The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension is inviting farm families and farm business owners to participate in Cultivating Your Farm’s Future, an interactive virtual program designed to kickstart the vital process of farm succession planning.
Succession planning is more than just paperwork; it is about answering the critical questions that define a farm’s survival across generations: How will the farm operate when the current owner retires? and What is the role of the next generation in the future of the business? This workshop series provides a structured environment to explore these questions through a proven three-step process: determining where you are now, identifying where you want to be, and mapping out how to get there.
“Multiple farm and family members are encouraged to attend together,” says Joy Kirkpatrick, Farm Succession Outreach Specialist. “Whether you are the owner generation looking to develop a fair inheritance plan, or the next generation questioning how to make your goals financially realistic, this program is for you.”
The program is delivered live via Zoom, allowing participants to join from the comfort of their own homes. To ensure a high-quality, personal learning experience, each series is limited to only 15 farms. Participants will receive a physical workbook and materials via mail prior to the first session, alongside homework assignments, including short videos and worksheets that are designed to facilitate crucial family conversations.
Workshop Topics
- Communication strategies and navigating common tensions
- Inheritance distributions and the challenging question: “Is equal fair?”
- Financial and estate planning including business entities and tools such as wills and trusts
- SWOT analysis to identify farm strengths and threats
By participating, families can shape and communicate their ideas before meeting with professional service providers like accountants or attorneys, ultimately saving time and making those professional meetings more efficient.
Workshop Dates and Registration
Two sessions are currently scheduled for the upcoming season. The registration fee is $200 per farm. We encourage farms to sign up multiple farm/family members (all for $200/farm). This fee provides one Cultivating Your Farm’s Future workbook and one Cultivating Continuity book per farm, a participant manual for each person registered, access to course videos that are assigned as homework, and six live zoom classes.
- Fall 2026 Series: Runs Thursdays from November 12 to December 10, 2026 (skipping Thanksgiving), with two optional sessions in January 2027. The registration deadline is October 23, 2026.
- Winter 2027 Series: Runs Thursdays from February 4 to February 25, 2027, with two optional sessions in March. The registration deadline is January 22, 2027.
For more information or to register, visit the Cultivating Your Farm’s Future website or contact Joy Kirkpatrick at 608-263-3485 or joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu.
About the Instructors
Cultivating Your Farm’s Future is led by a team of specialists from the UW-Madison Division of Extension who are dedicated to addressing the most pressing issues in farm business management. Joy Kirkpatrick serves as the Farm Succession Outreach Specialist and is the primary contact for the workshops. Kevin Bernhardt provides expertise as a Farm Financial Management Specialist. The team also includes Kelly Wilfert, who serves as the Farm Law Statewide Outreach Specialist, and Stephanie Plaster, the Farm Business Development Statewide Outreach Specialist. Together, these instructors guide families through the financial, legal, and strategic aspects of a successful farm transition.