A3B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 9, 2002 UNDERSTANDING WHAT SUCCESSION IS Planning for your successor, or someone to take over your farm, is the most important task you need to complete if you want your farm to survive into the next generation. Yet, according to some recent statistics, many farm families have not identified a suc cessor for their family business or even talked to family members about what will happen to the farm when they die. Succession means choosing and grooming someone to take * * the ’. f Our Dry-Trak m surface provides your livestock with optimum traction and movement,achieved through the proper balance of matthickness and durometer (indentation or imprinting) as well -high grade input materials. -exclusive interlodcdesign. -specialized Pro-SMder™ cleaning equipment. -Slat-Lok™ non invasive anchors for slatted flioors. COMPONENTS OF A PROVEN SYSTEM Gary Johnson Box 154 Church St. Spnngville Pa. (57(3)965-2613 sAamAg Incorporated Over 85 years cumulative agriculture experience serving the northeastern states CONSIDERING EXPANDING YOUR FARM OPERATION? Call TeamAg for Free Permit Consultation TeamAg will answer your questions regarding Nutrient Management, CAFO, and local permits for your farm operation, when we survey your expansion site. Call us today for an estimate. TeamAg, Inc. 901 Dawn Avenue Ephrata, PA 17522 717-721-6795 • Site Engineering and Manure Systems Design • Nutrient Management Planning • Precision Agriculture • CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) Permits • Natural Resources Management • Crop Management/Scouting/Soil Testing Email: TeamAg@TeamAglnc.com New Farmers, New Generation Marion Bowlan Pennsylvania Farm Link over your farm, planning for the future, coping with the transition, communicating the change to family members and business as sociates, and letting go graceful ly. It is a process that is about family, people and relationships, ownership and management, what is fair, and driven by your family’s values, wants, and con cerns. It is not an event, about one person’s problem, minimiz ing taxes, equality, or driven by technical issues handled by law yers or accountants. In other words, you need to talk to family f * ™ » . system... -A Proven Success (BHlitlHl, JgjSr^LOCKED www.ammatonlme.com Auafir FLOORING folkema@sympatico.ca members and make decisions for your farm’s future based on fami ly needs and discussions. Passing on your farm can trig ger powerful emotions for both the older and the younger generation. Generally, the senior generation is concerned about the capability of the younger generation, letting go of a busi ness they spent a lifetime build ing, what to do when they step down, and facing their own mor tality. The junior generation is concerned about being able to handle the business well, taking on full responsibility, possibly without guidance from the senior generation, and how to change or expand the operation to become or remain profitable. This process always involves change, a constant in life. While it is necessary for any business, it can be difficult. Many farmers are naturally tempted to resist these changes. Ultimately, the the easy sort system TIRED OF SORTING f r CAN PIGS? -X HHCSbU, HELP • Automatically Sorts Pigs by Weight • Large Pen Finishing Design • Holds Integrators’ Top Performance Records • Make money on sort bonus AP Quality SCHICKENTERPRISES 800-527-7675 Feeder Wagon with Headlocks Zimmerman adjustable headlocks for animals 10 months or older. Mounted on a 5' x 20' or 24' trough with an adjustable tongue. All headlocks finished with a zinc rich undercoat & TGIC polyester powder topcoat. • Spring loaded neck bar for easy removal & adjustment. • Individual lock on each yoke fr' retain*- (dividual animals Call or Write For Additional Information & the Name of Your Nearest Dealer way you view and act upon these changes will determine whether they are healthy and beneficial or damaging and chaotic. You can greatly influence the outcome and smooth the transition with careful planning. With change comes a sense of loss. We’re losing the way we did things, our patterns, and our ideas. This sense of loss is nor mal. It helps if we can talk with someone about our feelings of sadness, anxiety, or anger that come with loss. And we need to keep in mind that change opens the door for renewal and contin ued viability of the farm. If we approach the process with a sense of exploration and discov ery, the transition to the next generation can be a positive expe rience. Being reluctant to step down and turn your life’s work over to someone else, even if it is your son or daughter, may be difficult, Added Value With Our 2 Coat Process! —1 Five step metal preparation, including iron phosphate conversion coating, to enhance adhesion & prevent undercoat corrosion. '\2 Zinc rich epoxy powder undercoat 3 TGIC polyester powder top coat, baked at 400° to fuse coats •forming a cross link molecular bond Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. 295 Woodcorner Rd. • Lititz, PA 17543 • 1 mile West of Ephrata 717/738-7365 Hours: Mon. thru Fri.: 7-5; Sat. 7-11 Farmco ler Wagon •15“ implement wheel (6 bolt) • 2 jacks on front corners for added stability. but failing to make plans for your successor can have dire conse quences on yoUr farm and your family. Grooming your successor is a key step in a successful farm transfer. Your role in helping the successor achieve the degree of training and competence they need to run the business is crit ical. You then need the courage and trust to step aside and let the successor take over. Want to learn more about passing on the farm? Come to our winter workshops scheduled for the following times and loca tions: Nov. 13 at the Penn State Fruit and Research Center in Biglerville, Nov. 20 at the Garden Gate Restaurant in Prospect, Dec. 17 at the Lycoming County extension office in Montoursville, and Jan. 22 at the Sunset West Restaurant in Pleasant Gap. Call Pennsylvania Farm Link at (717) 664-7077 to register for these workshops or for more in formation.
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