Kristjan Hebert Blog
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Kristjan Hebert was born and raised as a farmer. He left the family farm briefly to obtain his bachelor of commerce at the University of Saskatchewan and articled at MNP to fulfill his CPA requirements. He then returned to pursue his passion for farming. Kristjan is the managing partner of Hebert Grain Ventures, a 22,000-acre grain and oilseed operation in southeast Saskatchewan. Kristjan..
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
During September, I spent almost every day in either a combine or sprayer. Like many farmers during harvest, I basically ran the business from my phone – assigning work orders, purchasing inputs, marketing grain, and making capital decisions.
On a good day, and I stress a good day, I’ll only drop 3 calls or wait 10 minutes for my data to load. On a bad day, I basically can’t complete a phone conversation with anyone and am completely out of touch with what’s happening back at the yard. The cellular service in and around our farm near Moosomin is spotty and unreliable. I could use a few choice ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
If there is one thing Canadians learned in 2022, it was how important agriculture is to each and every one of us.
First the pandemic, then the war in Ukraine and now a looming recession with the cost of everything, including our food, skyrocketing. I’ve decided my word for the year is “volatility.”
Seeing bare shelves in our grocery stores or not being able to afford some of the usual holiday meals and treats really drives home how much we (all of us!) take global supply chains, political stability and food security for granted.
In the western world, we’re lucky to have an abundance of t ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
Expand your mind, expand your network
A few folks have asked why Evan and I decided to start Farmer Coach. The answer is two words – Danny Klinefelter. If we can impart even one iota of the wisdom Danny has shared with us, then we will consider Farmer Coach a success.
I joke that Danny unlocked parts of my brain that I didn’t know existed. His mentorship not only changed my business, but my life.
And here’s why.
Danny is inherently open and curious. When you ask where that comes from, he points to his parents. When he was a teenager, it was the Klinefelter home where friends would gather ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
Kristjan was a guest on the RBC Disruptors podcast, hosted by John Stackhouse. Here are links to the three-part series.
Part One – https://player.fm/series/disruptors/the-growing-challenge-how-canada-can-lead-the-next-green-revolution-in-agriculture
Part Two – https://player.fm/series/disruptors/the-growing-challenge-part-2-beef-biogas-dairy-and-data
Part Three – https://player.fm/series/disruptors/the-growing-challenge-part-3-the-hidden-threat-of-food-spoilage-and-waste
The post RBC Disruptors Podcast: The Growing Challenge appeared first on Kristjan ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
I recently sat down with Stuart McNish for his show, Conversations That Matter. We talked about the myriad of ways in which agriculture benefits the environment and how farmers are constantly striving to improve best practices.
You can watch our interview here:
The post Can farming survive government policy? A conversation with Stuart McNish, host of Conversations that Matter appeared first on Kristjan Hebert ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
I know consumers care about where their food comes from and how it’s grown. When buying food for your family, you want to know that it’s been ethically and responsibly grown and that it’s good for you. Consumers these days are asking more questions about where their food comes from and farmers will be happy to tell you.
I worry though that our urban cousins aren’t asking the right questions and are, perhaps, worried about the wrong things. Far removed from what is actually happening on Canadian farms, sometimes I think they can be misinformed depending on where they get their information.
Here ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
A recurring theme in many of my blog posts is collaboration. We are stronger together than we are alone.
For too long, the mindset of farmers has been that they must go at it alone. We often refer to it as “rugged individualism” – the idea that one must be self-reliant and independent from any outside help or support.
Farmers are, by nature, smart, hard-working and resilient. I’m not sure why we feel that we can’t benefit from outside help or mentorship? It may have been that way generations ago, but it’s not the future of modern farming, especially if we want our industry to conti ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
This is Part Two of our series about the importance of having a mentor. You can read Part One here.
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a hockey fan. I love to play it, watch it and now, I coach it. So, I love that my mentor and friend, Danny Klinefelter, quotes Wayne Gretzky when talking about farming:
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”
Growth Mindset
According to Danny, we need more farmers behaving like Wayne Gretzky, pushing the limits and striving to improve by getting ahead of change in our industry, rather than being forced to change unwillingly.&nb ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
As we work towards our climate and production goals, the importance of agricultural policy can’t be overstated. And, if it isn’t done right, the consequences could be disastrous to Canadian farmers. I can deal with a bad year, a bad crop, and even Mother Nature, but I can’t insure against bad policy.
Our global reputation
As an industry, we need help telling Canada’s agriculture story to an international audience. We should be telling the world what Canada’s producers are doing right while, at the same time, holding the rest of the world accountable as well. If countries, like China and Russia ..read more
Kristjan Hebert Blog
1y ago
It has been great to finally get back to in-person events. Recently, I was invited to speak at the Globe and Mail’s Sustainable Agriculture event about my vision of the farm of tomorrow.
I’ve linked the presentation and the event videos below, but here’s a high-level recap. It’s a perspective that I think is important to share with people across this country and internationally as we try to shine more light on the hard work being done to propel the agriculture industry forward while supporting global demands.
Sustainable Agriculture – June 8, 2022 – The Globe and Mail from Globe and Ma ..read more