Progress report for ENE23-185
Project Information
Opportunity and Justification: Transitioning to a successor farm is a significant challenge for many farms in Maine and across the region. During annual monitoring visits to date, 20% of farmers with conservation easements on their land noted to Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) stewardship staff the difficulty with farm succession. Many Maine farmers are low income, and low-resource producers are less likely to have a succession plan in place. One of the primary factors that supports a farm’s ability to engage in transition planning is access to professional services like lawyers, accountants and estate planners with relevant, up-to-date expertise.
Solution and Approach: The proposed solution is to 1) educate service providers at MFT on succession planning so they can identify and support farmers in taking the first steps by providing connections to resources and specialized support; and 2) train a smaller group of service providers to provide direct succession planning support to farmers 3) Ensure all farmer outreach is supported by feedback from an advisory committee composed of farmers and succession planning service providers, ensuring relevance of the materials and topics provided.
The following included approaches will increase farmer access to succession planning resources: 1) outreach materials to farms across Maine on succession planning; 2) in-person workshops for Maine farmers interested in succession planning; 3) engaging three farms as case studies; and 4) providing peer-to-peer connections for succession planning professionals across New England. These actions will start farmers with the succession planning process sooner, allowing for affordable retirement and improved quality of life, while ensuring the farmland stays in farming by supporting access to the next generation of farmers.
Specifically, sixty Maine farmers interested in farm succession will participate in three workshops focused on farm business transitions hosted by MFT staff, supported by Land for Good (LFG), serving as an on-the-ground training opportunity for MFT staff. Staff will support development of transition planning curriculum to deliver to Network farms, building relationships with farms in the beginning phase of transition. Three farms will engage in succession planning as case studies; key MFT staff will work in-depth with landowners to start succession planning alongside LFG staff mentors. Over 75 succession planning professionals across New England will increase their knowledge about succession planning through a facilitated remote conversation and information-sharing session by MFT and LFG.
This project will build on Maine Farmland Trust’s unique position, with long-term connections and relationships with farmers across Maine, to train MFT staff to: better address and recognize succession planning needs in MFT’s growing network of over 500 farms, connect farmers with trained professional services throughout the process, and share project outcomes with other organizations beyond Maine.
Fifteen staff at Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) will receive in-depth training to provide succession planning assistance to its Network of over 500 farms, covering 68,000 acres across Maine by 1) creating farmland succession planning information, 2) identifying transfer/succession needs and sharing succession planning resources with farmers, and 3) deepening MFT staff understanding of transfer and succession models.
Sixty Maine farmers interested in farm succession will participate in three workshops focused on farm business transitions hosted by MFT staff, supported by Land for Good (LFG), serving as an on-the-ground training opportunity for MFT staff. Staff will support development of transition planning curriculum to deliver to Network farms, building relationships with farms in the beginning phase of transition.
Three farms will engage in succession planning as case studies; key MFT staff will work in-depth with landowners to start succession planning alongside LFG staff mentors.
Over 500 farmers will have an increased awareness of options around succession planning; over 60 will know what steps to take to begin succession planning for their own farm.
Maine is undergoing a large-scale transition in farmland; it has been estimated that over 400,000 acres of Maine’s farmland will transfer ownership within the next decade (Gaining Insights, Gaining Access, AFT/LFG, 2016). This, combined with the rising age of Maine farmers, points to a critical need to support farmers with transferring the farm business while the business is still fully operational, so that they have the resources to retire and the land stays in farming.
One of the primary factors that supports a farm’s ability to engage in transition planning is access to professional services like lawyers, accountants and estate planners with relevant, up-to-date expertise to assist with such issues as the tax implications of a farm transfer (Maine Farmers’ Needs & Priorities Report). There’s a need for trained succession planning service providers to support farmers through the complex planning process.
The proposed solution is to 1) educate service providers at MFT on succession planning so they can identify and support farmers in taking the first steps by providing connections to resources and specialized support; and 2) train a smaller group of service providers to provide direct succession planning support to farmers 3) ensure all farmer outreach is supported by feedback from an advisory committee composed of farmers and succession planning service providers, ensuring relevance of the materials and topics provided and 4) conduct a professional service provider information session to facilitate information sharing and peer-to-peer learning among service providers.
This project builds on Maine Farmland Trust’s unique position as an organization that has established strong relationships with farmers across Maine since 1999, to develop a more robust farm succession planning support system.
