Join UW-Madison Division of Extension specialists as they lead discussions and activities during an upcoming farm succession workshop series. The ‘Cultivating Your Farm’s Future’ series will provide tools and resources for farmers who want to start their succession plans.
Specialists Joy Kirkpatrick, Steph Plaster, Kevin Bernhardt, Kelly Wilfert, and Kaitlyn Davis are leading the program. Attendees will explore the three-step process of planning your business succession:
- Where are you now?
- Where do you want to be?
- How do you get there?
This workshop series will prepare you to shape and communicate your ideas about the future of the farm and business. It will also save you time by having these crucial conversations before visiting with professionals.
Who should attend?
This program is for farm businesses and farm families interested in shaping the future ownership of their farm. If you are the owner generation you may be wondering how to transfer a viable business to the next generation or develop a fair inheritance distribution plan. If you are the next generation you may have questions or ideas about your future role in the farm business. Extension encourages multi-generations of the farm or family to attend together.
What are the topics?
- Communication preferences and how to talk about the farm’s future
- Common tensions around farm succession
- Inheritance distributions – Is equal fair?
- Financials for farm succession
- Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats – SWOT analysis
- Business structures for farm succession
- Setting goals and action steps
- Assembling your team for succession planning
When are these classes?
There are two workshop sessions available. There is flexibility as to which time you and others from your farm/family can attend our program. For example, if the Wednesdays mid-day option works for some of you, and the Thursdays evenings work better for others, you can do that.
Option One
Wednesdays, 12-1:30 p.m.
Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14, and 21
Option Two
Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m.
Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22
How is the program delivered?
Four live sessions will be via Zoom, so participants can join from anywhere! Each week participants will receive an email with homework assignments. The homework is designed to help participants gather information and be prepared for the discussions and activities during the live Zoom sessions. The homework will be a mix of short videos, worksheets or reading assignments. The hard copies of the materials for the program will be mailed out before the first week of class. If the farm has participants living at different locations, we will need all the addresses at registration so we can mail materials to the appropriate addresses.
Registration details
Registration fee: $100/per farm which provides one workbook, folder of materials, course videos and four live zoom sessions; $15/additional workbook. Multiple farm/family members are encouraged to attend.
Register online: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/farm24/reg
Registration deadline is Jan. 19.
