Managing for Today and Tomorrow, Farm Tansition Planning

Farm and ranch women are generating a cultural tide in American Agriculture that is moving management, assets and opportunities to a new wave of beginning farmers and ranchers across the country. Managing for Today and Tomorrow is a course focusing on the management processes and decisions needed to make these transitions successful. The course was developed by a team of Annie’s Project educators to meet women’s growing needs for understanding transition planning topics. The curricula centers around four key areas of planning that lead to successful transitions: business, estate, retirement, and succession. There were 18 courses taught in nine states during 2013. This poster reviews the changes in knowledge and actions demonstrated by participants. Feedback was collected through pre-course and post-course survey tools. Farm and ranch women were empowered to begin the transition planning discussions with their families and business partners. Women took action to determine business goals, complete estate plan questionnaires, develop a retirement timeline and choose a farm or ranch business successor or alternatively; plan for the sale or transfer of business assets. In addition to the poster, videos of past participants telling their stories of farm transition are available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O9MEApx6xa8, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w4um12obDwI. The Managing for Today and Tomorrow curricula incorporates financial, human resource and legal risks and was designed to meet the learning preferences of women. Partners include USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Grant # 2011-49400-30584 and the Farm Credit System.