The second best time, of course, is today . Don posed this question at the beginning of his book Passing Down the Farm , because it applies so aptly to many would-be farm heirs who've sacrificed the best years of their working lives to the family farm with no guarantee of future ownership.
Parents farm the family ground.
Maybe it's been in the family for generations. A new generation joins the procession. They all help out on the farm as youngsters, and then, as some marry and leave for their own farms or the city, one or two stay behind and continue to farm with Dad and Mom. The kids expect ownership. Gradually, spouses join the equation and a new generation comes along.