Leading Ontario Farm Succession Planning Company Retains Industry Leader

PETERBOROUGH, ON – Farm Life Financial Planning Group (Farm Life) today announced former Pioneer Hi- Bred Canada President Ian Grant as its new Strategy and Partnerships Advisor to join the Peterborough based farm financial planning company.

“This is an opportunity for me to further strengthen the work being done by Farm Life and provide strategic leadership as the business continues to rapidly grow across Ontario,” said Grant. “I look forward to continuing to use my passion for the agriculture industry in a new direction that builds security for Ontario’s farmers.”

Grant is the former President of Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited Canada and Director of the Canada Business Unit. His extensive agriculture career began in 1984 working for Allelix Crop Technology before he joined Pioneer as a Canola Research Director in 1997 and then transferring to corn research. He was also the Product Commercialization and Characterization Director for Europe and appointed Worldwide Director for corn research in 2000. Grant was retained as Strategy and Partnerships Advisor for Farm Life in February 2017.

“Ian brings an incredible wealth of industry leading knowledge with him to Farm Life,” says Darrell Wade, founder of Farm Life Financial Planning Group. “We look forward to learning from one of our country’s top agriculture leaders.”

The demographics in Ontario’s agriculture industry are undergoing significant changes as many farm operators are approaching an age where they want to retire. Statistics Canada Census data from 2011 reports more than 56% of Ontario’s Farms are operated by someone over the age of 55 years old. Nationwide, less than one out of 10 farms had the oldest operator under 40 years old in 2011, whereas two decades earlier it was about 1 in 4. The average age of farm operators has increased, rising from 47.5 in 1991 to 54.0 years in 2011.

“Farm Life has identified a specific need in realizing financial planning is not a one size fits all model and farmers and farm families require a specialized plan,” says Grant. “I am thrilled for the opportunity to support it as it continues to work to protect Ontario’s farming community”.

Farm Life Financial Planning Group was founded in 2015 by Darrell Wade with a mission to ensure Canadian farmers are able to keep farming. It works with families to build continuity of the farm through succession, transition and tax efficient estate plans. Farm Life Financial currently has representatives across the Province and is headquartered in Peterborough, Ontario.