COLUMBUS, N.J. — New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher announced today that the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) is offering a farm succession planning workshop to help farmland owners and the next generation farmers.
The workshop, “Farm Succession Planning” will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, at Recklesstown Farm Distillery, 2800 US-206, Columbus, NJ 08022.
The workshop is being conducted as part of American Farmland Trust’s “Farmland Advisor” program, which seeks to support beginning farmers in accessing farmland and senior farmers and nonfarming landowners in providing access to or transferring farmland.
“Passing a farm on to the next generation is a vitally significant issue and planning ahead and understanding all the options available is extremely important” Secretary Fisher said. “The SADC not only administers New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation and Right to Farm Programs, but also promotes innovative approaches to support farm viability. This workshop will help attendees learn more about estate planning vs. succession planning, planning for the financial impact of business succession and preparing both the next generation and the exiting generation for success.”
SADC’s guest speaker, Keith Dickinson is a Business Consultant with Farm Credit East who works with farmers and other agricultural business owners with planning and managing their businesses. Prior to working with Farm Credit East, Keith worked as an Agricultural Business Management Educator with Penn State Extension and as a Farm Business Management Extension Agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension. Keith holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics, both from Virginia Tech. Keith is a Certified Financial PlannerTM Professional, and has completed the Financial Planning Certificate program at Florida State University. Keith lives on the family grain and vegetable farm where he was raised in Stow Creek Township in Cumberland County, N.J.
A roundtable discussion with attendees and farmland owners will follow to discuss and share farm succession stories and ask questions.
Tickets are $10.00 and registration is mandatory either through https://www.eventbrite.com/e/farm-succession-planning-workshop-tickets-92724674999 or call the SADC at 609-984-2504 to reserve your space. Workshop registration includes lite fare for dinner.
FarmSuccessionPlanningWorkshopFlier
–Heidi Winzinger, New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program