Passing the torch: Farm transition planning in Northern Michigan

By Chris Bardenhagen<bardenh1@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - January 09, 2025

Event held in Traverse City on February 13, 2025.

Are you trying to figure out the best way to transfer your farm to the next generation or another farmer? Are you interested in learning more about conservation agreements and their advantages for farm succession planning? Or do you want to keep the farm farming but don’t have an interested farmer in hand?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, please join us in Traverse City on February 13, 2025, for a free day-long seminar on farm succession planning. The event is a collaboration between MSU Extension, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, the Leelanau Conservancy and MIFarmLink.

MSU Extension presenters will introduce succession planning, including the instruments used, family communication, and questions that need to be answered to move forward. The Conservancy presenters will talk about conservation easements, how they work, and how they can be levered for aiding in successful estate planning. MIFarmLink will discuss their work to connect landowners with farmers looking for land.

A panel of farmers will share their experiences with farm transfer after lunch, which will be provided.

This event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy offices, at 2846 N. Three Mile Rd, Traverse City, Mich. The program is free to attend but registration is strongly encouraged.

The basic agenda:

Orientation to Succession Planning: Communication and other important concepts
Brief Introduction to Transfer Techniques and instruments: Trusts, wills, gifting, selling
Michigan Farm Link: Connecting farmers to farmland
Overview of Conservation Agreements and Related Succession Planning Considerations
Farmer Panel
Moving Forward: Important decisions and questions to answer
Closing Thoughts and Questions

This workshop is supported in part by the Land Transfer Navigators Program, a partnership led by the American Farmland Trust with support from USDA-NRCS.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).