DESCRIBE ANY UNEXPECTED RESULTS OF THE PROJECT:

We ran into a couple of unexpected obstacles this year.  First the bad news - two workshops were canceled in Maine and an event was not held in New Hampshire due to instructor availability.  The events in Maine were puzzling due to the case that farm transition/transfer was a top need reported by farmers to University of Maine Cooperative Extension. 

On a more positive note, attendance at the Vermont workshops was also puzzling. One workshop was about to be cancelled, when enough people called in to indicate they were coming to make the event viable.  After providing the restaurant a lunch count, of approximately 20 three days ahead of the workshop, total attendance with late calls and walk-ins reached 36.  While that is always a positive occurrence, the restaurant was thankfully able to handle the bigger crowd.

On a definite positive impact on our program, Jesse Richardson, who has worked with our program for the past 10 years, joined the faculty at the West Virginia University College of Law in August 2014.  As part of his outreach interests, he volunteered to work with WVU Extension to conduct farm transition/transfer workshops at county meetings.  With his past experience working with us in New England, and the fact that we had planned to conduct workshops in West Virginia for the 2015 program year, we decided to take advantage of this opportunity and funded Mr. Richardson's efforts, reaching West Virginia farmers on a topic that has generally received minimal attention n the past.  From comments by participants, West Virginia's farmers are in dire need of this programming and there is a tremendous opportunity to work with the WV University College of Law.  We made excellent use of available funds to reach West Virginia farmers and have set a foundation for further education programs in 2015.

HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE PROJECT IF YOU WERE TO DO IT AGAIN?

We are still dependent on workshops but the videos are getting increased viewing. Workshops present a challenge to reach the population of older farmers who are engaged in an increasing diversity of ag products. Thus its getting harder to reach one commodity group through membership lists.  Workshop format does provide significant knowledge transfer and provides farmers the courage they need to make positive steps.  I intend to add the videos to the workshop agenda and obtain a clearer PowerPoint series on Medicaid challenges.

WHAT WERE THE KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR YOUR PARTICIPANTS?

We definitely believe that seeing and talking to other farmers who have made major steps or have completed a transition are a key to convincing them they can also take steps toward a transition that assures a farm business with survive or continue in the family.  Just being convinced they can do it remains a major key to success.

The unexpected event of Mr. Richardson moving to the faculty at the West Virginia University College of Law presented definite opportunities as he was now within the Northeast region.  Mr. Richardson has delivered programs across New England in the past 10 years and was willing to continue this work as a outreach effort in West Virginia, while noting, he does not have an Extension or outreach responsibilities in his new position.  We were able to capitalize on his new position and expect to build on the 2014 meeting into the 2015 program year on a new grant from the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center.

INDIVIDUAL STORIES / EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS / QUOTES

Jesse Richardson always addresses the liability issue with open partnerships. At one workshop the following situation was described:   A group of  of 9 local family farm owners who share labor, split bulk loads of products (including but not limited to feed), and ultimately market and sell their product as a single entity (they do actually get paid individually). They are mostly
in agreement, based on your example, that they need to do something.  As a result of this workshop, this group is setting up a written partnership, defining responsibilities, roles, and limiting decision making. They are taking out insurance that protect them against liability that could result from actions of a implied partnership agreement.

This comment came in an email after Jesse Richardson's workshop in West Virginia:  "Your presentation Tuesday evening, 01-13-2015, in Petersburg, WV was outstanding!  The best thought provoking education the Grant County Extension Service has provided ever, bar none.  When are you coming back?"

Gary Anderson, Maine,  advertised workshops by email and received a response from a Maine farmer who was in Hanoi, Vietnam who was interested but would not be back in Maine until the week after the workshop. Just interesting to show that people get, evaluate and  respond to emails wherever they are in the world.

We have conducted a taping of the Thurber family, Brattleboro, VT, for producing a video of farm transfer on a diversified farm. The video will be broadcast on Across the Fence in early March 2013. The show meets an estimated 20,000 viewers across Vermont. The shows produce a number of phone calls regarding farm transfer issues.

I met with a Vermont family on November 7, 2014.  Dad is now confined to a wheelchair, Mom is supplying nursing care with the help of their son. They have a farm and facing the situation that Dad will likely be in a nursing home within a year.  They called me and said they wanted to transfer the farm to the children but didn't know how.  I met with them and discussed their situation. We came to several recommendations 1) don't touch the deed until conferring with an elder care attorney to protect use of Medicaid, 2) have a sitdown conversation with children to see what they would like to do with the farm, 3) in conjunction with the attorney, update wills and make a plan for the family farm.  The family has met with an attorney that set them on the right course for consideration of Medicaid and long term care.  The family has talked things through and will be setting up a family LLC for most of the farmland with one parcel being sold off to pay off one child.  Wills have been updated and son who is on the farm will have full use and management responsibility of the farm. One success.