JANUARY 2023
CELEBRATING 144 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION
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THE GREAT SUCCESSION
Farm transfers are about more than land and legacy
Farmers never retire. They transition. That’s the case with grape grower Bill Schenck and his son Brian who are in discussions with other family members about the next chapter near St. Catharines, Ontario. Photo by Glenn Lowson.
KAREN DAVIDSON There is no season as hard as succession. According to Farm Management Canada, more than 75 per cent of Canadian farms will change hands over the next decade. But for those aged 60-plus, they would rather face machinery breakdowns and mud than a mug of coffee to talk about farm transition. “We’re not a very good success story on that front,” says Boyd Rose, president of East Point Potatoes, and one of the owners of R.A. Rose & Sons, Souris, Prince Edward Island. The 62-year-old does not have retirement in his vocabulary: “I’ll likely work until I die.” The family operations, involving a brother, nephews and daughters, are highly respected in the agricultural industry. They started talking about a succession plan about five years ago, but life events such as physical injury and off-farm opportunities keep turning the plans upside down. Perhaps the biggest challenge is how to integrate daughters into the plan when they are mothers with
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toddlers. These well-educated women have capability and what’s more, desire, to be business managers. The complexity of family farm businesses is also played out in Ontario for Schenck Farms and Greenhouse Co Ltd., known for grape growing and floral greenhouse operations in St. Catharines. Bill Schenck works with his brother and other family members at this business. He’s counted 43 harvests, some bountiful, some not. “As I get older, I like to observe and mentor the next generation,” he says. “Every year is different and the 2022 season with its winterkill of a large percentage of the vineyard meant that my experience was useful in transferring knowledge.” His son Brian has benefitted from that guidance, working full-time in the vineyard since 2015 and building on his summer experiences as far back as 2008. The farm has grown less tree fruit during those years and is now focussed on 100 acres of grapes. “Every day, I’ve been taking on the farm manager role, spraying, managing farm equipment and employees,” says Brian Schenck, adding that he relishes the outdoor work.
Transitional planning is ongoing in the Schenck family. One of the tough issues is how to find fairness in land evaluations. As Bill Schenck explains, a lot of investment money has flowed into the Niagara peninsula bidding up the prices of vineyards. On the downside, that money does not bring grape-growing expertise or specialized equipment. “I think there’s a huge opportunity for the next generation to take on that management role,” says Schenck. “Grape growing in the future may not be on our own property.” While every farm family has its own unique story, there are common threads of angst throughout this process of transitioning land and leaving legacy. Elaine Froese, Boissevain, Manitoba, is an expert for farm families who want better communication and conflict resolution to secure a successful farm transition. She recently spoke at the annual general meeting of Potato Growers of Alberta.
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