One marker in a farmer’s life should be to set up a succession plan that keeps family bonds intact.

Finding a ‘bridge’ over transition waters

A will or partnership agreement is important, but is not a farm succession plan

Maggie Van Camp understands the challenges as well as the tremendous value of farm succession planning. She’s been on that road a couple of times in her life as a seventh-generation Ontario farmer, as well as a communicator and agricultural consultant. The first time was after the sudden death of her husband in a farming […] Read more

Under the legislation, farmers can now sell farm shares to their children, creating a shareholder loan.

How to reduce the tax load on a farm succession

A Manitoba MP's bill is considered a game-changer for farm transition — if you know how to use it

Glacier FarmMedia — Taking advantage of the revamped federal Bill C-208 can provide you with some significant tax savings when drafting family succession plans for your farm. C-208 was initially introduced as a private member’s bill by Manitoba MP Larry Maguire in 2021. The bill sought to amend the federal Income Tax Act to exclude […] Read more


Rob and Sarah need a way to divide the farm that creates the necessary cash flow for a son moving back to the farm and maintains fairness for him and his brother.

Six quarters and two sons

The problem of fairness in an estate plan

Rob, who is 65, and Sarah, who is 61, farm six quarters of grain and pasture in northwestern Manitoba. They have two sons, Michael and Steven, each in his 30s and married. However, Steven, who has a town job, has decided he would like to try his hand at farming. The issue in devising a […] Read more

parents and an adult child discussing finances

Get the tough and tender transition conversations started in 2024

A farm’s founders may not want the embarrassment if they see a personal net worth lower than expected

Seven years ago, here’s what I said about getting transition conversations started: Show up as adults to attack the issues, do not attack the person who is delivering ideas for change. Understand transition is a journey of many plans, with communication as the foundation. Spend some quiet time with yourself thinking about what you truly […] Read more


Choosing not to talk or giving your family the silent treatment is a decision with painful consequences, as you don’t have input in the wealth transfer decision process.

Froese: Reduce family friction

How to get your non-farm siblings on board with your farm vision

Are your aunts and uncles still talking to your farm parents? Do you have a broken branch of your family tree that has been severed forever due to estrangement? Would you like to have a healing story for your farm family transition with no drama? “The Farmland Dilemma: Help! The Siblings Who Don’t Farm are […] Read more

Your attitude about conflict needs to be positive, knowing that positive conflict behaviours are going to help everyone get what they want.

Froese: Transition planning does not have to be tough

Transitioning management and ownership of a farm business is a journey that begins with taking that first step

Susan Forward, author of Emotional Blackmail gave me a key phrase for coaching that is life changing. She used the term, “Where is it written… (insert issue)? As a farm family coach who is currently in her third succession/transition journey, I would like to challenge you with, “Where is it written that transition planning has […] Read more


If a situation is becoming stuck, 
try asking the other person how they 
would like to
move forward.

A new frame to see transition possibility and movement

Here’s some language tools to use to help persuade and influence others

If you’re fighting storms or sorting cows, grab five minutes to soak this story in. You cannot neglect tending to the needs of your cows. Let’s talk about embracing the same urgency with your farm transition conversations. My speaker friend Shelle Rose Charvet, author of Words that Change Minds, has tools for better language that […] Read more



Tips when undergoing a farm transition

There are certain dreams and wishes we all have. Health, happiness, wealth. This is no different on the farm. The ideal farm is profitable, productive, and safe. When the time comes to pass down the farm we have worked for our entire lives, there can be feelings of trepidation and angst. Dad is afraid of […] Read more

Good communication is key to a successful farm transition

Good communication is key to a successful farm transition

Finding common ground is a good way to move things along as long as both parties buy in

This is the final part of our series on succession. We’ve looked back over the last 10 years identifying successes and messes that we’ve witnessed in business transitions. From here we developed an extensive list of reasons why those transitions were successful or what caused them to go off the rails. We grouped this list […] Read more