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
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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
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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
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-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
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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,
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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)
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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.