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Making the family farm tougher! by Jack Hagarty Field Services Manager ROS Branch the best resource in agriculture is the farm people themselves. Cor- ptirule farms have not taken over agriculture. The lamin farm offers mtnpetitinn that's just too tough. l'm wondering if we might make that competition even tougher. I'm talking about farm women and fami- ly members being more involved in farm management. ( ain't you see these corporate ex- ecutives throwing up their hands in disgust Ltltd saying "that does it - that‘s the last straw. A Husband- Wite or family management team! We'd hcst fuld our tent and move on. We can‘t supply that kind of balancâ€" ctl esperttse." I‘ve noticed that young larm Wl\L's :ttc wry interested in the business of :txst't ttuttsler and business agteetnettts. ()tten lltey'ic had tiff turn: business c'xtietience in banking or accounting that helped them grasp IlIL’ thlillis nl mortgage. buy-sell .tgtcctitenh Itttd capital cost :illmsnnt‘e. lt tust could he that many things itt I.” III titanngemetit are not thought of because we've ignored the women's pttllll til new lite l'.trltl WIIL‘ I\ an important per- stitt She runs the household 7 a tub “I itself. She may work till the farm to provide money for the fitmin to lite on. or for ltnuries or capital lor the lurnt Itscll. Many a farm has Hill" \|\‘t.‘Li tough times this way. Wit es do a hit of work around the farm Willi regular chores and filling ttt when things are busy. They work especially hard it] the early years when children ill’t‘ too young to work. Many wives do the bookkeeping lot the farm and this is an increasing trend. Doing the books can mean anything trout keeping the bills organiled right up to keeping detail- ed accounts and being able to pull out In financial data to help in making deci- stuns. Studies have shown that whether the farm wife does the books or not she is almost always consulted when a mayor financial decision has to be made. And she should be. It's her tuture at stake too. Often young parents and young people express frustration with their present situation. Not long ago a young man slumped down in a chair next to my desk. He said. “Did you ever have the feeling of running along the bank of a river trying to catch up In a boat, and the faster you run the taster the boat moves? We worked on Dad's farm for years and still feel like a hired hand." I could see his point and understand his feelings. So i asked, “Does Dad know how you feel?" He no longer was such a good communicator! He didn't know what to say. He looked uncomfortable. Alter some fumbling he made what was to him a factual statement. “A son inst doesn‘t talk to Dad about taking over the farm.” It takes a lot ofeourage to open up some subjects. How many dads are hoping sons w ill ask? Maybe Dad says to himself, "I'll wait until he has the courage to ask about entering into the farm business." It may be one way Dad has or testing son's maturity. Parents are caught in a dilemma. They want to do the best for their children. yet they don‘t want to look stupid. "What if we make a large gift in the son, he buys the farm today and sells it in six months? What if he marries and they take off to California? What if something happens to him and she inherits the farm? What it“ they are both in an accident. she outlives him by a few hours and her parents inherit the farm? Today, very few farms are outright to family. The procc more one of evolution t revolution. Evolution fits inlr' scheme of things around a 1 Change is gradual and grow plants, animals, and people natural thing. However. it is use have some check points in the 53‘ There needs to be some way of st goals and testing progress. A Farm Business Agree. between two generations is a t. tool. Each contributes individutt jointly owned assets. labor management to the business. income is split on some a: percentage. The agreement is a it means in the transfer of farm .. while the junior members accumulating assets and working: the business and the senior meml phasing out of the business. There are no gift taxes succession duties in Ontario. main concern is tax on capital g. This tax can be deferred foreve; long as the farm remains in family and if farmed by the own the time of the transfer. The it concerns are survival of the part during retirement and survival those who choose to fat Hopefully. the family farm survive at the same time. There are no pat answers. Ab all we can suggest is retain St‘ flexibility. Provide opportunities :1 a testing period for young people open about feelings. Young pen understand about looking slur they may not realize it's a lifetlt thing. We all know that rules can changed, signs may not be obvioI To avoid those dead-end one-ts streets we need to communicate. teach and to share our managemv. skills.