Often one of the most unpleasant tasks of farming is planning, but farm planning may be the single most important tool at a farmer’s disposal. Careful planning can minimize costly mistakes, eliminate redundancies and create a clear path of profitable action. As Tamara Benjamin, a program leader at Purdue University points out one effective method of planning is […]
Category: Family Farm
Owning a family farm is a dream for many people. One of the most difficult aspects of farming is passing down the farm to future generations. As tax and business laws continue to change, it is getting difficult to develop succession planning with family farming. Successful farming plans require a lot of research and work on the front […]
In their Estate Planning farm families usually rely on a trust to avoid unnecessary taxes and government involvement. By creating a trust the farmer makes sure that his intentions for distributing farm assets prevail after death. When a trust is in effect, there is no need for probate because the trust owns the property and […]
Farms used to be passed along throughout generations by default. It simply made sense that parents would pass a family farm along to their children, who had grown up participating in farm life. Although the practice of maintaining multigenerational farms is less common now, maintaining a multigenerational farm still has benefits for the family, the […]
Valentine’s Day is here and that means that love is in the air… And as you celebrate the hearts that make yours skip a beat, don’t forget to celebrate the farm – that living, breathing, heart-beating thing that pulls you all together and gives you all a shared purpose that is so much bigger than […]
You’ve worked hard to keep your farm alive. You’re proud of it. It’s like a child to you. And, like any child, you think about its future. You want what’s best for it, and you want to ensure it will be in safe hands after you’re gone. This farm is your legacy. It is years […]
There’s an old saying that goes a little something like this, “Home is where your mama is…” And no matter where you grew up or how old you grow, there is a kid inside of us all who will always long to go back home. When the road is too winding, when the day is […]
Isn’t it truly amazing that it only takes a twinkle of clear lights strung around a fir tree to ignite wonder in the eyes and hearts of our children and grandchildren? Baking sugar cookies around the breakfast table, wondering if every light up in the sky is Santa’s sleigh approaching, a single snowflake falling to […]
Farm life isn’t known for being easy. Yet, there are also rewards like knowing that instead of a stressful commute you are heading into the sun-kissed fields. When tension strikes, it is important to address it right away because everyone knows that nothing is so important that it should come between a farm family. Use […]
While it may not live up to a fairytale lifestyle, marrying into a farm can be rewarding in ways you’d never imagined. If you’re coming from city life, put on some muddin’ shoes, a straw hat, and get ready for the ride of your life. Unpredictable Dinner With a regular 9-5, you can plan out […]