“After the passing of my dad’s parents and seeing the difficult time my dad and his siblings had with what to do with the farm, my sisters and I didn’t want to be put in that same situation. My parents were not only facing the reality of their age but were also feeling very overwhelmed with what to do with their own farm.”
— Kendra Reinert, Long Prairie
This sentiment is echoed among many farm families across Minnesota, where the average age of a principal farm operator is nearly 58. Families wonder:
- How do we get started?
- What happens to the farm?
- What is fair?
- What are the tax consequences of this or that action?
Farm transition and estate planning helps guide families to their own unique answers.
Recognizing a statewide need, University of Minnesota Extension began hosting one-day workshops on farm transfer and estate planning for families in 2004. In 2018, Extension partnered with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to add one-and-a-half-day retreats for deeper family discussion. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture also has become a partner.
Half-day workshops offer an overview of the technical aspects of farm transition and estate planning, while longer retreats are designed for multiple generations of a family to come together to plan.
Honest talk
The goal is to help Minnesota farm families create their farm legacy. The approach? Experienced educators guide families through questions in the company of other families going through the same thing.
“We’re talking about what to do with stuff when you die, like writing a will, so it can be kind of heavy, and it really can be a struggle for people to discuss it,” says Nathan Hulinsky, Extension agricultural business management educator. “But in this setting, if you can’t share what you want to have happen now, when will you? It’s an open and honest discussion time.”
The power of shared experience
Susanne Hinrichs, Extension agricultural business management educator, adds, “Participants say, ‘We can work on this stuff ourselves, but to all come together, there’s a lot of value in that.’”
The dedicated time to focus, the guided discussions and ideas for next steps provide families with a sense of power and relief in having a roadmap.
In one retreat activity, participants split into groups based on their role (such as parent or child) and list needs, wants, fears and expectations. Spoiler alert: when the larger group reconvenes, they find that despite some initial differences, everyone has largely the same list.
“I think people are surprised how similar everybody’s thoughts are,” says Hulinsky.
Focusing on these mutual objectives can help set the family on a path to their goals. The program offers peace of mind and more — the continuation of family farms that are essential to Minnesota’s rural communities.
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