WELLINGTON COUNTY – Just 276 Wellington County farms had written succession plans in 2021, according to an agriculture census that year.
But what happens when the time comes for a farm to change hands and there’s no plan?
The county estimates 1,000 farms here will change hands in the next 10 years, affecting farm families, suppliers and processors, while also bringing economic impacts. The county is introducing a planning guide and online/in-person courses to help farm owners with transition planning.
The work goes beyond managing finances, the county stated in a press release announcing the program; it’s also about family dynamics, emotional connections to land and legacy, generational knowledge and business.
The planning guide suggests questions, scenarios and advice for those without identified successors.
Two online courses, addressing transition foundations and communications, are free until April 2026 for the first 100 participating county farms.
Three in-person workshops are scheduled for November and February at the Grandway Events Centre, with speakers on starting transition planning, navigating communication challenges and redefining leadership roles.
Workshop and course participants get entered into a draw to win a professionally produced farm family legacy video to help document agricultural history and create conversations about succession planning.
For more information visit wellington.ca/transitionplanning.
