It may be a difficult subject to discuss, but farm and business succession is becoming an increasingly important topic that cannot be pushed aside.

Best-selling author Dr. Tom Deans and 2025 OFA Annual General Meeting keynote presenter made sure to stress the significance of having discussions with family and not leaving children a complicated legacy.

“Time is your best friend or your worst enemy,” said Tom. “The earlier you can start talking about this subject, the better.”

With 97% of farms in Canada being family owned, and an aging population, it’s clear there is a mass transition of wealth happening.

“When we’re silent about succession, we’re inviting chaos, broken families, and broken farms,” said Tom. “We create a lot of wealth, but the transition is a struggle.

“Silence is the great destroyer of our wealth.”

Tom advises having an estate lawyer drawing up wills and documents and that everyone involved should be hearing the same information at the same time.

Those looking to watch the keynote presentation can go to the 1:20:22 mark of the Annual General Meeting Day 2 livestream.