As farm acreage becomes more costly pushed higher by institutional investors, managing an affordable transfer of farm assets complicates Succession Planning. For many farmers close to retirement age, decisions concerning farm transfer must try to accommodate disparate goals. For example, farm succession planning may involve accommodating career-minded heirs who want to preserve the family farm […]
Tag: farm life
When previous generations thought of a farm crisis, they were generally concerned with crop damage or major repairs to equipment and structures. These days, a crisis can also involve public relations. Even if your farm is not open to the public, you should nonetheless have a media strategy in place-here are some tips that will […]
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Hired Help on the Family Farm
A family farm often involves the whole family working together – one family member might be best suited to handling tractors and machinery, another to building farm infrastructure, and others might prefer making sales or managing the farm office. Even the kids probably pitch in to make hay or feed animals. At a certain scale, […]
While we may not mean to, many modern parents tend to put gender restrictions on the household chores and tasks. It might be due to the fact that our parents raised us in this manner, or it may simply be because we expect different things from our sons and daughters. Whatever the reason, people have […]
A natural hazard, like a drought, flood, tornado or a hurricane, becomes a natural disaster when it negatively impacts society and infrastructure. Although we can’t prevent natural hazards, we can take actions that lessen their impact. The government contributes with better forecasts and warnings, and with large-scale mitigation projects aimed at community safety and resilience. […]
For a farm to run smoothly, everyone must pull his or her weight. However, the concept of doing one’s fair share is something not everyone grasps. Unfortunately, you will probably deal with one or more of these types of freeloaders on the family farm at one point or another. #1. Boomerang children Whether it’s college students returning for the […]
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3 Tips for Preventing Farm Divorces
Running a farm is hard work and, at times, tensions can rise. When those tensions are between husband and wife it can sometimes be hard to simmer down. Eventually, prolonged stress can lead to divorce – which nobody really wants, no matter how vehemently you feel that in the heat of the argument. Marriage takes […]
Running a farm takes a lot of work, and every set of hands is a huge help – even the tiniest hands can make a world of difference in the day’s workload. Sometimes farmers wonder what chores their children are able to handle. While each child will differ a little in their abilities thanks to […]
Despite your best-laid plans, accidents may (and often do) occur on the family farm. A resulting injury can be debilitating, preventing the injured among you from contributing to the work. Even small injuries can delay, or cripple your ability to accomplish the goals you’ve set. We all hope to nip hazards in the bud before […]
With the tax deadline rapidly approaching, many family farms might be wondering how to maximize their tax deductions. Here are 5 tips to maximize your farm refund. 1. Ordinary and Necessary Expenses: Farm expenses can be deducted if they are accurately documented (receipts). Ordinary expenses are what is needed in order to run the farm and […]
