The Rural Voice, 2019-07, Page 52How does one family
harvest when another is
trying to grow? This is one
of many concerns farm
families go through as they embark
on the often overwhelming journey
of the family farm transition; a
journey where everyone is
encouraged to have a voice but not
everyone will have a vote.
The problem (or opportunity) is
that every farm family transition plan
is unique and has the potential to
strengthen the business and family ...
or totally destroy it.
“We have seen how farm families
are ripped apart by this issue,” said
Pierre Robitaille, Group Lead
Ontario of Scotiabank’s Agriculture
Specialists.
He, along with several other
speakers, provided a comprehensive
look at the team approach required
for today’s complex farm family
transitions. The Ontario Federation
of Agriculture hosted the event in
Neustadt on March 28 at which
participants heard from bankers,
accountants, financial planners and
insurance operators, all offering
advice on how:
• to keep everybody happy
• parents can receive value from
their farm and the work they have put
into it
• parents can leave a legacy for
children and grandchildren
• to support local community
• to resolve tax issues
“It’s not just a business issue. It’s
an emotional issue,” said Robitaille.
“It requires starting the planning for
transition early and revisiting those
plans again and again.”
Many issues came up when the
participants were asked to break into
groups and answer questions on a
fictional story of one farming couple
supporting two daughters while
passing the farm onto their son
48 The Rural Voice
Transitions: Respect creates family
harmony from one generation to the next
News
Darryl Wade, a Family Enterprise
Advisor with Farm Life Financial knows
from personal experience how critical
communication is when a farm is in
transition. His story shows how bad things
can get when tragedy is mixed without a
plan.
The youngest of four siblings, Wade was
the one encouraged to make use of his
brains, earn a degree and start a career. His
brother was chosen as the “farmer”. When
that brother lost his arm due to a horrific
farm accident involving a power takeoff
(PTO), Wade came home to help. Their
father, a very successful farmer, voiced his worries that his farming son,
recently separated, without a diploma, might not be able to farm again.
It was a difficult time for everybody including Wade’s brother who was
struggling physically and emotionally. He never returned to farming.
Wade said he “put his head down and filled the gap” to get the farm work
done. Communication was already a problem and turned into a family
nightmare when Wade’s dad went to the hospital for a colonoscopy. The
procedure seemed to go well but when Wade talked to his dad, he let out a
terrible moan and Wade knew something was wrong. He went back to the
hospital and they discovered he needed surgery for a perforated bowel. That
surgery also seemed successful but the next day, Wade got the call that his
dad had died from a post-surgery embolism.
“The next day it all started...we all started arguing about where he was to
be buried and how,” remembers Wade.
Without knowing what his father’s wishes were and no family plan on
what should be done, Wade’s sister and mother decided the farm should be
sold. Wade’s mom would move to the city and Wade would be left a smaller,
second farm near Peterborough.
“I was upset for me and for my brother who had put years of work into the
farm. He should have been considered,” says Wade.
Ultimately, a successful farm was lost to the brothers and feelings were so
damaged, the siblings did not talk for years.
“It caused a lot of disharmony,” is how Wade, now healed from the pain of
it, describes it. Close to that time, a financial advisor approached Wade and
offered him a job helping other farm families.
“My response was no. All I knew was cattle,” remembers Wade. He
reconsidered and now considers helping farm families make the transition in
a healthy way a life purpose. ◊
Speaking from experience:
A farm son shares his
family’s story of fracture
•By Lisa B. Pot •
Darryl Wade