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Farm/Ranch Succession Resources for Nebraskans

Allan Vyhnalek and Jessica Groskopf

Summary

Farm/ranch succession is sure to draw a crowd to the local Extension office. But even a two or three-hour-long meeting is not enough to discuss the nuances of transitioning farm and ranch businesses from one generation to the next. Even if clients partake in these traditional meetings, the meeting information overwhelms most, and few go on to make progress towards a succession plan. How can we break the mold and help families implement a plan? 
 
In this presentation, we will share two non-traditional approaches Nebraska is taking to encourage action: Returning to the Farm and the Nebraska Land Link Program. 

The Returning to the Farm Program was a cornerstone of farm succession education in Nebraska for several years but eventually lost popularity and was discontinued. After a six-year hiatus, the program has been revamped. The educational effort works with Ag families with a successor identified to give them the tools to transition to the next generation effectively. The program encourages families to attend together: owners, on-farm and off-farm children or grandchildren. In 2021-22, the program integrated both in-person, and virtual components impacting 12 families and 45 participants. 

The Nebraska Land Link Program is a program that strives to connect new and beginning farmers, called "Land Seekers," with landowners who do not have an heir. Through an application and matching process, the program hopes to create opportunities for Land Seekers to gain access to land. Since its launch in February of 2021, the program has attracted hundreds of Land Seeker applications and launched a Land Seeker webinar series. 

Details

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