Reading Time: 7 minutes Relationships are a lot of work. They always are. Adding a farm or ranch to the mix just makes it that much harder. And if the farm is a multi-generation operation, the hill gets that much higher again. So, how do couples and extended families protect the family farm in case a relationship dissolves? Can […] Read more
Protecting the farm from divorce
Few words cause more anxiety on today’s farms, especially if a non-farmer is joining the family
‘Soap opera’ prenups
Marriage agreements built on fairness can be a legitimate risk management tool
Reading Time: 7 minutes Picture this. The bride, decked out in finery, arrives at the church on the morning of her wedding. As she reaches the church doors, a man in a suit blocks her way. In his hand is a prenuptial agreement ensuring she has no rights to the property of the farmer she’s marrying. If she wants […] Read more
Tips for handling conflict at home
In a dream world, couples would intuitively know how to handle conflict. In real life, these 15 rules are relationship savers
Reading Time: 4 minutes No matter how much you love someone, disagreements seem to be an unavoidable fact of life. Nowhere is this truer than on the family farm where the lines between business and personal relationships are blurred. The good news is that it’s possible to eliminate 50 per cent of that conflict through better communication, says London, […] Read more
Between spouses
Formalizing the informal partnership
Reading Time: 3 minutes Joint ownership between spouses has been a long-standing fixture in the farming community, with each holding equal influence when it comes to making key business decisions. It is widely acknowledged and recognized that spouses are key influencers in business decisions. They have always stood front and centre in financial negotiations, are equal participants in professional […] Read more
Coming to the table to talk about farm transition
Farmers often stop me in the hall of conferences to ask deeper questions that are keeping them awake at night. The most common question is, “Elaine, how do we even get people to the table? My parents are refusing to talk, and my grandparents are even more stubborn!” Farm families are stuck because they give[...]
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Common-sense thoughts on divorce
Divorce doesn’t have to get ugly, or to destroy farms and people, but that’s what it’s doing to more farming couples
Reading Time: 8 minutes Divorce is one of the biggest threats to farm family legacy,” says Manitoba-based farm adviser and coach Elaine Froese. “We need to start talking more about how to prevent the breakups and create more makeups.” Farms and divorce can be a toxic mixture. Tradition, culture, religion, isolation, community gossip, strong families — they all come[...]
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I do, and I don’t
Let’s agree. Prenuptial agreements will never be easy to talk about, but knowing the facts can help you get started
Reading Time: 9 minutes At a meeting this winter I sat down with a friendly group of farmers. The conversation turned from the weather to crop prices and slowly shifted into the personal, mostly about children. We shared our farms’ stories, our wins and our defeats. Then the man with tuffs of white hair beside me bent quietly toward[...]
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A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
