Executive Coaching Program Provides Expert Advice for Canadian Farmers

Jul 04, 2022

A new coaching program for Canadian farmers will empower producers to improve their finances, business risk management policies and, most importantly, create a community of knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Farmer Coach is the first comprehensive and continuous business management program in Canada designed specifically for primary producers.

The program is part of the Hebert Group, which includes Hebert Grain Ventures, a large western Canadian grain operation, and Maverick Ag, an agricultural insurance and financial consulting company.

Led by Hebert Group’s Chief Financial Officer, Evan Shout, and President, Kristjan Hebert, Farmer Coach bridges the gap that exists between farmingas a lifestyle and farming as a thriving business.

“Whether it be pride, ego or rugged individualism, too many farmers feel they need to do it on their own, and that’s not the case. We know coaching can help producers with mindset, leadership and financial acumen to ensure their operation is profitable and sustainable,” says Shout.

The war in Ukraine, high commodity prices, rising input costs and severe weather are examples of the volatile nature of agriculture today. Teaching farmers, and professionals who work with agriculture clients, how to better prepare and take advantage of the volatility can make a huge difference.

“Farmers have to be the CEO, CFO and COO and put in a crop. There are many zeros in today’s farming decisions and a lot of downside risk if you’re not adequately prepared. Farmer Coach will help participants with forward planning so they will have good outcomes and a sustainable farm,” says Shout.

The programs are based on boots on the ground proven practices developed by farm managers and entrepreneurs, rather than external consultants. Key topics include removing emotions from business decisions, human resources, working capital and cash flow, machinery utilization, succession planning and land expansion.

“The largest leap for agriculture is between the ears,” says Hebert, a graduate of Texas A&M’s The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP). The program showed Hebert early in his career the importance of farmers investing in professional development.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.