Planning for the next generation to potentially take over or deciding what comes next for your farm business can be very tricky. Not as tricky as not having a plan, however, so even if the farm business is pretty young, it still pays to ask some key questions. Trevor MacLean, a partner with MNP’s agriculture… Read More
Category: Succession Planning
It’s a stressful world out there, there’s no doubt about it. Whether it be personal stress, emotional stress, or financial stress…the list goes on. One of the stressors we do have some power to dial down a bit, says Stuart Person, senior vice president of MNP, is financial stress. This can be done through three… Read More
Each year, Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) selects 16 program participants ages 18-35 from across the country and offers industry networking, travel, and skill building opportunities. A focal point of the program is matching participants with a hand-picked mentor in their specific area of interest in the Canadian beef industry for a nine-month mentorship experience…. Read More
For those who have recently been through a farm business transition, thinking about doing it again might seem like an unpopular idea. But Ron Krahn, farmer from western Manitoba, says that with so much of the farm succession talk being focused on the exiting generation, tax planning, and life insurance, for the last 20 years,… Read More
Statistics Canada tells us that the average age of farmers is increasing. Of those farming in 2021, 60.5 per cent of farm operators were 55 years and up. Instead of looking at it as an unstoppable march to the older generation’s demise, let’s think about it from the standpoint of a chunk of the farming… Read More
There’s no denying that farming is a string of tough decisions, from managing finances, inputs, and equipment, to deciding rotations, and managing pests and disease. However, something that perhaps takes the cake for difficult decisions and conversations is farm succession as a whole. Not only are there big business decisions to be made when developing… Read More
As autonomy and emerging technologies take centre stage in agriculture equipment, MNP is shining the spotlight on the importance of the basis of ag-tech: data collection and tracking. Andrew Van Os, field optimization program lead with MNP, was a keynote speaker at Ag in Motion 2022 and says comparing data year-over-year, such as soil samples… Read More
When you are managing a farm or agriculture business of any size, some areas may feel more daunting than others, or you quickly realize where strengths are and which avenues could benefit from outside help. That’s when it’s time to hire consultants. There is no shortage of consultants specializing in a variety of topics including… Read More
A large part of farm succession planning is information sharing between the generations, something Canadian Western Agribition’s (CWA) Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program is looking to replicate. The program is now in it’s fourth year and has recently announced this year’s group of mentors and mentees for Saskatchewan. The 18-month mentorship focuses on developing numerous… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. How do you find your place on the farming operation? What can you do to keep the lines of communication open? What can a peer group provide to both you and your career? Fiona… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. How can you provide mentorship to those around you? What can you do to get that succession conversation going on the farm? Why do you sometimes need to take a step back and evaluate the… Read More
I’ve been having this conversation a lot lately, as I’m sure many of you have been too — I’m not sure how we’re at the end of December already. Although the last couple of weeks have shown some true winter temperatures, it has been abnormally warm (and dry) in my area, which I’m convinced has… Read More
Bill C-208, an act to amend the Income Tax Act, received royal assent in June of 2021. The act, which governs the rules and regulations regarding the transfer of agriculture businesses between family members, was applauded by many in the farming industry. Farm business advisors and accountants might be telling farmers and ranchers that changes… Read More
One challenge that many farmers face is how to pass the reins of an operation to a successor and how to get out of the way, but not go away. Dick Wittman learned plenty of valuable lessons managing a family-operated 20,000 acre crop, cattle, and timber operation in northern Idaho. He now heads Wittman Consulting, specializing… Read More
A strong legacy component to a farming operation can often make choosing who will take over the farm a difficult decision. Renee Wiatt, family business management specialist with Purdue University’s agricultural economics department, talked succession planning with RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney, as part of Farm Management Canada’s Agricultural Excellence Conference. “Farming is a very… Read More