Summer is wedding time, and I wonder who is a new member of your family farm this year? My new book, “Farming’s In-Law Factor,” co-authored with Dr. Megan McKenzie, has some tools to help you have more harmony and less conflict on your farm.

It’s common for food-service providers and retailers to communicate they are committed to sourcing food from sustainable beef production systems. Most sustainability definitions note the necessity of an economic or financial component.

Run for farmers by farmers, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is the national policy organization representing Canada’s farmers. DFC strives to create stable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. Over the last few years, our southern neighbours have had to deal with undercover videos on farms. Newer in Canada, this is nonetheless something farmers are noticing.

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 book Sometimes You Need More Than a 2 x 4! How-to tips to successfully grow a family business. I had the privilege of working with a well-adjusted farm family who sought my facilitation skills as an outsider to help them get more clarity about the farm’s successor and everyone’s expectations for the future vision of the farm.

April signifies that a new busy season is approaching. Regardless of how intense the work gets on your dairy farm, keep these words of encouragement fueling your actions. Doug Stroh, who now works at MNP, created a list of 10 ways you can encourage the heart of your farm. Stroh has granted me permission to share this list because it has stood the test of time.

In 2013, the Progressive Dairy Operators surveyed members about the labour required to operate their farm and the wages paid to employees. This is the same survey reported in terms of calf management in the March issue of Progressive Dairyman. Again, 154 farms replied to the survey.

“Hey, watch out, there’s a rock the size of a loaf of bread about to go through the header!” I yell to my new hubby in the cab of our combine as we harvest in 1981. “Don’t worry, I saw it, and there will be more,” he confides to me. As a Red River valley farm girl transported by marriage to the Waskada clay loam of southwestern Manitoba, I have developed the habit of picking stones or rocks on my field walks as I deliver meals, fuel or help out with the harvest.