FOR RETIRING FARMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Can you stay on the farm safely as you get older?

Staying on the farm can start to feel risky when you picture being older on the place, with someone else doing the work. For some farmers, that worry is enough to make them sell.

The answer is health planning, the right documents, and time to know the person well. Ageing on farm isn't only about handing over the work. It's about your health, your safety, legal protection, and having the right people around you. The planning questions in Ageing on Farm, a guide for farmers who mean to stay on their land, work through each of them.

Your health, and the farm you live on

Start with the questions that are easiest to put off.

• Are there health conditions that might change your timeline?
• What health services are near your farm? A GP, a hospital, home help, aged care?
• Have you planned for needing support at home, or changes to the house?
• Could emergency services and support workers reach you easily as you age?
• Have you talked to your doctor about your plans for the farm?
• Do you have an advance care plan in place?

The farm that suits you now may be harder to live on as the years go by. Planning for that early is what lets you stay.

Put the protections in writing

Staying safe is partly a legal question. The right documents speak for you when you can't.

• Who holds the title to the farm? You, a trust, a company, or joint names?
• Do you have a current will, and does it reflect your plans for the farm?
• Do you have enduring powers of attorney in place, for both financial and medical decisions?
• What are the legal risks of the option you're weighing up?
• What happens if you or your partner dies partway through a handover?

Any arrangement with an incoming farmer belongs in writing too. Have it drawn up by a lawyer who knows farm succession, not just property law.

The right people around you

Staying safe also comes down to who's around you. A doctor who knows what you're planning. A lawyer with farm succession experience. Family who know your wishes.

And an incoming farmer you've had time to get to know. It takes time to build trust, and a trial period before you commit gives it room.

Staying, on your terms

None of this is about expecting the worst. It's what lets you stay on your own farm, safely, for as long as it suits you.

The full guide, Ageing on Farm, is free at cultivatefarms.com/resources.

You can build your own plan at cultivatefarms.com/plan.