Older farmers and retirement

This is a report of a research project about retirement for people in transition in farming by drawing on the key issues emerging from the literature and fieldwork in two regions of NSW - this involved research and the development, pilot and evaluation of a retirement planning peer education program for farmers. The report discusses ageing and its stereotypes, retirement and transitions from work, and specific issues to do with farming and later life transitions, involving farm succession, farming and identity, attachment to place, gender, and stages in retiring. It then reviews farmers' participation in formal and non-formal education and training compared to the broader context of learning in the Australian community, touching on issues of literacy, wellbeing, social capital and attitudes to retirement planning. Review of the pilot peer learning and support program indicates that assistance for people in farming with the transition into retirement needs to extend beyond the traditional content and delivery methods used for retirement education. The final chapter reviews the factors influencing retirement transition from farming and makes policy recommendations.