Farmstrong: Born of Canada’s Farming Succession Crisis

MOUNT FOREST, ON — In a sector defined by independence and resilience, a new Canadian firm is betting that simplicity, not complexity, is the key to keeping family farms in family hands.

Farmstrong Financial, launched this month, positions itself as more than a succession planning service. Its founder, farmer and financial strategist Derryn Shrosbree, describes it as a purpose-driven “continuity firm” built specifically to address what many in agriculture see as a growing disconnect between farmers and the systems designed to serve them.

At the heart of the issue is a stark reality. According to Farm Credit Canada, more than $50 billion in farm assets is expected to change hands in the coming years. Yet 88 per cent of Canadian farm families do not have a succession plan in place.

“Farmstrong evolved out of the grassroots conversations I’ve been having with other farmers who are worried about leaving a legacy for their children and grandchildren,” said Shrosbree. “It’s usually a daunting process, so who can blame them for avoiding the task?”

That hesitation, he argues, is not about a lack of will, but about a system that feels fragmented and inaccessible. Traditional succession planning often requires farmers to navigate multiple advisors across legal, accounting, insurance and financial disciplines, each with its own processes, costs and timelines.

“Farmers are some of the hardest working and most practical people in this country, but they’re turned off by the hardships of traditional succession planning,” Shrosbree said. “They’re faced with a jumble of advisors and a pile of invoices. They deserve something simpler.”
Farmstrong’s model attempts to eliminate that friction. By integrating financial, legal, tax and insurance strategies into a single coordinated approach, the firm aims to reduce paperwork, streamline decision-making and minimize the number of professional touch-points required.
The idea is not just efficiency, but accessibility… meeting farmers where they are, with clear language and practical steps rather than what Shrosbree calls “boardroom jargon.”

The timing may be critical. Canada has roughly 190,000 farms, and more than 97 per cent are family-owned. At the same time, demographic pressures and rising asset values are increasing the stakes of succession planning decisions.

Shrosbree has also taken his advocacy beyond the farm gate, pushing for policy changes to modernize the tax framework for intergenerational transfers. One proposal includes expanding capital gains exemptions to allow nieces and nephews to inherit farms with the same tax treatment as direct descendants.

“Canada has something the world covets, from farmland to fresh water and natural resources,” he said. “It’s our obligation to protect and strengthen the families who manage it. The best way to do that is to keep farms in Canadian hands.”

Economic data underscores the broader impact. In 2025, Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector contributed approximately $150 billion to GDP, generated more than $100 billion in exports and supported one in nine jobs nationwide.

For Farmstrong, those numbers reinforce its central mission: ensuring that families stay together and transitions are seamless. “Generations of work should be secure for the generations to come.”