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Farm Transition

Transitioning a farm to the next generation is one of the most important and challenging decisions a farm family will make.  Successful transition planning protects your legacy, strengthens relationships, and ensures the long-term viability of the business.  Our team is committed to helping farm families take practical steps toward a successful transition and this page is dedicated to providing you those resources.

Farm Transition Winter Retreats:

Our high demand winter retreats are just around the corner.  Dates and locations have been set and are listed below and registration is now open.   If you have specific questions about these retreats, feel free to reach out to Nathan Hanel at mn.sace@minnstate.edu.

For a .pdf flyer of this information, you can find that using this Farm Transition Retreat Flyer.

  • Marshall – Merit Center, 1001 Erie Rd, Marshall, MN 56258
    • Friday, December 4, 2026 from 5PM – 8:30PM and Saturday, December 5, 2026 from 8:30AM – 4:30PM.
  • Red Wing – Pier 55 Red Wing Area Seniors, 240 Harrison St #2, Red Wing, MN 55066
    • Friday, January 29, 2027 from 5PM – 8:30PM and Saturday, January 30, 2027 from 8:30AM – 4:30PM.
  • North Mankato – South Central College, 1920 Lee Blvd, North Mankato, MN 56003
    • Friday, February 19, 2027 from 5PM – 8:30PM and Saturday, February 20, 2027 from 8:30AM – 4:30PM.
  • St. Cloud – St. Cloud Technical and Community College – 1540 Northway Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303 (tentative)
    • Friday, March 12, 2027 from 5PM – 8:30PM and Saturday, March 13, 2027 from 8:30AM – 4:30PM.
 
Registration for ANY location is now open and available using this link through the University of Minnesota Extension.
 
We have some of the most experienced people in the state on the topic of farm transition and we are passionate about helping people through this process.  No matter what your knowledge is on this topic, all are welcomed to attend and it’s highly encouraged for multi-generations to attend and learn together.


Attend to dive deeper into conversations about: family and business goals, job responsibilities, financial needs of farms and families, inheritance considerations, and mechanisms of transfer.

Over the past number of years, our team has partnered with the University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to offer farm transition retreats throughout the state of Minnesota.  These retreats are well-attended, very successful, and the reviews from attendees are very positive:

  • “How great to offer this program!  Thank you so much.  What a talented, caring group of presenters.  It answered so many of our questions and affirmed what we currently have in place.  Also, this retreat brought up pieces of a farm legacy plan we had not thought of.  We are excited to execute a well-thought plan going forward from here.”

  • “Would you recommend this program to a neighbor or friend? – Rated 9.9 out of 10 by attendees 
Collage of photos at our FBM Retreats

Minnesota Farm Transition Survey:

Beginning in August 2025 at Farmfest, we kicked off a farm transition survey to help understand what the need is for farm transition resources in Minnesota.  That survey was continued at various farm related industry events throughout the winter and it closed in April 2026.  The results are very eye opening and the results were released in June 2026 and reveal an urgent need for succession planning support across rural communities in Minnesota.  Read our full press release by visiting 2025 – 2026 Farm Transition Survey Results Press Release.  You can see the results of the survey displayed immediately below and/or a full .pdf of the results can be downloaded here.
2025-2026-Farm-Transition-Survey-Results-Infographic

Farm Succession Coordinators:

If you are looking for someone to talk to, in person or over the phone, about farm succession, Jim Molenaar and Kathy Hommerding are both trained professionals on this topic and are available at no cost to farm families across Minnesota thanks to funding through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.  Please feel free to reach out to them as they are great resources.  In March of 2026, Minnesota Public Radio interviewed Farm Succession Coordinator Jim Molenaar.  He explains some tips and strategies of a good farm succession plan.  You can listen to the 9 minute audio on this MPR audio clip or read the article on the MPR website. 

Additional Resources:

If you are wanting additional printed and online resources on the topic of farm transition and estate planning, we’ve put together a one-page document that you can download to get more information.  You can access that by clicking our Farm Transition Resource Guide, which will allow you to download the document.

If you are a follower of farmers who share their stories on social media, you might recognize James Pieper, who goes by AllAboutFarming on social media.  He is a farmer from south central Minnesota and in this short video, he shares his story about how he is going through a farm transition with one of his family members.

Each farm transition is unique and it can be a very in-depth process.  There are a number of resources that we provide to help make that easier.  Continue reading below for some of the resources that are available to help you and your family.