Barbed wire fence through the tall golden grass fields

Farm Financial Planner: Sell the farm or lease the land?

Sell the place and keep the cash, or hold on to your family legacy?

In south-central Manitoba, a couple we’ll call Perry, 50, and Lucy, 45, are feeling pressure to operate the family grain farm. Perry’s parents recently passed away and the 480-acre farm is Perry and Lucy’s. If they go back to the farm from their off-farm careers, they will give up a combined annual off-farm income totaling […] Read more

Farm Financial Planner: What to do with farm equity?

Farm Financial Planner: What to do with farm equity?

With no children and no debt, farming couple needs a wealth transition plan

A couple we’ll call Mark and Susan, both 59, have been farming in south-central Manitoba for three decades. They have had off-farm work too, both in a machine shop Mark owns where Susan does administrative work as an employee. The farm, 1,440 acres valued at $3.45 million, and the off-farm business, organized as a corporation, […] Read more



Farm Financial Planner: Purchasing the family farm

Three sons want to buy the family farm. Purchase costs could ruin the plan

A couple we’ll call Jack and Terri, both 63, have farmed in south central Manitoba for the last four decades. Their farm started with 320 acres; now it’s 600 acres of grain with modest profits. The problem? How Jack and Terri can migrate to retirement while accommodating their three sons’ wishes to follow Mom and […] Read more


Farm Financial Planner: Time to decide what to do with the land

Farm Financial Planner: Time to decide what to do with the land

After years of renting out the land, this widow is ready to make her next financial choices

In southern Manitoba, a widow we’ll call Eleanor, 73, wants to decide what to do with 420 acres of farmland she inherited two decades ago when her husband died. She never farmed the land, just rented it to a neighbour. Each of her three sons has a successful off-farm career. The decision? What to do […] Read more

Farm Financial Planner: A smooth transfer on the way to retirement

Farm Financial Planner: A smooth transfer on the way to retirement

Planning smooth generational transfer to six children keeps Manitoba farm in the family

A couple we’ll call Jack and Susan, ages 56 and 54, respectively, farm 2,240 acres in central Manitoba. The third generation of their family to farm in Manitoba, they began three decades ago with 640 acres and expanded by renting an additional 1,600 acres of cropland. About 15 years ago, they incorporated their grain production […] Read more



Farm Financial Planner: Tax planning critical for farm widow

More paperwork leads to lower taxes for this farm widow and her adult children

A couple we’ll call Lisa and Herbert emigrated to Canada 34 years ago. They left a small farm in England and bought a 1,120 acre farm in central Manitoba. With their children, a daughter, now 51, and a son, now 48, they ran a mixed grain and beef operation. Herbert passed away in 2010. Lisa, […] Read more