What happens when there isn’t a family heir ready to take over the operation?
That question was at the center of Episode 2 of “Surviving the Family Farm,” a new Rural Radio Network series focused on farm succession, estate planning and family business transitions.
Hosted by Bryce Doeschot, the episode featured Dr. Tom Field of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, Prairie Fire Consulting’s Craig Burnside and agricultural attorney Spencer Hartman.
One listener from Nebraska asked the panel about finding a successor outside the family when there is no next generation prepared to take over the farm.
Field said the situation is becoming increasingly common across agriculture.
“I think it’s a good question. And it’s one that I think people are asking nationwide coast to coast, border to border,” Field said.
He pointed listeners toward resources such as Nebraska Land Link and the American Farmland Trust’s matching programs, while also encouraging producers to leverage local connections.
“Go see your FFA advisor, because they know everybody and they know kind of their situations,” Field said. “And then follow up with extension, every seed salesman, every implement dealer, banker, financial advisor, attorney, CPA, bookkeeper and every pastor in your community and ask, ‘Are there young people looking for opportunities?’”
The episode also tackled a question from a New York farmer who wondered whether he could challenge an inheritance plan that divided farm assets among siblings who had not been involved in the operation.
Hartman said communication is often the key factor in avoiding family conflict.
“What I have found is that when there are family fights, it’s because there were surprises,” Hartman said. “And when there were no surprises, there’s much less fighting going on.”
Another caller asked how families should determine a fair price when farmland is being sold from one relative to another. The panel encouraged producers to focus first on goals and expectations before discussing dollars and cents.
“We always want to jump to, ‘Okay, let’s get to a price,’” Field said. “And this is really a process question.”
Throughout the discussion, panelists emphasized the importance of early conversations, clear expectations and documented agreements when navigating farm transitions.
The full episode explores succession planning without an heir, inheritance disputes between farming and non-farming heirs, and strategies for purchasing family land while preserving relationships.
Have a question for a future episode? Submit it at RuralRadio.com/Ask.
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