Category Archives: Farm Loans

Women Farmers of Canada

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over one-quarter (27.5%) of Canadian farmers are women
Over one-quarter of Canadian farmers are women.

Canada is the fifth largest agricultural exporter in the world and over one-quarter (27.5%) of Canadian farmers are women. Women are an important part of the workforce in Canada, and an increasingly important part of the Agricultural production of our country.

Across Canada farmers — a majority of whom are men — are getting older. The next generation of farmers is slowly taking over. We have seen a major increase in the number of women taking over family farms, and entering the field as new farmers.

Women can face unique challenges as a working farmer. Finding a balance between a farm career and family goals can be hard. The lack of female role models and rural child care can limit networking opportunities and career growth. Commodity boards and the agribusiness industry are staffed more often by men, and this can create an atmosphere of a “boys club”.

Having women in decision-making positions could have an impact beyond gender equity. Women want more information before making decisions and might take fewer risks in stressful situations. In a farm with partner operators and more collaborative decision-making, there’s  more opportunity for balancing year-to-year yields rather than extreme highs and lows based on the risks that male operators are taking. This can be a great thing for the viability and long-term sustainability of a farm.

An open minded approach and support for women in farming will be good for the Canadian Farming sector and the Country as a whole.

If you are a woman farmer or a woman looking to start or buy a farm, Canadian Grants Business Center can help. Find funding at:

http://www.canadiangrantsbusinesscenter.com/Funding-Finder.html

Or call us Toll-free at:

1-888-231-0075

Farm Funding: Farm Grants & Farm Loans

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Fall 2016

Canadian farm grants and farm loans are just some of the funding programs available to farmers to start, and grow their Canadian farm business. There are also tax credits and subsidies directed towards farm businesses.

In order to maximize your chances of success, it is important to start by asking yourself: Why do I want to be a farmer? If the answer is only to make money, then it may not be the best choice for you. If you want to farm because you plan to combine the lifestyle and business of farming, then it’s time to make a plan for your farming future.

A successful farm plan starts by making realistic projections about your access to the land, equipment, labour and funding required to undertake your project. Once you have decided what crops or livestock will perform well in your area you need to establish a plan that takes into account production and marketing issues.

It is often a good idea to seek professional assistance before you expand or start any new farming project. The Canadian Grants Business Center can provide you assistance in accessing the resources to fund your growing farm business.

When you are ready to start or expand your farming business, the Canadian Grants Business Center can help.

Contact us Toll-Free at 1-888-231-0075 or Contact us now to find out more!

seeding-crops

5 Easy Farm Grants: Government funding for Farms

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The agriculture industry is a hot commodity for government investment. These investments usually bring jobs, market stabilization, environmental improvements, and health benefits to consumers. Below are the top 5 Agricultural initiatives you could be doing right now to obtain Government Funding:Two Young Yellow chicks

  • Go Organic: By going organic not only are you making your produce healthier to consume for the average customer you are
    also decreasing any environmental hazards that may come from your product processes. Government agencies love these types of commitments as it’s a positive political position shown to the mass populace. Targeting this area will more likely help with your quest for government funding.
  • Humane Environment for Livestock: Just as the Go Organic craze, is a positive political position for the Government, the Humane Livestock is an area that will most likely help you get government funding while doing what is naturally right for your stock. Improving livestock area’s, feeding them healthier choices, and just finding ways to make the animals lives the best they can be, are all areas that can help in your quest for farm grants.
  • Equipment R&D: Coming up with more efficient ways to do your day to day job is something that the government loves. As if it’s something feasible, they can push as legislation to decrease costs all across similar agricultural markets. If you have a new way to formulate dairy products that are cheaper than current practices, the government will definitely give your business a few looks for investment.
  • Jobs: The labour market is slow at the moment, and any potential areas of job creation are   something the government will likely invest in. If you need employees for strenuous job roles, there maybe are subsidies from the government available to you in terms of government funding.
  • Grain: The grain market is hot right now, if your agriculture business main activity is Grain, there may be government funding for you to put towards harvesting and transportation.

For more information on Government Grants and Loans for Canadian Farmers, you can contact the Canadian Grants Business Center:

Call us at: 1-888-231-0075

Contact us now to find out more!

Farming is the Future of Canada

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Farming is the Future of Canada

Agriculture is a diverse and exciting industry. The variety of farms and the people who live on them create the fabric of food production. Will this still be the case in the future?

