Finding the Power to Take Action

Finding the Power to Take Action

There is nothing scarier for farm families who are trying to gain control over their lives than to have no clue about what the future holds. I chuckled the first time I was asked over the phone if I would like the “senior’s discount” for age 55 plus. I remember...
Who Needs to Have a Voice at Farm Family Meetings?

Who Needs to Have a Voice at Farm Family Meetings?

Many farm families are feeling a deep sense of guilt knowing they should be having business meetings, but they just don’t seem to get around to it. A key factor is understanding why you need to have farm family meetings. A few strong reasons include: Family council to...
Grandpa, Do You Want to Finish Well?

Grandpa, Do You Want to Finish Well?

“I was not able to talk for over two years about what happened with my grandfather,” a young farmer confides as he describes a bitter battle of transferring farm assets and land titles with his father’s father to him. I am concerned about the many threads of...
Plugging the Combine is a Great Metaphor for Resistance

Plugging the Combine is a Great Metaphor for Resistance

You cannot push too much too fast through a combine. Farm people transferring the farm business are going through tremendous challenges. We get frustrated when our family does not want what we want. Why Don’t You Want What I Want? is the title of Rick Maurer’s...
Happy Christmas in the Country

Happy Christmas in the Country

If I were to ask you about the top ten things that make a great Christmas celebration for you, what would you answer? Most families that I work with want to maintain family harmony, or get back on track again as “a happy family.” Dr. Nikki Gerrard’s research of farm...