We are excited to share that we are hosting the seventh year of our seminar series, Getting into the Weeds in 2026: From Cost to Confidence! Join our Perennia Specialists during six virtual sessions as we dive deeper into the conversation on farm business management and cost of production!  

Session 1

The Benefits of Farm Business Management

January 12, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM 

Session Description

Heather Watson from Farm Management Canada will be discussing the benefits of having good business management practices in place on farm. Farm Management Canada is a national organization dedicated to the development and delivery of leading-edge resources, information and tools to support farm business success. 

Guest Speaker

Heather Watson, Executive Director of Farm Management Canada   

Heather Watson is the Executive Director of Farm Management Canada and is the Canadian representative to the International Farm Management Association. In 2022, Heather was recognized as one of Canada’s Influential Women in Canadian Agriculture. Heather obtained her Bachelor’s from the University of Guelph and went on to obtain her Master’s degree from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. Heather grew up in South-western Ontario and now lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Registration

Registration is required. There is no registration deadline or cost to attend.

Session 2

Model for Provincial Cost of Production Development 

January 20, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM

Session Description

John leads the Business Analysis and Cost of Production Program for Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness, developing provincial cost of production reports and enterprise budgets for various crops. John will discuss the process for developing these resources in Ontario.   

Guest Speaker

John Molenhius, Business Analyst Cost Production Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness 

John is Business Analysis and Cost of Production Program Lead with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness. In this role, he leads projects to advance the area of farm business management. John has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business from the University of Guelph. John grew up on a farrow-to-finish hog operation outside of Strathroy, Ontario and now lives in Brighton with his wife and four children. 

Registration

Registration is required. There is no registration deadline or cost to attend.

Session 3

Livestock Producer Cost of Production Panel

February 18, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM

Session Description

In this session of Getting into the Weeds, we will be hearing from local livestock producers on how they track cost of production. They will discuss their experiences in implementing tracking and the processes and tools they use in their livestock operations.

Guest Speaker

TBA

Registration

Registration is required. There is no registration deadline or cost to attend.

Session 4

The Farmer Spreadsheet Academy

February 25, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM

Session Description

Dan Brisebois, Co-founder of Tourne-Sol Farm has developed several spreadsheet-based decision-making tools that he provides training on through “The Farmer Spreadsheet Academy.” In this session, Dan will go through his crop planning spreadsheet, available from his website. 

Guest Speaker

Dan Brisebois, Co-founder of Tourne-Sol Farm

Dan is one of the co-founders of Tourne-Sol Farm in Les Cèdres, Québéc, and has been growing vegetables and seeds commercially for over 20 years. He is interested in planning and managing farms more efficiently and effectively and has developed “The Farmer Spreadsheet Academy,” where he offers courses teaching growers how to use spreadsheets as decision making tools on farm. He has authored two books, “The Seed Farmer” and “Crop Planning for Vegetable Growers,” and hosts “The Seed Farmer Podcast” and blogs.

Registration

Registration is required. There is no registration deadline or cost to attend.

Session 5

Tracking Cost of Production on Farm Using “Compass” Tools

March 3, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM

Session Description

John manages the Compass Tool program, a suite of free-to-download decision support tools developed at the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Compass Tools have been developed for several commodities and help producers calculate their cost of production and measure profitability by crop and market channel. In this session, John will be going through the Compass Tool and discussing record keeping. 

Guest Speaker

John Hendrickson, Farm Viability Specialist, Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin-Madison

John Hendrickson coordinates research and outreach programs in organic and sustainable specialty crop production, marketing and profitability at the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work focuses on the economics and profitability of specialty crop enterprises as well as grass-based livestock operations. He is particularly passionate about farm viability as it relates to farm scale, livelihood, labor and equipment. He manages the Compass Tool program, a suite of decision support tools that help producers calculate their cost of production and measure profitability by crop and market channel. John also formerly owned and operated his own certified organic vegetable farm for more than 15 years.

Registration

Registration is required. There is no registration deadline or cost to attend.

Session 6

Horticulture Grower Cost of Production Panel

March 18, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM

Session Description

In this session of Getting into the Weeds, we will be hearing from local horticulture growers on how they track cost of production. They will discuss their experiences in implementing tracking and the processes and tools they use in their horticulture operations. 

Guest Speaker

TBA

Registration

Registration is required. There is no registration deadline or cost to attend.