Transitions & Contracts
Succession
Growth & Diversification
Farmers’ Legal Guide to Value-Added Products
Article + Download
52 min read
Legal Considerations: Direct-to-Consumer Farm Markets
Article + Download
20 min read
Business Contracts
Sales Contracts for Farm Produce: Why and How
Video
97 minutes
Sales 2: Contracts for Planning Ahead of Production
Video
70 minutes
Farmers’ Guide to Negotiating and Drafting Agreements
Article + Download
25 min read
Farm Succession Questions:
How can the right business structure help with farm succession?
It might feel strange to be thinking about farm succession (transferring your farm to the next generation) when you are just starting your farm, but here’s why it’s important…
Farm succession planning can be an immense undertaking. You are setting the stage for the future of your land, farm business, and family. So, where do you begin? From conservation easements, family trusts, and LLCs to capital gains, and estate and gift taxes, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the complexities of farm transfer options. But, did you know that having the right business structure can make farm succession much more smooth? Check out our free Farm Succession Planning Basics for more information. In the video A Century-Old Farm Prepares for Changing Seasons, you’ll hear from farmer Adrienne Ploss of Hickory Hurst Farm in New York about the role of business structures played in succession planning for three generations of her family’s 100-year-old farm.
I need help with farm succession planning
Learn about legal tools to help you make a plan for passing the farm business on.
For all farm and ranch businesses, there will come a time when the operator(s) need to retire. As this time approaches, farmers and ranchers often ask, what tools are available to producers who want their business to continue after retirement and, eventually, after they pass? This question is about farm succession — the business succeeding to the next generation of owners and operators. Creating a succession plan is a big and important endeavor that requires the retiring farmer to spend significant time and energy on planning, strategizing and collaborating with business partners, family members, professionals (such as attorneys, tax professionals, and meditators), and the aspiring farmer(s).