How to reinvent your farm life as you age

The harvest is in full swing on our farm, and I’m not there – for a few days. Where is it written that you are not allowed to leave the farm during the harvest? (Answer: on almost every page of the unpublished book The Culture of Agriculture.)

If you’re one of the 2,800 people who came across Finding Fairness in Farm Transition on my Farm Family Coach YouTube channel, you already know I’m on a mission to change the way farming is thought. Fairness helps everyone in the family succeed.

Enter Scott Armstrong and his new workbook, Mind Switch Retirement Planner. Armstrong is a speaker friend who shared his insights at a September national conference for financial planners in Niagara Falls, Ontario, where I also traveled at the start of our September harvest. He uses the word “retirement” – for AG people I prefer to use the term reinvention.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you age on your farm or ranch:

1. What are the current roles you would like to continue? Which ones would you like to let go of? My farmer coughs more after cleaning trash cans and I encourage him to give up that chore at age 65, which is the case now.

2. Are you still passionate about farming? Or just parts of it? Simon Sinek says: “Fulfillment comes when we live our lives consciously.” What do you do on your farm where you lose all sense of time? I think my farmer lost track this summer mowing fields and ditches waiting for the crops to ripen. I love playing with my grandchildren and enjoying their giggles, stories and curiosity. For me, playing with them is a sweet spot and I consciously make time for them. I am still passionate about helping farming families make conscious choices for a better quality of life and harmony through understanding.

3. Does your passion and purpose align with your spouse’s vision? This is where it gets chaotic. You want to give up the roles and responsibilities of farm life, but your partner doesn’t. Not for a long time! Where is it written that you can’t track some things in different time zones or days away from your spouse? Independence is one of my core values, but my husband respects what it takes to fill my well and I look forward to returning to the farm from my off-farm contracts and contacts. Love and respect for the other can go both ways.

4. Adventure is at the top of Scott Armstrong’s workbook list. Farmers spend a lot of money on crop protection and other inputs. Many use farm credit card points to fund short-term winter adventures. One of my clients (a dairy farmer) is out on a motorbike in the Maritimes as I write this. Another farmer spends time in Mexico helping the poor build houses during the winter, and he wants to do more of the same.

Our adventures visiting friends in New Zealand or traveling to Hawaii with friends have been great times of renewal. Maybe there’s an ag tour you’ve been putting off. The BIG BREAK showed us how isolation and lack of adventure can really limit our style, but we have options now. The latest adventure for people in our circle has been electric bicycles. They’re great for checking fields, driving down the Turtle Mountains to Boissevain, Man., or for a quick pre-dinner spin. What’s the adventure you put off?

5. Vitality is an energy we all want more of. Armstrong believes we only use 50 percent of our body capacity. Our wonderful doctor, Dr. Nell, five years ago, pointed the finger at us and said, “Listen, it’s about time you guys started having fun. At 75 everything starts falling apart!” This year I’ve lost some weight through an app called Noom and am working on a better morning fitness routine. My friend, a cattle farmer, does a lot of stretching and 40 minutes on her elliptical every morning at the age of 68. She makes time for lots of hiking adventures and keeps her body in tip-top shape. Armstrong has a great list of sleep hacks to give you more recovery time.

Your body is not a machine. Start saving money now by taking better care of your health and changing small habits to be healthier. Be kind to your brain and turn off your devices long before bed. This won’t kill you, and your marriage might be better off for pillow talk without blue lights flashing from your phone, iPad, or TV.

6. Finances: The most important encouragement I have is to find a good financial planner who can guide you with your income streams and personal wealth as your farming fortunes continue to grow. The Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) has great advisors on its roster who understand the culture of farming, as well as the challenges of debt service and the need for personal wealth options. See www.cafanet.ca.

7. Living Legacy: What would you like people to say about you BEFORE you die?

I hope you have a wonderful 80th birthday celebration where people can tell you in their own words and stories how life has truly been a blessing to them. Would you like to enable your grandchildren to achieve financial success? Can you help fund their RESP for trades or college education? Could you help fund your small town’s local arts and culture or sports foundation? Would you be able to secretly trip a struggling single parent? Having the time to walk with newcomers to your community and to provide financial support can be a great blessing in making your city a great place to age gracefully. We live near one of Manitoba’s most beautiful small towns, Boissevain. The new bakery owner there now makes sourdough bread with wheat head designs, along with a great peanut butter and marshmallow slice. This news may not excite you, but it will become an attraction for your destination. Sometimes it’s the “little things in life” that sweeten a day.

8. Social Times: Armstrong surprised me with his challenge of asking who your friends are and why. Post-COVID relationships look different, and you may have to cope with the loss of longtime friends or childhood friends. Try to intentionally create a list of people who align with your purpose and growth plans. I’m still a big fan of calling my far-flung friends to grow relationships, but I also know that a personal tea is refreshing. I suspect some people reading this are longing for more friendships beyond the farm gate. What are you doing about it?

Learn more about Scott Armstong’s fun, hands-on workbook at www.mindswitch.ca. You can also reach out to the Mind Switch community on Facebook. Tell him you’re working to change the way people think about farming, one family at a time.