Wellington County has launched a new guide for farmers who are looking to set up transition plans for their operations.
According to numbers shared by Wellington County, nearly 40 per cent of Canadian farmers are expected to retire in the next eight years, and only about 10 per cent have some form of a written succession plan.
Only about 276 farms in Wellington County have a succession plan, with nearly 1,000 farms in the area expected to change management or ownership in the next decade.
With these facts in mind, the county has established new supports to help farming families navigate this critical period of transition.
Wellington County’s new program offers families a variety of resources to suit different learning styles:
• Practical planning guide: ‘Your Farm, Your Future’ provides structured questions, real-life scenarios, and specific advice for families with and without identified successors. Hard copies can be requested online or accessed digitally.
• Online course: In partnership with Loft32, farmers can access Farmers’ Bridge which includes two professionally developed courses: ‘Transition Foundations’ and ‘Transition Communications’. Courses are valued at $250 but are free until April 2026 for the first 100 participating Wellington County farms.
• In-person workshops: Three workshops will be held at the Grandway Event Centre between November 2025 and February 2026, featuring expert facilitators including Maggie Van Camp and Patti Durand of Brightrack. Topics include starting the transition process, navigating communication challenges, and redefining leadership roles during succession.
Participants in workshops and courses will also be entered into a draw to win one of three professionally produced Farm Family Legacy Videos to help document agricultural history and spark succession conversations.
All resources can be accessed at wellington.ca/transitionplanning.
"Farms are the backbone of our community, and the decisions made in the next few years will shape our agricultural landscape for generations," said Councillor Jeff Duncan, Economic Development Committee Chair. "Whether families are passing farms down to the next generation, selling to employees, or seeking outside buyers - a clear transition plan protects their legacy and strengthens the future of agriculture."
The new guide is partially funded by the provincial government.
