Gathering Ground Keynote Speaker Announcement

Ahead of next week’s registration opening for Gathering Ground – A Producer Development Day, we are excited to announce our keynote speaker who will be kicking off the day to a strong start. We are looking forward to a day of growing and gathering together, and we’re more than excited about the program, which will be announced further soon. But with no further ado, let us introduce the first speaker of the day:

Annessa Good-Hassard

Annessa Good-Hassard grew up on her family’s mixed farm and, together with her husband, has recently returned as successors of the operation. She has worked with more than 500 farm families, gaining a deep understanding of the complexities of intergenerational transition. Her career includes time with her family’s firm, GRS Consulting, alongside her father, Merle Good, and national experience with Farm Credit Canada’s Transition Team. With a deep love for agriculture and the people who carry it forward, Annessa founded Peak Heritage Consulting Ltd. to provide families with independent advice and support. She is also a Certified Family Enterprise Advisor.

Her keynote session, “Boots on the Ground: Succession at the Ground Level”, will dive into the realities of farm succession. At its core, succession is about protecting both the business and the family that makes it run. With boots-on-the-ground experience as both a consultant and a farm successor, Annessa Good-Hassard of Peak Heritage Consulting Ltd. shares practical strategies and frameworks to move beyond vagueness into clear, actionable tools. Guided by her motto: “Succession is the transfer of a business, Estate Planning is the transfer of assets pre- and post-death, and Transition is a combination of both — proactive rather than reactive,” she offers a grounded, real-world approach to planning. Topics include family dynamics, operational clarity, compensation, land transfer strategies, estate planning, and fiscal realities — giving producers the confidence to start (or restart) the conversations every farm faces, with clarity and courage

We are more than excited to welcome Annessa to the stage and to kick off Gathering Ground with her knowledge, stories, and passion for helping families thrive in agriculture.

This is a day meant for coming together — whether that means attending with your partner, inviting your mom or dad, or bringing along a friend or farm partner. We encourage you to share the experience and take the conversations home with you.

Registration opens October 7, 2025.