Free retreats help Minnesota farm families plan a transition to next generation

When farm households take into consideration transitioning to the following era, the very first thing that usually involves thoughts is transferring the property — the land, the buildings, the tools.

However Nathan Hulinksy with the College of Minnesota Extension Service, says it actually wants to begin with a plan to switch the administration tasks.

“As a result of if the son who’s taken over the farm would not know the right method of selecting out seed genetics or, you understand, selecting out what bulls to make use of for the dairy farm, if they do not know a few of these administration capabilities, the farm’s not going to outlive the asset switch,” Hulinsky stated. “I’ve heard plenty of horror tales the place they promote the son the mix and he would not know the best way to preserve it or use it correctly. 5 years later, it simply did not work and the farm is bought to another person.”

To assist households keep away from the horror tales, the Minnesota Extension gives free household retreat weekends to assist information the transition dialogue.

Hulinsky stated Minnesota Extension began going to a two-day format just a few years in the past, after getting suggestions {that a} single session of some hours was typically too overwhelming with the quantity of knowledge introduced.

In 2023, Extension is providing three two-day retreats that begin on Friday, 5 to eight:30 p.m., and proceed the following day, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The places and dates are:

• Mankato, Feb. 24-25
• St. Cloud, March 10-11
• Mahnomen, March 31-April 1

The periods are free and three meals are offered. Hulinsky stated most households spend in a single day at residence and return the following morning; lodge rooms usually are not included.
Registration data may be at

https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events

. Hulinsky stated there isn’t any arduous deadline however registering per week or two prematurely will assist assure sufficient meals is ordered.

The retreats are facilitated by Hulinsky and Jim Molenaar of St. Cloud Technical and Neighborhood School.

Hulinsky was a part of two retreats final yr, with three to 5 relations from every household collaborating and eight to 10 households at every session.

He stated the networking amongst households also can assist speak by way of and provide totally different viewpoints to the distinctive state of affairs each farm presents.

Hulinsky stated the two-day format additionally helps households preserve the dialog and transition course of going after being hit with a wave of knowledge.

“We encourage each events, you understand, the youthful era and the older era, to point out as much as these retreats to form of … pressure the dialogue and say, ‘Hey, like, what are our long run targets, proper?’”

Hulinsky stated speaking by way of targets is among the first massive steps within the course of — and never simply targets for the enterprise facet of issues, but in addition private and household targets.

“You realize, perhaps that the enterprise objective is that they actually wish to develop, however a household objective is that they wish to go and do a bunch of holidays. Typically these targets do not work effectively with one another,” Hulinsky stated.

Another matters embrace defining job tasks and maybe even job titles.

And, whereas members gained’t be opening up their accounting books, there will likely be a dialogue of funds and potential tax implications of various choices.

“How will we promote the daughter the cows? Simply a few of these sale facets we do discuss pretty briefly,” Hulinsky stated.

Households will get some worksheets to work by way of to assist with planning for persevering with the farm and retirement.

“So I believe the take house is ensuring everyone’s within the know,” Hulinsky stated. “However once more, it is not over on Saturday at 4 o’clock once we wrap up this dialogue.”