Month: February 2022

Author:         David L. Marrison, Coshocton County Ag & NR Extension Educator

Hello, Northeast Ohio! On Monday, we celebrated Valentine’s Day. So, what did you give your loved one on this special day? Was it roses, chocolate, or maybe an edible fruit bouquet? Your display of affection may have also included a sentimental card, a bottle of Ohio wine, or candles. Each is an excellent way to express love.

In addition to the aforementioned love overtures, our Ohio State University Extension farm succession team encouraged attendees in our four-week “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” webinar series to add a different twist to this year’s Valentine’s Day celebration.

What was this twist? Our twist was for farm couples to enjoy a romantic dinner complete with all their favorites foods and then to sit in the glow of candlelight and talk about a very important subject; this being their individual mortality. Continue reading →

For many farms, transferring the farm to a next generation is the ultimate legacy goal, especially when transferring within the family. But it’s not all rainbows and roses. Farmers focus on the technical details of transferring assets, much like machinery repair: if you put the right nut with the corresponding bolt … voila, you have a plan. But succession planning involves humans, with corresponding emotions. Research around farm succession has identified several “tensions” that can cause stress during the planning process. Those areas of tensions include:

• Financial concerns
• Control
• Change
• Inheritance distribution
• Communication

If farm families/farm partners can identify their potential tensions and approach the plan with their tensions in mind, they can avoid some of the common “stalls” or pitfalls many farms face. This webinar will discuss these tensions and ideas on how to address them, including the value of a facilitator to help navigate potentially stressful but necessary conversations. Continue reading →

Here are the details for the 2022 Small Farm Conference & Trade Show. Be sure to stop by the Farm Stress booth and say hi. We have some great resources to send home with you.

No need to feel alone in the field. Our new and small farm conferences provide connections that will last long after the event.

• Do you own a few acres that you want to be productive but you’re not sure what to do?
• Do you have a passion for farming and turning your piece of this wonderful earth into a food producing oasis?
• Do you own land or forest that you’re not quite sure how to manage?
• Do you raise or produce products that you would like to market and sell off your farm but you’re not sure how to make it successful?

Continue reading →