Canadian Urbanization will have an impact on our farming processes. Every civilization is built on the production of food and the world’s best soil dies under our cities. By 2020, 80 percent of the global population will live in urban areas within 60 kilometers off a shore. This is Canada’s profile as well with over 70 percent of our population living in a port-side city. The continuous food going in is one issue but the waste coming out also pressures surrounding agricultural land.farm

Agricultural enterprises by nature are often stand-alone independent units but this too is changing and we will continue to see alliances and partnerships, especially when value adding is present. To truly establish markets, producers will be seeking out end-users that align with their value systems. Younger farmers today are hungry for information that adds value to their product and are well informed and very comfortable with these types of agreements.

Rural communities will change and prosper depending on their access to technology. We are starting to see some very interesting farm operations and vibrant small-town economies based on technology hubs and layering of partnerships. With the access to information and the ability to communicate globally, there are no restrictions on the opportunity. Lately, this has been expressed in the resurgence of interest in small family farms. Small is big again and young couples are flocking to the farm armed with their education, cell phones, cloud technology and business plans.

Many of these new farmers are women. In Canada, 30 percent of farms and ranches are owned and operated by women (40 per cent in British Columbia) and continued growth of this trend may change the face of farming in many ways, but one which stands out is closer ties with the consumer. Women will lead this change from commoditization and price taking to price alignment with quality. Look for encouragement in areas of research such as nutrient density.

There is room for every farmer and that is what makes this industry tick. We will continue to honor past traditions like ranching but it will be data based on genomics, performance data, nutrient quality and alignment with the end-user. The horse and rider may be replaced or assisted by a drone with UHF real-time communication.

Technology and science will be the drivers to enhance our social license and entice consumers to our food.pigs The industry will continue to find ways to draw folks to the counter with apps, this technology is enabling for all farms and all buyers and sellers regardless of size or volume.

We will always need the feed yard and the large landholder. Intensive farming reduces agriculture’s overall footprint and allows for an increase in set-aside lands such as grasslands and forages that are huge carbon sequesters. Manure will once again be gold and further technologies in its use will emerge.
So close to the action, data junkies and living with FOMO (the fear of missing out), the main buyer of food in this age needs constant proof and reassurance. In fairness, this is what companies such as Earls understand. To ask for certification is that piece of assurance that market research tells the restaurant that the consumer asked for or needs to feel secure. Remember, the food service guest is making a decision based on their core values and beliefs which are formed by the environment in which they live and the information that they have.

A new area of information that is important to note is animal welfare and the interrelationship with human rights and welfare. These are massive targets for consumers and now carry the same weight as the discussion on GMO. These men and women want a food experience and are willing to take the time to ask about what they are eating, how it was raised and how the folks were treated in the process. This is our new reality and an opportunity for system-wide improvements.

A cell phone, a huge list of connections, a great business plan, a mentor and reams of data will enhance future farming. Jobs will continue to increase in the agricultural sector and in 2020 the estimate is that we will need another 122,000 persons to fill the vacancies. The $50 billion that will transfer over in agriculture within the next two decades will go to the brightest and best in production and marketing. They will have a “feel” for the end-user and in many cases a direct dialogue with them. Access to market or to further value adding will be the ultimate objective on the farm. Like the millennial buyer, the millennial farmer won’t be force-fed or have any tolerance for poor connections or relationships. They will change up or move on.

Past, present and future, we all carry the responsibility of growing food — the most honorable task on earth — for today and tomorrow.

Please contact Canadian Grants Business Center for assistance in obtaining government funding to start or expand your farm business:

Visit : http://www.canadiangrantsbusinesscenter.com

Or call Toll-Free: 1-888-231-0075 for help during the business day.

Drones for Farming

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Technology is increasing at a rapid pace throughout the business world. This is as true for Farming as it is in and other industry.

One of the developments of the last few years that has incredible potential is the adoption of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) known commonly as drones by farmers to increase productivity.

To understand how drones can help farmers we must first explore the concept of precision agriculture.

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Precision agriculture is a farm management concept based on observation, measurement and specific response to small  variability in crops.
Precision agriculture helps to efficiently apply limited resources to gain maximum yield.  The best wat to do this is to minimize variation in crop health within and between fields.

Precision agriculture requires accurate and wide-ranging data to work.

 

The three main types of data required are:

Geotagged Images:

Aerial images taken of fields over time, both visible and multi-spectral over time.

Equipment Performance:

Feedback from sensors  in real-time & performance logs provided by manned and unmanned equipment such as tractors, seeders, spreaders, and combines.

Farm Management Data:

Yield data and input cost data provided by the farm operator.

Drones are an obvious fit within precision agriculture.

farm droneDrones are a  new, low-cost and high-precision way to obtain geo-tagged aerial survey images.

Compared to other aerial survey methods, drones allow for more frequent and precise data collection about the condition of crops.  Aerial data can be used to improve the performance of a farm’s operation in many important ways.

