American Farmland Trust has released a new resource, available in English and Spanish, that builds the skills and knowledge of beginning farmers and ranchers participating in a transfer. The Transitioning Land to a New Generation: Land Transfer Training curriculum fills a gap that faces a pressing need-nearly 300 million acres of American agricultural lands are expected to change hands in the coming decades.
As aging farmers and ranchers retire, the incoming generation struggles to afford to enter the land, putting it at risk of changing to non-farming uses. Few tools exist to help cultivate relationships and plan for conversations involved in a farm or ranch transfer. This new curriculum supports land seekers in learning what they need to know and doing what they need to do as transitions occur.
For the retiring generation, a farm transfer means they must consider retirement, end-of-life care, finances, and family relationships. For those in the incoming generation, individuals may not have family land to inherit, may have complicated relationships to navigate, and may have limited access to funds that can support the financial needs of the retiring farmer or rancher. There is no single solution to a successful transfer. Roadblocks may exist along the way, while the process can take years to complete.
“Time and again we hear — from farmers, ranchers and the service providers that support them — that each transfer situation is different, even more so as fewer transitions happen within a family,” said Erica Goodman, AFT Farms for a New Generation Director. “The Land Transfer Training is designed to meet people where they are and be adaptable while still building off of steps that are universal. It is our hope that people who use these resources will find a more direct pathway to address their unique needs.”
The new Land Transfer Training, developed in partnership with skilled service providers, includes five modules that create an adaptable pathway for farmers, ranchers, and practitioners to work through the diverse and unique steps of a farm or ranch transfer.
Curriculum resources include training plans, storyboards (PowerPoint presentation with detailed notes for use in a classroom or to prepare for one-on-one services), information sheets, worksheets, resource lists, and a final transfer plan to support farmers and ranchers plan their next steps. The curriculum package also includes a training manual for educators and audio case studies of different transfer experiences.
Lesson topics include:
- Getting started with farm or ranch transfer
- Assessing your finances and building your team
- Choosing business and legal tools
- Telling your story to support your vision
- Preparing for negotiation
In addition, all training resources have been translated into Spanish.
“We are excited to have been able to translate the curriculum into Spanish,” said Megan Faller, AFT’s Farms for a New Generation Senior Manager. “It is essential that we create and improve tools that remove language barriers for producers and practitioners. We hope this effort can help bridge language gaps in transfer situations.”
A national cohort of agriculture service providers helped AFT create the curriculum. In addition to providing feedback and piloting the curriculum in their communities, they tested new ideas on how best to approach challenges farmers and ranchers face during transition. As the training rolls out, AFT continues to refine the resources while training and expanding new networks of service providers who can support farm and ranch transition.
Both Spanish and English versions can be found on AFT’s website.
Ensuring our farms and ranches transition to a new generation is crucial for the future of food production in this country. The resources alone are not all AFT offers. We are also available to support transitions tailored to the situation and location. Contact our team of experts at the Farmland Information Center for free technical assistance.