Cooperators
Educational Approach
Engagement:
This project serves 3 key audiences 1) 15 MFT staff: Farmland Protection staff, Farmland Access staff, Farm Network staff (Farm Network Director, Stewardship staff, Climate Resilience staff, Farm Business Planning staff); 2) 40 Farmers; and 3) 75+ Professional Service Providers.
MFT staff participating in this project are prepared for and committed to furthering their learning in order to build out a more robust farmland succession planning support system in Maine.
MFT staff created outreach materials outlining general options for Succession Planning, and highlighting Farmland Succession Planning workshops as a source of further information. In collaboration with Land for Good (LFG), MFT hosted three succession planning workshops in 2024/25, entitled “Planning for Your Farm’s Future”. Information about the succession planning workshops was shared through: multiple announcements in MFT farmer e-news, on MFT's website, in MFT’s Summer Farm Network print newsletter, on social media, information shared with partners, press releases in local papers, information shared during farm visits, and direct outreach to farms likely to participate through personalized emails from staff.
Farmers participating in workshops were each offered a $75 “Lowering Barriers” stipend to cover travel costs, childcare, or other potential barriers to attendance. All farmer workshop participants also received printed handouts and learning materials, plus direct follow-up communication after the workshop to connect them to additional resources as needed. Further incentives for program participation included peer-to-peer support for farmers participating in workshops. Food was provided for in-person farmer participants attending the two workshops held in December.
MFT staff participants have been receiving peer-to-peer support through team meetings and periodic post-training check-ins and mentoring with LFG. Conversation topics have ranged from trouble-shooting specific farmer support situations, to a more in-depth conversation about farm retirement planning.
Staff participating in the farmer Case Studies have been continuing to work on succession planning with three pilot farms while receiving mentorship from Land for Good. Farmers participating in Case Studies will also each receive a $2,000 technical assistance stipend to cover expenses related to the succession planning process (e.g. legal/accounting fees).
In 2025, MFT staff are working on organizing and planning a remote information-sharing session for New England service provider professionals. MFT staff maintain a list of professional service providers in Maine who have worked with farms in MFT’s Farm Network. These service providers will be notified of the training opportunity through direct outreach. In 2022, MFT hosted a UMaine student Service-Learning Project focused on researching programs and organizations supporting farm succession planning in New England. Additional professional service providers will be notified through: MFT e-news, membership newsletters, social media, listservs (Maine Agricultural Service Provider, Maine Land Trust Network, others in New England).
Learning:
This project consists of four primary learning components: (1) Succession planning training for 15 MFT staff; (2) Three in-person farmer workshops; (3) Three in-depth farmer succession planning case studies; and (4) One remote information-sharing session for New England service provider professionals.
- Year 1: MFT Staff trainings included remote and in-person learning:
- Farmland Protection & Farmland Access program staff received training focused on how to discuss and identify farmland succession needs with farmers.
- Stewardship program staff learned to incorporate farmland succession discussions into annual monitoring visits with easement landowners.
- Farm Business Planning staff and Farmland Access staff and two Stewards will participate in more in-depth and long-term training as coordinators and co-leaders of farmer workshops and case studies.
- Year 2: Farmer workshops held in-person at locations across Maine including:
- Overview of the farm transfer process, exploration of resources/strategies for successful farm transfers.
- Exercise - identify core values, talk clearly about ideal farming scenario, use that vision to guide a farm transfer process.
- Peer-to-peer learning from other succession journeys via the farmer panel.
- Goal-Setting Activity - “Snack, Meal, Feast” and facilitated reflection groups with other farmers to talk about how to implement these goals.
- Overview of Farm Link, creating an effective property listing.
- If desired, one-on-one follow up from MFT staff to check-in about implementing their goals.
- In years 2-3, farmer case studies involve MFT staff using in-depth succession planning tools with three farms, including:
- Preparing to engage in a transfer process - identifying business and legal tools, assessing the financial situation, building an advisor team.
- Effective communication to build trust.
- Farmers will leave with TA sessions with specific tasks, (e.g. holding family meetings, talking to advisors).
- Regular staff and TA provider check-ins to debrief process, learning, and farmer needs.
- In Year 3, professional service provider information session will include one online conversation to facilitate information sharing and peer-to-peer learning among service providers.
