Cultivating Business The official publication of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors Winter 2010 - 20112010 - 2011 / www.cafanet.com 5 Cultivating Business contents On the cover: CAFA is the nationally recognized organization for professional farm advisors and they can help you, no matter what your agricultural business is focused on. CAFA advisors maintain high standards while continually increasing farm advisory skills and knowledge intended to provide measurable value to their farm clients. MESSAGES 7 A Message from the CAFA National Chairman, Don Roberts 9 A Message from the CAFA Executive Director, Liz Robertson FEATURES: 10 Transferring the Family Farm 12 What LASTING Gift Will You Give Your Family This Year? The GIFT That Lasts for Generations. 14 Why I Believe in Benchmarks 16 Information is Key to a Successful Client-Banker Relationship SPECIAL SECTION: 19 The 2010/2011 Canadian Farm Advisors Resource Guide 19 Alberta 21 British Columbia 22 Manitoba 23 Nova Scotia 25 Ontario 33 Québec 33 Saskatchewan CAFA’S COMINGS AND GOINGS 5 CAFA’s National Board of Directors for 2010-2011 7 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 9 Education. Networking. Professionalism. RESULTS. 9 CAFA’s Levels of Membership 19 Alberta Provincial Conference 32 Ontario Provincial Conference 37 Disciplinary Procedures 38 BUYER’S GUIDE Published By: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 Return undeliverable copies to: 52 Donald Street, Suite 300 Winnipeg, MB R3C 1L6 Tel: (204) 953-3120 Toll free: (866) 999-1299 Fax: (866) 244-2544 Email: sales@matrixgroupinc.net Web: www.matrixgroupinc.net President & CEO Jack Andress Senior Publisher Maurice LaBorde mlaborde@matrixgroupinc.net Publishers Peter Schulz, Jessica Potter, Trish Bird Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Editor Karen Kornelsen Finance/Accounting & Administration Shoshana Weinberg, Nathan Redekop, Pat Andress accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Marketing & Circulation Shoshana Weinberg Sales Manager Neil Gottfred Book Leader Albert Bridges Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives Rick Kuzie, Miles Meagher, Ken Percival, Benjamin Schutt, Rob Choi, Brian Davey, Jim Hamilton, Chantal Duchaine, Catherine Lemyre, Declan O’Donovan, Jeff Cash, Marco Chiocchio, Simara Mundo, Terrance Emerson, Colleen Bell, Wayne Earle Layout & Design Travis Bevan Advertising Design James Robinson ©2010-2011 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Cultivating Business Published For: Canadian Association of Farm Advisors Box 578 Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan S0J 0J0 Toll free: (877) 474-2871 Direct: (306) 466-2294 Fax: (306) 466-2297 Email: info@cafanet.com CAFA Co-Founders: Donna Hastings and Howard Morry CAFA’S NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ALBERTA • Don Roberts, CAFA Chair, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Calgary, AB • Janet Nielsen, JRN Consulting Services Red Deer, AB SASkATChEwAN • Leo kosokowsky, Past CAFA Chair, AgMpower Services Ltd. Blaine Lake, SK • Dwight watson, Canada west Financial Group Regina, SK MANITOBA • Myles Pouteau, CAFA Treasurer, Frostiak & Leslie Chartered Accountants Winnipeg, MB • Roger Mills, Manitoba Dairy Farm Management Group Steinbach, MB ONTARIO • Ted Clysdale, Ganaraska Financial Peterborough, ON • Amanda hammell, RBC Royal Bank Hanover, ON • Mary Nelson Lucknow, ON • George Sinker, George E. Sinker Law Firm Strathroy, ON2010 - 2011 / www.cafanet.com 7 National Chairman’s Message A t the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) Annual General Meeting held in Novem- ber, 2009, Leo Kosokowsky was elected as Chairman and at our Directors’ organ- izational meeting in January, I was elected as Vice Chairman and Sharon Eistetter as Secretary. In March, Leo advised that he was unable to continue in the role of Chairman so I have stepped in to con- clude the year in this position. Leo has remained on the board and I would like to thank him for his time as National Chair- man. In addition to Leo, we have a strong board of directors and I would like to thank them for all the time they spend on volun- teering to ensure that farm advisors have a strong organization. This has been quite a year in agricul- ture across Canada. Eastern Canada saw good weather and bountiful crops. In Western Canada, on the other hand, it depended on where you live. Many areas had excessive moisture, both in the spring and during the growing season, and the harvest this year was quite strung out due to rain. Other areas experienced signifi- cant drought. Livestock prices were rea- sonable and the hog sector showed some very solid gains towards profitability. As a producer reviewing the past year, I urge you to take advantage of the know- ledge and experience that our farm advis- ors can offer. We have many disciplines represented by CAFA members, including accountants, lenders, financial planners, family coaches, lawyers, agrologists, in- surance agents, appraisers, human re- source specialists, government staff, educators as well as producers. Hiring a skilled professional is not an expense; it is an investment in your future. As many of you may know, we are a na- tional organization, with strong branches in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. We are also seeing great inter- est in British Columbia. Our National An- nual General Meeting was held in Regina, Saskatchewan this year, on November 17. A number of our members attended the meeting in person or by teleconference. We also have had regional conferences in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 10, and Regina on November 18. These conferen- ces had a great speaker list and were fairly well attended. We can always make room for more attendees and extend an invita- tion to producers, along with our mem- bers, to attend these conferences. Our next conference is in Red Deer, Alberta on February 17, 2011 and our Ontario con- ference is in Woodstock on June 2, 2011. Please try to attend the conference in your area and watch for Manitoba, Saskatch- ewan and British Columbia conferences next fall. The dates will be posted on our web site, www.cafanet.com. There are over 25 CAFA chapters across Canada. These chapters hold regular monthly meetings where educa- tion and networking are key opportunities. The educational topics are varied and of general interest to most CAFA members, as well as to producers. We strive to have our members gain knowledge. They will not necessarily practice in all areas but they will have a source of reference to se- cure a CAFA member who specializes in a certain area of expertise. CAFA members are strong supporters of agriculture in Canada. Notwithstand- ing the role