Next-Generation Farmers
“If handled improperly, transition events can be the death of your business. Or it can strengthen your business and clearly outline who you are and where you want to go,” says Dick Wittman.
From switching to 100% strip-till this past fall to learning to build seed scripts and planting her first crop as a full-time farmer this spring, Sarah Tweeten is making her mark on her family’s Iowa operation.
How are you showing up on the farm? Do your actions meet up with your goals? Rena Striegel, a farm succession planning consultant, encourages the next generation of on-farm leaders to do some self-reflection.
Focusing on marketing and margins will help farming’s next generation protect against the ”unknown unknowns,” says Alan Brugler, a market analyst and adviser.
In 2022, when Alex Harrell cut his land base in half, yield instantly became even more crucial. Little did he know, the next year he’d break the soybean record. Drones play a big role in his high-management approach.
Formulating your farm’s succession plan is likely not a straight line. Polly Dobbs, an Indiana attorney who is part of a seven-generation farm family, says it’s important to stay focused on your end goals.
The clock is ticking — and the current estate-tax exemption is set to plummet at the end of 2025. The smaller exemption coupled with inflation and land values likely means increased assets and estate-tax rates.
We asked previous awardees of the Top Producer Next Gen Award to reflect on lessons they’ve experienced in business and management.
Machinery Pete shares five thoughts for young farm leaders.
In the heart of the Arkansas delta, Hallie Shoffner has a legacy to uphold. As a sixth-generation farmer in a town incorporated by her ancestors, she’s spent the past five years as an entrepreneur and business manager.