Evaluation:
MFT staff regularly collect and review feedback from farmers through direct farmer conversations, tracked in MFT’s database. We have a system in place to document the number of farms served by MFT programs, including tracking progress and outcomes for each farm. For this project, we will also gather feedback and respond to service provider and farmer needs by:
- Conducting participant surveys for all cohorts, before and after each of the December 2024 workshops and after the January 2025 workshop.
- Incorporating questions about succession planning needs and workshop feedback into annual Stewardship easement monitoring visits.
- Conducting semi-annual check-ins for each Case Study participant to reflect on their experience and provide feedback on the process.
Milestones
- Engagement: June 1 2023. 15 MFT staff share information about their farm succession planning experience and the skills they hope to develop. Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate, shared a pre-participant survey and summarized results to be used for developing staff workshops.
- Status: Complete (August 2023)
- Accomplishments: 19 MFT staff completed a pre-training survey, which helped gauge current knowledge and application of succession planning topics and helped with planning content and agenda for the staff training
- Learning and evaluation: July 30 2023, September 30 2023. 15 MFT staff attend one in-person and one virtual Farm Succession Planning workshop, with tailored topics depending on program area. They deepen their understanding of how to provide farmland succession planning support to farmers. Attendance and learning will be tracked by Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate, via post-participant survey.
- Status: Complete (August 2023, December 2023)
- Accomplishments: In August 2023, 17 MFT staff attended an in-person day-long training at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, ME. Based on participant pre-training survey results, key objectives of the training were for staff to: have a better understanding of how succession planning intersects with placing an easement, know how to handle the topic/what questions to ask, know when to make referrals and how to facilitate getting them to the right help, and to improve their listening and conversation skills. The training included review and discussion of a succession planning case example as well as a panel of farmers and service providers who discussed their personal experiences with succession planning. Panelists included: Ethan Robertson, Farm Business Consultant (Farm Credit East), John Snell, Snell Family Farm, and Sarah Tompkins, Fine Line Farm. Staff participants then completed a post-training evaluation.
- In December 2023, 10 MFT staff participated in a follow-up 2-hour virtual training session and post-participant survey was completed via email.
- In 2024, we plan to conduct an additional virtual training with 19 MFT staff and Land For Good.
- Engagement: November-December 2023, November-January 2024: 500 farms in the MFT Farm Network learn about farm succession planning and workshop opportunities through: social media, email newsletters, mailing, information shared during farm visits, and personal phone calls/emails from staff. 60 farms register online; their contact information is recorded and tracked by Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate. E-communications will be tracked by Henry Trotter, Digital Marketing Associate, via email open rates and social media engagement.
- Status: Completed. In 2023, MFT completed a strategic mapping project to identify geographic farming clusters across the state, with a goal of expanding and elevating our work in these communities.We used this information to help determine locations for December 2024 workshops.
- Accomplishments: To date, 500 farms in the MFT Farm Network have been notified that succession planning and workshop opportunities will be taking place in 2024.
- Accomplishments: Information about workshops was shared through multiple announcements in MFT farmer e-news, on MFT's website, in MFT’s Summer Farm Network print newsletter, on social media, information shared with partners, press releases in local papers, information shared during farm visits, and direct outreach to farms likely to participate through personalized emails from staff.
- Engagement: November-December 2024. For all farmer registrants to the Succession Planning workshop, Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate, will develop surveys and summarize results to be used for developing farmer workshops. This was completed through simple questions included in the workshop registration form.
- Status: Completed
- Accomplishments: During the registration process 17 farmers provided information about where they are in the succession planning process and, in some cases, provided additional context about their particular farm and succession planning situation. This information helped inform workshop content.
- Learning: December 3, 2024, December 12, 2024, January 14, 2025. 38 farmers participate in one of three in-person Farm Succession Planning workshops to learn about farm succession options. A sign-up sheet was distributed at each workshop to collect participant contact information for involvement in follow up succession planning and referrals. Number of participants and their contact information was tracked by Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate. Workshops took place in Farmington, Auburn & Augusta, Maine.
- Status: Completed
- Accomplishments: 38 farmers participated in workshops that took place in Farmington, Auburn & Augusta, Maine. A sign-up sheet was distributed at each workshop to collect participant contact information for involvement in follow up succession planning and referrals.12 farmers requested follow-up support or additional information.
- Evaluation: December 3, 2024, December 12, 2024, January 14, 2025. 38 different farmers learn the first steps for farm succession planning in one of three workshops offered. This was be tracked by Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate, via post-participant surveys filled out at the end of each workshop.
