Several papers pick them up and print them verbatim, others re-interview the family if they re within their local area. Profiling the applicants has been a great boost to the Montana FarmLink program. We are able to highlight specific applicant needs regarding land, legal and financial requirements. Interspersed in the article are solutions and resources readers could contact or use to answer their questions too. The decision to link or partner with someone is it not easy for either the beginning or retiring farmer.
Beginners come with new ideas and an exuberance of energy as they embark on a new adventure.
Retiring farmers tend to like the idea of a legacy as much or more than the concept of helping someone get a start. As facilitators, we play a role of looking at the financial capabilities, farm enterprise interests, business structure, tax implications, etc. of the transition. Linkages can consist of a new partnership arrangement, the bringing a new farmer into an existing corporation, or a leasing arrangement of one sole proprietor to another. Consider suggesting to both generations the idea of putting together job descriptions that will outline their own and the other party s roles, responsibilities, and duties. Each party should also identify what they see as their strengths and weakness.