In the case of smaller farms, drones are significantly more cost effective than other forms of aerial photography, including manned flights and satellite imagery.

 

Drones are used to capture  images that can provide a variety of data about the condition of fields, livestock, and crops.

Some of the Information that can be ascertained from drone obtained images include:

  • the height of plants
  • number of plants
  • the health of plants
  • nutrient presence (or lack)
  • Disease
  • weed count
  • biomass estimates (relative)
  • topographical data including patches, hills, and holes.
  • location of livestock
  • movement patterns of livestock

Data from drones can help accomplish farm tasks more easily:

  • replace people in scouting tasks
  • monitor crop health
  • survey/scout fields prior to planting
  • measure nitrogen requirements
  • monitor yields
  • assess drought situations
  • classify trees
  • more uses

The images generated by drones can be fed into an agricultural program  or other software tools to create maps that prescribe specific actions to improve performance.

It’s clear that drones and other technology are becoming must-have tools for Canadian farmers.  As a result, financial investment  that keeps a farm up to date has become a priority.

Many farmers need to look for outside investment to increase technological capacity.

Please contact Canadian Grants Business Center for assistance in obtaining government funding to start or expand your farm business:

Visit : http://www.canadiangrantsbusinesscenter.com

Or call Toll-Free: 1-888-231-0075 for help during the business day.

 

Canadian Farming: The New Gold Rush?

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Everyone needs to eat: This is the reason that we will always need farmers. In a world with a constantly increasing population, demand for food will continue to grow. Many countries are already having trouble meeting their existing population’s food demands with domestic production. This economic reality creates a unique opportunity for farmers in countries like Canada that have predictable climates, advanced techman on tractornology, vast amounts of farm land, and an entrepreneurial population.

Canada is already the 5th largest agricultural exporter in the world. 2.2 million Canadians work in the agriculture and agri-food sector, a sector that contributes over $100 billion annually to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP). Canada is the largest exporter of maple syrup, flaxseed, canola, pulses (such as lentils), and durum wheat in the world. There are approximately 4 million beef cattle in Canada. In addition, roughly 26 million pigs are raised in Canada each year, making us the world’s third-largest exporter of pork products.

As a market leader, Canada is uniquely positioned to scale production smoothly in key areas, and to capture an increasingly important share of the global market in agricultural exports. If you are a Canadian farmer or starting a farm, you need to maximize your growth opportunities to take advantage of future market realities.

Many farmers need to look for outside investment to increase capacity and be prepared for the upcoming demand spike.

Please contact Canadian Grants Business Center for assistance in obtaining government funding to start or expand your farm business:

Visit : http://www.canadiangrantsbusinesscenter.com

Or call Toll-Free: 1-888-231-0075 for help during the business day.

 

5 On-Farm Extra Income Ideas

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Being a successful farmer can mean wearing many hats. One of the most important ideas in any business is the concept of diversification. As a farm owner or operator, this may often mean planting more than 1 crop, or operating a mixed farm. This is not the only was for a farmer to diversify, however. Sometimes a little outside the box thinking can result in a lucrative second income stream even for farms that aren’t very diversified. Why not consider using the resources at your disposal to accomplish this goal.

Here are 5 On-Farm extra income ideas:

Farm Tours

You know what people from the city love? To visit the country. Why not offer school children or members of the urban population the chance to spend the day at a farm? There are all sorts of  things worth paying for: You can sell feed fro children to give to the animals, hay rides, meals, snacks and drinks, trail walks, and many other things.

Compost Waste Disposal

With the increasing importance of waste reduction in urban and suburban areas, why not offer a composting service? For a fee you can allow landscapers to dispose of grass cutting and other organic waste on your land. This can then be composted, and then used as a valuable tool on your farm, or resold back to individuals in need of compost.

Pick Your Own Produce

Why not allow the public to access a part of your crop and pick their own for a fee? This is a popular option for berries, apples, and other fruits.

Bed and Breakfast

That old farm house offers a rustic retreat for people from their busy lives.  Many people are willing to pay top dollar for the chance to get way from it all and have a night or two in a rural setting.

Petting Zoo

The animals on your farm can be the source of income and amusement for visitors, or alternatively take the show on the road and offer a petting zoo at local events and shopping areas.

These are just some ideas for Farmers looking to maximize their on-farm income. If you are looking to expand your farm operations, or establish an on or off farm business Canadian Grants Business Center can help you find funding for your endeavour. Visit our Funding Finder today: http://www.canadiangrantsbusinesscenter.com/funding-finder.html

5 Important Attributes of Successful Farmers

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Successful farmers exhibit some common attributes, that you should try to emulate when you are trying to start a new farm, or become a better farmer. Here is a list of the attributes succesful farmers share, for you to consider:

LOVE OF FARMING

Farming as lifestyle and business can be a very rewarding, but not easy. Passion for the process and fruits of your labour will help you to focus on the good times, and carry you through the tough times. Focus your farm on a product you are passionate about. Money is a great motivator, but if it’s the only thing you are working for, your less likely to succeed. If you measure your success in personal satisfaction, you will find it in places others have failed.

