The situation: A mom is not willing to consider that her dead husband’s wishes — which she wants to honour – may not be the best direction for the farm or the family in the current situation of 2025.
Grandma, stop hurting your family’s farm transition
Seeds of Encouragement: Hard commitment to a late spouse’s wishes may not align with what’s now happening in the business
Get great transition plans in place now and make my heart sing
Seeds of Encouragement: When you let go of things, you need something to move toward
Thirty years ago this week I published my first column with Grainews. It has been an honour to hear stories from readers on the steps they have taken to better their lives.
Gifts with a warm hand, not a cold one
Seeds of Encouragement: Quietly hoping things somehow all work out when you die is asking for trauma later
Many readers fear greed and entitlement arising in any succession and inheritance discussions now, so they quietly hope things will just work out somehow when they die. “Let the kids work it out on their own” is the thought — which is like lighting a match to gas.
On-farm communication improves when we start with connection
Seeds of Encouragement: Where you stand with your offspring comes from their relationships to you
Elaine writes: In so many of the families we coach, we see communication breakdowns leading to escalation of conflicts. In some cases, using strategies that provide family members with the tools they need to have better communication can help — but in many cases a relationship between family members has broken down to the point […] Read more
Making marriage work on your farm
The dance between farm work and family time will never have a complete resolution
February is Heart Month and a good time to work on the state of your union: marriage, spousal relationships and couple care. John Gottman is a highly respected U.S. psychologist and author of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Here I’ve added a farm perspective to his tips based on those seven principles. Sharing […] Read more
Focus on your family strengths to move forward
Seeds of Encouragement: The Appreciative Inquiry exercise can shed new light on the potential of your people
Elaine writes: What if you could break free from being stuck, by emphasizing the positive aspects of your farm family business? One of my core strengths, according to the Clifton StrengthsFinder quiz, is positivity. As a coach I often see the positive choices ahead and I hope this article by my coaching teammate Crisol Gonzalez […] Read more
Practical strategies to stay financially organized on your farm
Seeds of Encouragement: Managing the farm’s day-to-day is one thing; keeping its books up to date is quite another
Elaine writes: It’s a new year and time for a fresh start in getting your important farm details in order. Alyssa Brown, CPA, from Olds, Alta., is part of our coaching team. She grew up on the farm and now advises farmers how to make life better. Here’s her encouragement to you at the start […] Read more
Find paths out of distress, depression, disconnection
What keeps you centred and grounded? Observe and pay attention at those times
Patricia Morgan is a dynamic force for change and my good friend. She’s authored a new award-winning book, Return to Center: Simple Strategies to Navigate Distress, Depression and Disconnection. As farm families brace for or embrace the winter season, I thought we all should be reminded of good practical tools to be emotionally strong and […] Read more
How to talk about ‘fair family price’ for land, other assets
Seeds of Encouragement: A family farm transfer likely involves some gifting, given the market values for farmland
Elaine writes: “Fair family price” versus “fair market value price” (or FFP vs. FMV) is often a tense conversation between a farm’s founders, needing to sell assets for their personal income stream, and a buyer, often the cash-strapped successor on the farm. To offer readers some wisdom on this conversation I asked our coaching teammate […] Read more
Build a simple, effective farm framework for decision-making
Seeds of Encouragement: Ask the right questions now to establish a governance model that works for your farm family
If you listen to enough ag podcasts, you’ll soon conclude that the success of a farm family business comes from people having the power to flourish and make good decisions. Courtney Pullen’s book Intentional Wealth: How Families Build Legacies of Stewardship and Financial Health speaks to effective family systems. Strong families that know their values […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
