Extension has a history of providing workshops addressing retirement and farm succession planning. However, without addressing family communication difficulties, the practicality of these workshops is limited. We provided a series of workshops on retirement and succession planning that included an emphasis on family communication skills. In particular, communication skills were focused on developing shared goals and conflict resolution.
Based on the limited numbers of participants initially, we requested an extension on the project and implemented a Powers Couples retreat that included communication skills on conflict resolution, financial planning, and estate planning. This retreat was held over a weekend at a hotel in Annapolis that allowed couples to get away for the weekend. This workshop attracted 9 couples.
The target audience was Maryland and Delaware farmers and their family members.
The goal was to improve interpersonal skills in communicating and develop shared goals with family members to allow for the development of successful succession plans.
Number of producers who achieved these results: 49