CREATIVE SALES AND MARKETING

You can have the greatest product in the world, but if nobody knows about it, how can they buy it from you? Small and medium sized farms must sell a differentiated product, if they want to succeed. You will need to focus on a strong marketing effort that emphasizes the strengths of your product. Technology has made marketing much easier for small businesses, by putting people in touch with one another, near and far.

CREATIVITY, RESOURCEFULNESS AND FLEXIBILITY

Farming is not a one-size fits all type of business. There is no list of rules. Successful farmers use their ideas and hard work to adapt their farming operations to the markets needs. Adopting new technologies and systems can help producers work more efficiently.

DETERMINATION

Nature is fickle. Weather is unpredictable. Business is affected by many things beyond anyones control. Sometimes Things will happen that planning cannot help you avoid. Successful farmers accept what they cannot control and persevere.

PASSION FOR LEARNING

Successful farmers are always looking for new production methods, new marketing approaches and new technologies.Chances are other farmers have faced many of the challenges you are facing. They often come up with creative solutions. Talking to ither farmers can be a valuable source for information and ideas.

When you are ready to start or expand your farm, you will require funding. Let Canadian Grants Business Center help you access government funding programs to grow your farm and succeed. Find Funding at:

http://www.canadiangrantsbusinesscenter.com/Funding-Finder.html

Or Call Us Toll-Free at: 1-888-231-0075

New Blueberry Teaching & Research Farm In Quebec

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A new blueberry teaching and research farm will be established in Quebec.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have announced the creation of a blueberry teaching and research farm in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. This location is easily accessable and representative of the blueberry farms in the region.

Funding of $42,600 will be granted through the Programme de développement sectoriel (PDS), a  program implemented by the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the Canada-Quebec Growing Forward 2 agreement.

“With some 30,000 hectares in operation, the blueberry production is second in importance in terms of farm income in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. It is therefore an important economic activity for our region. Today I am proud to announce this project that our government committed to achieve a year ago at the Economic Summit. Allowing the blueberry industry to implement short- and long-term research projects will increase the competitiveness of our regional companies,” says Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec and MNA for Roberval.

“This research and teaching project is a great example of an initiative that promotes the agricultural potential of a region in order to benefit producers, processors, consumers and even students. The development and operation of this facility are well aligned with government policy and with the approach set out in the strategic plan for Quebec’s wild blueberry sector,” adds Pierre Paradis, Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

“Canada is the world’s largest producer of wild blueberries. The federal government is proud to support the creation of a blueberry teaching and research farm that will help the sector improve its competitiveness and meet growing consumer demand for safe, high-quality products. Combining teaching and research will have an impact on the transfer of knowledge from producers and the next generation,” says Denis Lemieux, Member of Parliament Chicoutimi – Le Fjord.

For more information on farm grants and information on starting a blueberry farm or other farm, please contact Canadian Grants Business Center Toll Free: 1-888-231-0075

Government Funding for Ferme Bourgeois Farm Inc.

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Memramcook, NB –

A new storage facility will be built at Ferme Bourgeois Farm Inc, thanks to the Canadian Federal Government investment. This new facility will help reduce operational costs, increase sales opportunities and improve efficiencies.

The announcement was made by The Parliamentary secretary to the minister of Justice and the Member of Parliament for Moncton, on behalf of the regional minister for New Brunswick,  joined by the Ferme Bourgeois Farm Inc. officials.

The main aspects of this project will be to construct an atmosphere controlled storage facility, using brand new technology developed in Europe. This will centralize and increase apple storage capacity and reduce costs. It will also extend the shelf life and current selling seasons that the Farm see’s per year. The facility will also be used for a number of local apple growers as well.

The total amount of investment from the Canadian government is over $500,000 that will come through a Business Development Program.

 

  • Established in 1932, Ferme Bourgeois Farm is one of New Brunswick’s premier growers and supplier of apples and also produces a number of apple-based beverages including old-fashioned cider, a sparkling apple juice and a line of apple and other fruit wines.
  • Verger Belliveau Orchard provides packaging and storage services for Ferme Bourgeois Farm and other growers in the region and is the largest seller of fresh apples in New Brunswick.

For more information how government funding can help your farm or business please contact the Canadian Grants Business Center at 1-888-231-0075 or visit us at :

canadiangrantsbusinesscenter.com.