Sessions to be Led by Farmers as well as Legal, Financial & Healthcare Professionals

LEWISTON, Minn. — Are you a farmer or landowner thinking about the next, long-term steps for your farm and land? The Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Transition Planning Course is being launched Feb. 1, and will be offered on five subsequent Thursday evenings in February and March. The online course will be held Feb. 1, Feb. 8,  Feb. 15, Feb. 22, Feb. 29 and March 7. There is a small materials/postage fee for the course of $50 per family. The registration deadline is Jan. 17. For more information and to register, click here or contact LSP’s Karen Stettler at 612-767-9885, stettler@landstewardshipproject.org.

The course provides an opportunity to dig into important topics and learn from experienced farmers and professionals. Presenters at the workshop will include other area farmers who are implementing a farm transition plan, as well as professionals representing the legal, financial and healthcare fields as they relate to agricultural businesses. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to begin engaging in the planning process as well as learn about resources for continuing the process after the workshop has ended. The sessions build on one another, so attendance at all six ensures the greatest understanding and planning opportunities.

“One of the most important decisions that a landowner will ever make is ‘Who will I turn over care of this land to?’ The Farm Transition Course helped us to better define our values and set goals for the farm,” said Bill McMillin, a retired Minnesota farmer who participated in a previous LSP Farm Transition Planning Workshop. “Whenever a difficult decision or unforeseen issue arose, we went back to our values and goals to help us make our decision. It was also great to hear how other farmers were dealing with the transition process.“

For more information on transitioning the farm to the next generation, click here.

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