News

Elaine Froese, farm family coach and award-winning author from Manitoba, visited campus on November 5^th and 6^th to speak with students and producers about farm succession planning, communication and farm family dynamics.

Elaine Froese and Robyn McCallum, President Dalhousie Agricultural Students Association

This event was made possible through collaboration between Extended Learning and the Dalhousie Agricultural Students’ Association.  Sponsorship included many agricultural and business organizations and featured major contributions from the NSAC Class of ‘44 Guest Speaker Fund and Farm Credit Canada.

November 5^th focused on a student presentation and workshop.  The event was very well-received and allowed students the opportunity to hear about other farm family situations, as well as discuss current frustrations felt within the industry and on the farm.  Elaine provided practical tools to help facilitate tough discussions, coordinate family finances and improve communication on the farm.

Elaine emphasized that graduates of the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus will have many opportunities within the agricultural industry.  She encouraged students to find their niche and ensure they are happy and secure in their farming situation.

Overall, the event addressed problems at the heart of farm family succession and enlightened students on methods to deal with communication.

November 6^th was all about the general public and producers.  Elaine kick-started the day with a session open to the public.  She focused on “The cost of inaction” and how important this topic was to our regional economy. She also spoke to “The In- Law Factor”, her new book and stressed the importance for family meetings, on-farm communication and ‘letting go’.

Elaine shared some of her experiences with students from the previous day with producers.  She noted that the younger generation is concerned that they will not be respected for their new ideas and are dealing with the fear of failure.  Elaine encouraged producers to be open to succession planning and to welcome the next generation of farmers.

Elaine certainly opened lines of communication on campus and started the much-needed conversations surrounding farm succession.  Students and producers benefited from her expertise and insight.

Thank you to all sponsors involved in this important event and for those who participated in the presentations and workshops.  Stay tuned for upcoming farm succession events on campus including the formation of a “Farm Succession Club”.  This club will be a project of the newly formed Agricultural Sandbox and will focus on developing the entrepreneurial spirit required to tackle the challenge of taking over an agricultural business and what opportunities exist for growth to make room for the entering generation.

For more information contact the Dalhousie Student’s Association or Jolene MacEachern at jmaceachern@dal.ca.