- Status: Completed
- Accomplishments: 17 farmers filled out pre-workshop surveys and 20 farmers filled out post-workshop surveys.
- Engagement: May-June 2025: over 200 professional service providers in New England are notified about Farm Succession Planning Service Provider workshop opportunity through: social media, email newsletters, listservs. 85 providers register online; their contact information is recorded and tracked by Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate. E-communications will be tracked by Henry Trotter, Digital Marketing Associate, via email open rates and social media engagement.
- Status: Not Begun
- Learning and Evaluation: May-June 2025. 75 Professional Service Providers in New England attend a remote workshop and engage in peer-to-peer learning to support farm succession planning. Their level of learning and evaluation of the program will be tracked by Sav Eades, Farm Network Operations Associate, via post-participant survey.
- Status: Not Begun
- Learning and Evaluation: March 2024 - June 2025. Three farms create succession plans as a result of participating as case studies. This will be tracked by Catherine Durkin, Technical Assistance Specialist, via number of plans, via pre-reflections between each case study farm and team of service providers and mentors, and quarterly check ins between case study farms, service providers, and mentors.
- Status: In Progress
- Accomplishments: Six MFT staff are actively working with three pilot farms on succession planning.
Milestone Activities and Participation Summary
Educational activities and events conducted by the project team:
Participants in the project’s educational activities:
Learning Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes - Service Providers
Target #1
15
Fifteen staff at Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) will receive in-depth training to provide succession planning assistance to its Network of over 500 farms, covering 68,000 acres across Maine by 1) creating farmland succession planning information, 2) identifying transfer/succession needs and sharing succession planning resources with farmers, and 3) deepening MFT staff understanding of transfer and succession models.
Sixty Maine farmers interested in farm succession will participate in three workshops focused on farm business transitions hosted by MFT staff, supported by Land for Good (LFG), serving as an on-the-ground training opportunity for MFT staff. Staff will support development of transition planning curriculum to deliver to Network farms, building relationships with farms in the beginning phase of transition.
60
N/A
18
38
n/a
- 6 Curricula, factsheets and other educational tools
- 36 Consultations
- 4 Published press articles/newsletters
- 3 Webinars/talks/presentations
Performance target verification methods and tools used for this project include: workshop participant registration forms, pre-and post workshop surveys, tracking all farmer interactions/conversations in a Salesforce database, tracking notes from MFT staff meetings and LFG partner meetings in shared notes documents in google drive. To date, we have generally met our performance target outcomes for service providers. For MFT staff, successes of the project so far have included increased internal awareness and collaboration, and increased understanding of succession planning needs and challenges. Our farmland protection staff have incorporated questions about succession planning into their farmland protection-related conversations with farmers. Our stewardship staff has started to ask farmers about succession planning needs during annual easement monitoring visits with farmers. Additionally, we have six staff members who have been working on succession planning case studies with six farms, and we will be adding two more farms to that list. That “core group” of MFT service providers has been meeting regularly to share ideas and lessons learned. We have improved cross-programmatic communication to better support farmers in our network, by having regular cross-programmatic meetings to discuss farmer needs and how to better support them, and have also been having more cross-programmatic farm visits to streamline and improve the farmer experience.
While attendance at the workshops was lower than our original target goal, this was largely due to issues with winter weather. Ultimately, we have met the target goal by working with farmers in other ways (additional farmers who have come to us directly for information and support outside of the workshops). We recently included a summary of some of the key takeaways from the workshops in our annual Farm Network newsletter, which we will submit with this report. While we did collect pre- and post-workshop surveys from farmer workshop participants, we have not reached a point of fully summarizing those surveys to measure farmer learning, but will plan to do that for the next report. Additionally, while work with the three succession planning pilot farms has gone slower than expected, that has been a good lesson for staff on how long this process can take. It has also allowed us to consider adding some additional farms into the pilot process.
We are currently planning a webinar/online training for succession planning service providers, which we plan to hold infall of 2025. We are also creating templates for our pilot farm case study write-ups. Overall, the project has been going very well, and has been a great experience for us!
Performance Target Outcomes - Farmers
Target #1
3
Three farms will engage in succession planning as case studies; key MFT staff will work in-depth with landowners to start succession planning alongside LFG staff mentors.
Over 500 farmers will have an increased awareness of options around succession planning; over 60 will know what steps to take to begin succession planning for their own farm.
N/A
18
N/A