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Retiring Farmers & Landowners

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“As a landowner, you have the power to determine the legacy of your
land — that decision is the most important decision you can make.”

                                   — Bill McMillin, who, with his wife Bonnie, transitioned the
family farm to a beginning farmer

Applications are now open for LSP’s 2026 Farm Transition Course. For details, click here.

 

You are in the right place to move down the path of transitioning your farm to the next generation. Fulfilling a land legacy is rewarding. There is a sense of peace knowing the land will continue to be cared for by a beginning farmer and that the land will provide a home and livelihood for the next generation. But there are a lot of questions to ask and there is a lot of planning that goes into the farm transition journey.

What is your vision for your farm?  How does this fit into the context of the larger rural landscape?  What is the land’s best use?

You do not have to do this alone, there are a number of resources (below), plus people who are willing and able to help.  Please reach out to LSP’s Karen Stettler via e-mail or at 612-767-9885 with questions or for more information.

Getting Started

Here are some important steps in the Farm Transition Planning process:

 

1) What is Your Legacy?

Getting clear on what you are aiming for on your land will give you the best chance to actualize your legacy. Clarify your goals and values, communicate them to your family and next generation farmers, and use these goals and values to guide your farm transition decisions.

  • LSP’s Farm Transition Planning self-guided worksheets help you map out your plan.
  • To get you started, check out this introduction from MISA’s Farm Transitions Toolkit.
  • Farmland Access Decision-Making Tool
  • Farm Legacy Letters (Practical Farmers of Iowa)
  • Am I Ready?/Are We Ready? Starter questions to help activate needed thought and discussion before and during planning for a farm transition.

2) Financial Considerations of Creating Your Legacy

What are the financial realities of your farm enterprise? Will your farm need to support two families during a transition? Is there room for companion enterprises?  What are your financial needs in retirement? Having a clear picture of your financial situation and answers to these questions will help you envision a farm transition that will fit your budget.

  • Conservation Financing
  • Minnesota Beginning Farmer Tax Credit
  • Iowa State University Farm Transition Decision Maker Tool

3)  Legal Considerations of Creating Your Legacy

Once  you have your legacy in mind and have figured out the financial options you have, it is important to make sure you have legal documents drawn up to finalize the plan. This is an important step and one that is best handled by attorneys with farm transition experience.

  • Conservation Leases (FLAG)
  • Contract for Deed (FLAG)
  • Tips for Finding an Attorney

4) Conservation Considerations to Create Your Legacy

You have cared for your land and want to ensure the land will continue to be cared for in a way that enhances the soil, air, and water.  There are things you can do right now.

  • Valuing Sustainable Practices
  • LSP Conservation Leases Toolkit
  • Soil Health

5) Alternatives for Land Legacy

Accessing secure and affordable land is a barrier for many and it’s clear a system-wide change is needed when it comes to farmland policy, markets, and infrastructure. Such changes take time. In the interim, there need to be alternative ways for beginning farmers to access land.

  • Minnesota Commons — Agrarian Trust
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service easements
  • Land Return

6) Networking with Other Beginning & Retiring Farmers

There really are new farmers who want to get started and, on the other side of the equation, established farmers who want to see another generation of farmers on their land. Sometimes the hardest part is connecting those beginning farmers and retiring landowners. Here are a few ideas for making such connections.

  • LSP’s Seeking Farmers-Seeking Land Clearinghouse
  • MOSES Land Link-Up
  • Practical Farmers of Iowa Farm Transfer
  • Land for Good
  • Land Return
  • Farmland Access Hub

Related Posts

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    Ear to the Ground 232: A Difficult Discussion
  • LSP Winter Farm Transition Planning Course Launches Jan. 27 Online  

    October 16, 2025

    LEWISTON, Minn. — Are you a farmer or landowner thinking about the next steps for your farm and land? Or do you know someone who…

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  • Ear to the Ground 369: Emerging Agrarians

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    Ear to the Ground 369: Emerging Agrarians