they play in advising produ- cers, many are involved in farming from a personal standpoint. They have the “dirt under their fingernails” from hands-on management. I would be remiss if I did not take this time to acknowledge our chapter execu- tives. These folks work tirelessly to pro- mote their chapters. This is a huge job and they perform it admirably. Finally, I urge you to demand that your farm advisor have a CAFA designation whenever you can. We want producers to know that a CAFA member is heavily invested in supporting agriculture and as- sisting farm operations and adheres to a code of ethics that CAFA has established. In closing, I would like to thank our National Sponsors—Farm Credit Canada, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, Farms. com and the Farm Marketer as well as our provincial sponsors—Allied Financial, Collins Barrow and the BC Dairy Directory. Your sponsorship is appreciated. Don Roberts, CAFA National Chair Continuing Professional Development (CPD) In 2010 CAFA’s Board determined that to maintain and to earn the designation of Certified Agricultural Farm Advisor, members would be required to attend a minimum number of CAFA meetings and conferences. There is no longer a written test. Further information about our new CPD policy can be found on our website at: www.cafanet.com/AboutCAFA/ContinuingEducation.aspx.2010 - 2011 / www.cafanet.com 9 Executive Director’s Message I am delighted to be sharing our second annual edition of Cultivating Business with you. Now, more than ever, professionals are seeking to be- come a Certified Agricultural Farm Advisor through CAFA as producers, agri-business and the public sector look to our members for qualified advice. CAFA members share a passion for agriculture and have a genuine interest in its ongoing success. CAFA’s members include farm advisors and con- sultants from a wide variety of professional back- grounds. The services they provide vary greatly and can be described as everything from counsel- lor to key influencer to advisor to consultant. As often as possible, I attend chapter meetings and our provin- cial conferences to get to know our members. These events impress upon me the vast experience and knowledge available from CAFA members. The events provide edu- cation and updates and are valu- able opportunities to network and build relationships with colleagues locally, provincially and nationally. CAFA is truly Canada’s national network of farm advisors. CAFA members help farm man- agers and owners make decisions through quality advice and ser- vices. Whether it is assisting with farm transition and continuance, strategic planning, marketing, family coaching, cost of produc- tion, benchmarking, mediation and facilitation, tax planning, legal ad- vice, investment advice, insurance or realty, CAFA members are in- tune with the industry’s challenges and opportunities. This vast exper- tise is why our members are often interviewed by the media. CAFA members are also sought-after speakers that can make presen- tations at workshops and profes- sional development seminars. CAFA’s leaders were very busy in 2010. Leo Kosokowsky, CAFA Director, and I met with Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Minister of Agriculture. Directors Don Roberts and Janet Nielsen and I met with a Branch Head with AARD in Leduc, Alberta, and met with the Supervisor Community Relations with AFSC and in Saskatchewan. Don Roberts, CAFA Chair, and I met with Saskatchewan’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture. Leo Kosokowsky and I attended Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers awards in Victoria, British Columbia. As well, I have attended and promoted CAFA at the Outdoor Farm Show, the George Morris Centre’s AGM and at the first Women in Agri-Business Sym- posium. Meeting all these people and attending all of these events goes a long way to promoting CAFA to current and future farm leaders. The Manitoba and Saskatchewan provin- cial conferences and the CAFA AGM, all held in November, were outstanding events. I have been fortunate to be able to attend many chap- ter meetings in the past few months including Winnipeg, London, Huron-Perth, Lethbridge, Peterborough, Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley and Wellington. In 2011, I will participate with the Saskatoon and Prince Albert chapters—as the new office will be less than an hour from each place—and hopefully I’ll be able to join more chapter meetings as well. I am looking forward to the Alberta provincial conference in February in Red Deer and the Ontario confer- ence (the 7th annual!) in June, in Woodstock. The more you put into your CAFA member- ship (attending meetings and conferences) the more you will get out of it—education, updates, professional networks and more resources for your business. As always, my genuine appreciation is ex- tended to the CAFA leaders who all help to make CAFA a growing, vibrant national organization. To CAFA members: CAFA is your associa- tion. Be proud and tell your clients about us! Liz Robertson Executive Director Education. Networking. Professionalism. RESULTS. Education: Access to educational up- grading and information about a complex industry through newsletters, chapter meet- ings, conferences and online resources. Networking: Attend monthly meetings and other conferences where speakers ad- dress topics of common interest and ad- visors interact with other professionals and farmers. Professionalism: Held to a higher stan- dard, eventual certification. • Members can submit their name and topic specialties to the Speakers Directory list on the website. • Members can connect to other members across Canada who may be able to help with a question or provide a resource. • CAFA’s head office staff is available as a clearinghouse of information, people and resources. • Access to current research and updates in the field of family farm businesses and in the more general field of family based businesses on the website. • Access to electronic newsletter/ educational material. • Members are invited to attend provincial and national conferences to network with other professionals. Members get discounted fees. • Selected members are invited to be part of national focus groups, interviewed by the media, approached to be part of Agriculture Canada committees and write for nationally distributed educational material. CAFA’s Levels of Membership Regular: These are professional advisors and consultants who can use the Certified Agricultural Farm Advisor designation. $350 + GST &/or HST Associate: This applies to farmers, government and non-profit association staff who wish to benefit from CAFA membership. $100 + GST &/or HST Student: University and college students. $90 + GST &/or HSTNext >