Planning The Farm Transfer
Preparing for smooth farmland transfer, whether from family member to family member, from one farmer to another, or from farmer to a preservation program, takes lots of thought, time, planning, paperwork, and can be expensive. However, not planning can have devastating effects on those left behind. We hope you find the information on this site a start in your effort to plan for your farmland’s future ownership and uses:
The Farm Transfer Network of New England http://www.farmtransfernewengland.net/ is a network of professionals and organizations offering you special expertise in farm transfer and succession.
Please visit their site if you are
• Preparing to exit from farming
• An owner or manager of agricultural property
• Considering or negotiating a transfer or tenure agreement
• A junior generation or entering farmer
• A land trust or conservation organization interested in preserving working landscapes
First Pioneer http://www.firstpioneer.com/finance/finance.htm has expertise in all areas of farm transfer and estate planning. From business consultants to certified appraisers, First Pioneer can provide professional assistance in various areas. For eastern Connecticut (Windham and New London counties and eastern Tolland), call: Lynn Weaver at (860) 779-0717. For central and western Connecticut (Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven counties and western Tolland) call: Keith Stechschulte at (860) 741-4380. For Fairfield County, contact Blane Allen at (845) 343-1802. For Litchfield County, contact Bill Martin at (518) 851-3313.
Land for Good http://www.landforgood.org offers farm transfer planning services. The purpose of their services is to help and support farm families through the entire planning process. Land for Good staff will serve as facilitator or "coach" as you develop your farm transfer plan. They offer two planning packages as well as assessment and goal setting meetings and specific technical consultation.
University of Connecticut –College of Agriculture- Farm transfer information www.canr.uconn.edu/ces/frm/estate_planning.html
Wisconsin and USDA has developed a manual for farm transfer planning:
http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/mktg/agriculture/farm-center/transfers/pdf/transfer_guide.pdf
New England Small Farm Institute has a lot of other information about farm transfer, farm succession, small farms, farm planning. http://www.smallfarm.org/
It is important for landowners (or others managing land) to have your fields onto the records at the USDA-Farm Services Agency . Once your farmland is on the books with the FSA, then other federal agencies like Natural Resources and Conservation Services can do soil maps, determination of highly erodable land and wetlands, etc. Landowners, you might want to give information about the FSA offices in CT, and about resources available through them and through NRCS.
This website has addresses for the USDA-FSA offices across the state:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/ct/
And here is the website for USDA-NRCS in CT:
http://www.ct.nrcs.usda.gov/
Passing on the Family Farm-Succession Planning
Planning for Retirement
A good document from Wisconsin that discusses retirement planning for farmers and farm families to help the transition from full time farming to a long list of options, including leasing or selling the farm. A good read for those trying to plan their lives after farming.
Retirement and Estate Planning Guide - 85 page PDF
The Government of British Columbia has produced an estate planning manual:
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/busmgmt/succession/porcupine_manual.htm
The Connecticut Bar Association
http://www.ctbar.org/
Two-Generation Farming
Iowa State University- Extension provides a series of publications that serve as an excellent resource for two-generation farming.
Getting Started - 16 page PDF
Selecting A Business Arrangement - 16 page PDF
Making it Work - 16 page PDF
Transferring Machinery & Livestock - 20 page PDF
Two-Generation Dairy Cow Leasing - 8 page PDF
