| | Planning for the future is important, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. One activity that the whole family can share is to have everyone sit down around a table with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, get comfortable and have each family member picture themselves in a future scene…it is the first week of January 2010. There has been a light snowfall overnight. Then ask yourselves the following questions:
- Where are you right now?
- Where is each member of the family?
- What will each of the family members be doing today?
- Is there someone studying at college or university?
- Is the family farming together (with kids or with parents)?
- Are you getting ready to go south for the winter?
- Will the family be counting profits from the new farm enterprise that was added this year?
- Is a new house being built and the finishing touches being added?
- Is the mortgage paid off?
“The answers to these questions will be different for everyone, but it is really important to answer them together,” says Dale Robinson, business management specialist with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development’s Alberta Ag-Info Centre, Stettler. “This ensures that the hopes and expectations of the whole family are known and that each member knows what everyone hopes and wants to do.”
As part of the discussion, have each family member write their goal(s) on a sheet of paper so that they can be reviewed at future family meetings.
Once the goals have been set, it’s time to figure out what needs to be done in order to achieve the goals that everyone has set. Some budgeting will likely need to be considered to ensure that money will be available when needed. An action plan will need to be developed. This action plan should listing specific things that need to be done and the dates that they should be completed by.
“No one can predict the future, but it is something that should be planned for,” says Robinson. “Remember that to get where you want to go, you have to take that first step.”
Producers starting out on this planning path, can find a number of resources that will help make planning for the future easier:
- The website of the Canadian Farm Business Management Council offers a variety of information on topics such as bringing the next generation into the farm business, adding a new enterprise to your farm, farm financial management, and planning for eventual retirement.
- Alberta Agriculture’s website is a good source of information on farm planning topics.
- Albertans are welcomed to contact the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276) with any questions they may have on how to get started.
Contact:
Dale Robinson (403) 742-7901
Alberta Ag-Info Centre 310-FARM (3276) (toll-free in Alberta) |
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