Although trusts will not be of use to all producers, they will meet the needs of some, says Joel Bokenfohr, manager for business structures and financial policy with Alberta Agriculture and Colin Miller, developer of trusts in farm transition planning. A trust is a relationship between parties with interconnected rights and obligations. These parties include […] Read more
Stories by Shirley ers
Communication key to smooth estate transition
Bob and Jan retired when they were 67 and 65 years old, after turning over the farm to their eldest son. They had a sound house and a big, beautiful yard that they both enjoyed working in. They were involved in the community and close friends with most of their neighbours. And their son and […] Read more
Should you go or can you stay?
If retired farmers want to remain on the farm as long as they can, factors such as safety, convenience and accessibility to health care will play a role in determining just how long that will be. Canada’s publicly funded health care system is made up of health insurance plans administered on a provincial or territorial […] Read more
Keeping home safe while away
“Happiness has many roots but none more important than security.” Edward Stettinus, American statesman. Folks relaxing on the beach thousands of kilometres from their isolated farm house might well understand the wisdom in those words. How many pina coladas does it take to silence the persistent voice in your head that’s suggesting that maybe the […] Read more
Retirees rev up the RV and hit the road
Melvin and Elaine Halvorson of Rose Valley, Sask., have been avid RVers their entire married life. They acquired their first fifth-wheel in the 1970s. That RV was parked at Gordie Howe Park in Saskatoon and a schoolyard in Melfort, Sask., while Elaine, an elementary school teacher, took summer school classes. Various RVs got plenty of […] Read more
Thinking of buying a vacation property in Arizona?
Rick and Sandy retired to Blind Bay, B.C., a decade ago. The Ottawa couple thought they had landed in paradise, but as the days shortened, they noticed all their neighbours were heading south. They decided to see what that was all about and check out the snowbird lifestyle in Arizona for themselves. “We started out […] Read more
Rent it out, hire it out?
Until recently, farmers who wanted to hold onto their land but no longer wanted to farm it themselves had one option — to rent it to another farmer. After that, they had only the option of liking or not liking how the renter farmed the land — how quickly the land was seeded, sprayed and […] Read more
Pigs ‘thrive’ in the great outdoors
Alberta farmers pasture pigs year round and operate their own butcher shop
ROSEMARY, Alta. — Greg and Bonnie Spragg were pioneers in an unknown territory when they got into pastured pig production in 2002. Raise pigs outside, year round, on the Canadian Prairies? Who does that? The Spraggs credit Bert Denning, then the swine specialist with Alberta Agriculture, for pointing them in the right direction. They wanted […] Read moreSome like miniatures, some like Mammoths
Suzanne Paddock grew up on a donkeyless farm, which her father was not about to remedy in spite of his daughter’s keen interest in the species. However, a few years later she was engaged to marry a man who had not one but three donkeys. Ron Paddock and his brother had bought the donkeys for […] Read more
On-farm auction draws big crowd and 100 sales
Zuchkan farm | Foam Lake, Sask., ranchers cut costs by holding their own auction
FOAM LAKE, Sask. — Willy and John Zuchkan are smiling three days after their successful on-farm auction. They sold 100 bred heifers and were pleased with the prices their cattle brought. It was the sixth consecutive year that they have hosted the biggest and arguably the best party in the area. Around 200 people drove […] Read more
