Family businesses: When parents and children clash
Parent and child can work together on the farm, love each other, state their needs, be heard and learn to negotiate their differences. It starts with respect and compromise, says...
Why estate planning is essential to minimising family strife
When business-owning parents leave their children equal shares in the operation, a battle can erupt between those who work for the company and those who don’t. There are better ways...
Health and safety do’s and don’ts for farmers
Navigating your way through the numerous rules and regulations of workplace health and safety can seem a daunting prospect, but labour consultants are there to guide you. Jeandré van der...
How to keep the family business in business
Very few family farming operations transition effortlessly from one generation to another. The process requires careful planning, hard work and a lot of patience. Annelie Coleman spoke to several experts...
Budgeting basics: Every successful farm has one
A comprehensive and all-inclusive budget is critical to the success of any production operation, according to Anche Suurd, an agricultural economist at NWK. Without this basic financial tool, it is...
Irrigation systems for undercover cropping
Maximising water-use efficiency in South African undercover crop farming operations has become both a financial and moral imperative. But selecting the most appropriate undercover irrigation technologies can be a challenge...
The psychology of retirement
Retirement is not a single event; it involves both emotional and financial considerations, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
An app for every farming task
Mobile applications make life more convenient for farmers while enabling them to be more productive. Glenneis Kriel reports on a number of apps that are changing the way farms are...
Don’t allow change to catch you napping
At times, new developments might seem to come like a bolt out of the blue. But if you keep up with trends, you’ll be forewarned of change and have time...
Assessing grazing capacity
The number of grazing camps on a farm should be weighed against the escalating cost of fencing material, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.
When your child returns to the farm
Roelof Bezuidenhout, who farmed with his father for 20 years, explores what is needed for a healthy and productive parent-child partnership.
Some cattle fencing basics
At the start, it’s better to erect less fencing than what is indicated by the initial farm plan.
