Business risk management (BRM) programs help farmers manage risks that threaten the viability of the farm. They provide protection against different types of income and production losses.

Visit Site

COVID-19 Financial support for farmers and food processors

A list of financial support resources from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

Visit Site

Managing your business during COVID-19

A list of resources for managing your farm business from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

Visit Site

Resources on COVID-19

CFA has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it relates to Canadian Agriculture. We will be providing our members with weekly updates on the virus as information emerges. Please check this page regularly for resources on the virus.

Visit Site

Animal Health Emergency Management Project

Enhancing Emergency Management in Canada’s Livestock Industry With consistent disease information, training opportunities, quality resource development, and collaboratively defined protocols, the AHEM project is helping to protect industry livelihood.

Visit Site

BDC - 8 steps for planning your emergency and disaster plan

Whether it's a natural disaster such as an ice storm, or a serious accident in an industrial plant, an unforeseen event can disrupt business operations at any company. After all, in an emergency situation, your employees may not be able to come to work. Your suppliers may face a shortage of the materials you need to continue your business activities, or demand for your services may simply decline

Visit Site

BDC Business continuity plan and templates for entrepreneurs

While some companies have developed contingency plans, most have not. This lack of preparedness not only threatens the viability of sectors in Canada but, as in the case of manufacturing, it also jeopardizes the delivery of critical goods that depend on complex supply chain systems. Creating and maintaining a business continuity plan helps ensure that your business has the resources and information needed to deal with an emergency. A well designed plan will help you minimize the risk that an emergency poses to your employees, clients and suppliers, the continuity of your business operations and your bottom line.

Visit Site

Crisis Management Tools

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and farm businesses work to navigate these unprecedented times, the topic of farm business and contingency planning is increasingly on the minds of farmers. Through OFA’s partnership with Farm Life, we are providing resources for farm businesses offering tips, checklists and tools to help navigate this process.

Visit Site

Province of Alberta Emergency Preparedness Resources

Learn how you and your family can prepare yourselves for an emergency or disaster.

Visit Site

Ontario Pork On-Farm Emergency Response Planning Guide

This manual encourages farmers to take a critical look at their agricultural operation and assess potential risks. It will guide you through creating an individualized emergency response plan for your farm

Visit Site

FEX Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) Directory

Looking for a professional advisor who understands your world? Select from our database of certified Family Enterprise Advisors (FEAs) who are trained and designated to understand the unique challenges of a family business.

Visit Site

CFIA Animal Biosecurity

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) develops national biosecurity standards, protocols and strategies designed to protect animal resources in collaboration with producer organizations, provincial/territorial governments, and academia.

Visit Site

Building Effective Farm Management Systems

This guidebook, developed in workbook format, leads you systematically through implementation of key management applications. The guidebook mirrors the process I’ve discussed over the last 30 years in seminars on “Managing Business Relationships and Transitions on Family Farms.” Each chapter contains: - A conceptual discussion of key management concepts and how they apply to family farm management, - Sample documents and case scenarios illustrating how these concepts have been implemented in a variety of farm environments, and - Worksheets or templates designed to lead the user through an orderly process for implementing the concepts in day-to-day family farm management (including 23 template files and programs). The application template files will help you jump start implementation by providing foundation material that can be molded, edited, and supplanted to create your own management system documents. Template files include Mission, Vision and Core Value Statements; Job Descriptions; Company Policies; Standard Operating Procedures; Planning Systems; Compensation Summaries; Control and Performance Evaluation Systems, and many more.

Visit Site