“Grandpa and Grandma passed the farm down to my parents, then my parents passed it down to me. We’re hopeful the next generation will take over in the next few years.”
Sound familiar? It’s the story shared on countless family farms across the country — an unspoken hope that the torch will pass naturally. No formal plan, just a quiet assumption: Our kids will come back.
But here’s the tough question no one wants to ask:
What if they don’t?
- What if they have other dreams?
- What if they’re not cut out for the job?
- What if you’ve spent your life building something worth continuing, and no one is waiting to carry it forward?
Who runs the farm then?
It’s a question more farmers are grappling with as rural demographics shift, career choices broaden and fewer children return home after college. While it might not be the path you envisioned for your operation, the absence of a next-generation successor doesn’t mean the end of your farm. But it does mean it’s time to think differently.
Whether it’s transitioning to a trusted employee, partnering with a young beginning farmer, exploring lease-to-own arrangements or even selling to a like-minded producer, there are more options than you might realize. The key is being proactive, not reactive.
Long story short, waiting and hoping isn’t a succession plan.
Know Your Options
When a family successor isn’t in the cards, it doesn’t mean the legacy of your farm has to end. Whether your kids aren’t interested, aren’t able, or just aren’t the right fit, there are still ways to ensure the operation you’ve built continues to thrive.
1. Long-Time Employees
Sometimes your successor is already part of your team. A trusted employee who understands your operation, shares your values and has a strong work ethic might be the ideal candidate.
“It involves identifying the right person, mentoring them over time and gradually transferring responsibility,” says Jessica Groskopf, agricultural economist and extension educator at the University of Nebraska. “When done well, it’s incredibly rewarding for both parties. But it does take time, trust and careful legal planning.”
Don’t wait until retirement to start the conversation. Begin involving them in decision-making, management and financial discussions early. Let them see what it takes to run the business. Not just the day-to-day labor, but the big-picture strategy.
Formalizing their involvement with clear expectations, written agreements and timelines can also protect both parties. Work to create a succession roadmap that includes phased ownership, buy-in options or profit-sharing models to help them build equity over time.
2. Beginning Farmers
There are many young, aspiring farmers ready to work hard, but they lack land or capital. Connecting with young producers through farm incubator programs, state-level beginning farmer initiatives or land-linking platforms can lead to meaningful partnerships.
“These agreements between non-relatives are actually very common,” says Julia Valliant, a research scientist at Indiana University. “According to USDA data, land is most often accessed through a non-relative, either through rental or purchase.”
Programs across the country are designed to help match landowners with beginning farmers and even offer incentives for transitions to socially disadvantaged or beginning producers. Some states also provide tax benefits to landowners who sell or lease to a qualified beginning farmer, helping reduce the financial risk of transition while encouraging generational renewal.
3. Business Partners or Co-Ownership Models
If your kids aren’t coming back, co-ownership might be another way to ensure the farm’s legacy lives on while bringing new energy and ideas into the operation.
“That might mean forming a formal business entity, like an LLC or corporation, where ownership is shared,” says Kelly Wilfert, farm management outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
However, these arrangements are not one-size-fits-all.
“Multiple owners may divide ownership of individual assets such as land, equipment or livestock, or simply share ownership of the entity that holds those assets,” Wilfert says. “This flexibility allows outgoing owners to structure transitions in stages, working alongside future owners to gradually shift responsibility.”
It’s Still Your Legacy
A non-family transition doesn’t mean your farm’s story ends; it simply turns a new page. What matters most is that it continues in a way that honors your work, your values and the community it supports.
“Have open and honest conversations with your family about this,” Groskopf says. “Understand each other’s values and goals. That emotional clarity paves the way for good business decisions.”
And don’t go it alone. Extension educators, ag consultants and estate planning attorneys can help you sort through the legal, tax and emotional complexities of transitioning your farm. But you have to take the first step.
In the end, waiting isn’t a plan. And doing nothing is still a decision.
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