Contact

Karen Stettler, LSP farm transitions organizer, 612-767-9885, e-mail

  • For Farmers & Landowners
    • Farmland Clearinghouse
    • New Farmers
      • Farm Beginnings Class
      • Journeyperson Course
      • Farm Dreams
      • Accessing Farmland
      • Farmland Clearinghouse
      • Beginning/Retiring Farmer Tax Credit
      • Beginning Farmer Profiles
      • Fresh Voices Podcast Series
    • Retiring Farmers & Landowners
      • Farmland Clearinghouse
      • Farm Transition Course 2026
      • Conservation Leases
      • Beginning/Retiring Farmer Tax Credit
      • Land Transition Tools
      • Transition Stories
    • Soil Health
      • Cover Crops
      • Grazing
      • No-till
      • Microbiology
      • Kernza
      • Soil Builders’ Network
      • Soil Builders’ E-Letters
      • Soil Health Steering Committee Members
      • Ear Dirt Soil Health Podcast Series
    • Cropping Systems Calculator
    • Conservation Leases
  • Join, Donate, or Renew
  • Building People Power

Upcoming Events

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November 2025

Friday November 7 – Saturday November 8

Emerging Farmers Conference
Friday November 7 – Saturday November 8
Emerging Farmers Conference
Brooklyn Center, MN, USA

Details on the 20th Annual Emerging Farmers Conference are available here.

Thursday November 13

8:30 am – 1:00 pm
Women in Conservation Northern Network Gathering: Stories from the Field
Thursday November 13
8:30 am – 1:00 pm
Women in Conservation Northern Network Gathering: Stories from the Field
Bigwood Event Center, 921 Western Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537, USA

Join Minnesota Women in Conservation and Renewing the Countryside for a relaxed, creative, restorative, and interactive day of networking and learning with fellow women conservation professionals. Breakfast and lunch are included at the lovely Bigwood Event Center. Cost is $25. 
 
For more information and to register, click here. 
 
Please reach out to burke@rtcinfo.org for information on scholarships before registering.

Friday November 14

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Scaling Up Soil Health Strategies Bus Tour
Friday November 14
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Scaling Up Soil Health Strategies Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Visit three farms near Northfield, Minn., to explore soil health at a larger scale. Learn about mechanized cover cropping, reduced tillage, erosion control, and using perennials and pollinator strips.
 
This is the third tour in a three-part soil health bus tour series. Participants can sign up for just one, two, or all three tours. Register at https://z.umn.edu/vegetablebustours. The cost is $15 (flat fee, covers 1, 2, or 3 tours). There are more details in the attached flyer.

Wednesday November 19

12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
We Can Do Better Book Discussion at Iowa Nature Summit
Wednesday November 19
12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
We Can Do Better Book Discussion at Iowa Nature Summit
Olmsted Center, 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311, USA

The Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy is excited to share that one of our its primary pillars of work — a published collection of Paul Johnson’s writings —  is set for release on Oct. 2.  The book features a brief biography and a discussion of Paul’s ideas within the historical and future contexts of private lands conservation. For details on We Can Do Better: Collected Writings on Land, Conservation, and Public Policy click here.

Curt Meine will speak about the book during the 12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m. luncheon at the Iowa Nature Summit on Nov 19. 

Saturday November 22

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Open House
Saturday November 22
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Open House
Tintah Beach Farm, Thief River Falls, MN

Please join Marcus Langevin from Tintah Beach Farm and the University of Minnesota at an open house and ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the farm scale deep winter greenhouse prototype on Nov. 22, from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. 

This new deep winter greenhouse design allows farmers in cold climates to grow crops for sale to their customers throughout the winter months. The heavily insulated greenhouse utilizes a steeply sloped south-facing glazing wall to capture solar heat which is stored in an underground soil thermal mass where it is available to heat the greenhouse at night when the outside temperatures drop. 

The new energy efficient greenhouse was designed to suit the needs of small and medium scale vegetable farmers. It is larger, cheaper per square foot to construct than previous designs, and is simple enough that farmers with minimal construction experience can build it themselves. Deep winter greenhouses like these allow farmers the ability to grow market crops year-round, thereby increasing their yearly revenues and allowing Minnesotans year-round access to healthy, fresh, locally grown produce. 

Registration: This event is free to attend, but registration is required at z.umn.edu/TintahBeachOpenHouse. Please register by November 15.

Download farm scale deep winter greenhouse building documents. This farm scale deep winter greenhouse design is available for free download from the UMN Extension RSDP’s deep winter greenhouse website. 

This work is made possible by University of Minnesota Extension; College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS); College of Design Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR); and the Agriculture Research, Education, Extension and Technology Transfer Program (AGREETT). 

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