Land as Your Legacy Ad

Nationwide’s Land As Your Legacy program has dedicated, experienced agents who are specifically trained at helping families transition farm businesses to the next generation.

ericbrown_nationwideEric Brown, a Nationwide agent specializing in Land As Your Legacy and a Farm Bureau member from Huron County, is an expert in the process, including some of the challenges he helps guide families through every day.

“Everyone thinks that money is the No. 1, most prevalent issue,” Brown said. “They think money is the issue, property is the issue, equipment is the issue, but the No. 1 issue has always been a people issue.”

Families are all different, he said. Personalities can clash and long-held grievances can become large elephants in the room, especially when making plans for the future of the family farm takes center stage.

“It comes down to communication,” he said. “In the cases I’ve seen fall apart, the damage has been done because of a complete lack of communication. The longer that goes on, the more it will grow and fester and all of a sudden it’s this big deal.”
One particular family’s case comes to mind for Brown. The Ohio family is trying to plan for the future of a 2,000-acre crop farm. The parents are in their late 60s and there are several children, only a few of whom farm. Things are so strained among the siblings that three of them no longer gather to celebrate key family holidays.
Sadly, Brown said, this is not an isolated issue. He sees it all the time. His clients also struggle with a lack of leadership within the family.

“Mom and Dad don’t want to upset the kids, but the more definitive Mom and Dad can be (about decisions) the better off everyone is,” he said.

Another challenge is the transfer of business power from one generation to the next.

“Agriculture has become so complex, so sophisticated, so dynamic that the skills Mom and Dad have today aren’t the skills needed to keep the farm operational for the next 20-30 years,” Brown said, noting that there is a flipside to that as well.

“The kids have never had to have their own money at risk,” Brown said. “Some passing of responsibility has got to take place while Mom and Dad are still around to teach them how to run the farm.”

Five key elements make up the Land as Your Legacy program: succession planning, business planning, risk management, financial independence and estate planning services. Land As Your Legacy agents can help families navigate all of them.

Brown said he has done everything from being the objective third party at a family meeting to going with farmers to meet with their attorneys and “speak lawyer,” to help them understand the complicated legalities.

“I know the blood, sweat and tears that go into getting a farm where it is today,” said Brown, who operates a 1,000-acre grain farm himself. “Why on earth would you leave (its legacy) to chance?”

If you’re ready to start the discussion about transition planning, contact a Land As Your Legacy adviser at 1-844-654-5266 or [email protected].

The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
Gretchan Francis's avatar
Gretchan Francis

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Bringing the farm back to life
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
Jody Brown Boyd's avatar
Jody Brown Boyd

Brown's Family Farm Market

Finding farm labor
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
David Thomas's avatar
David Thomas

Ashtabula County Auditor

CAUV: Past, present and future
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
Hannah Kiser's avatar
Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
Chad Ruhl's avatar
Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
Suggested Tags: