An Agreement Between Generations

The future of North Carolina family farming lies in our current generation’s ability to effectively transition their farm business assets to the next generation of producers, either within their families or without. Effective farm business transitions require advanced and sustained planning, a process many farm families have not begun.

The recently-released 2007 Census of Agriculture confirms that North Carolina’s farm community is aging. Since the late 1970’s, the average age of a North Carolina farm operator has steadily increased to 57 years, and nearly a quarter of North Carolina’s farmers are aged 65 or older. These statistics forewarn of an enourmous transfer of farm assets over the next two decades. If steps are not taken now to plan for their continued farm use, a large amount of North Carolina's most valuable agricultural asset - land - could be permanently removed from production.

Equally important to our state's farming future is the ability of young and other beginning farmers to overcome the barriers they face starting and operating a farm business. These entering farmers need creative tenure and equity-building strategies designed to give the entering farmer the assets and management skills he or she needs to run a successful farm business.

We know from experience that many farmers and landowners wish to keep land in agricultural production after they step away from its management.  Navigating the transfer of farm assets and skill across generations involves solid decision-making to reduce the many associated risks of this transfer.  The more of these landowners that benefit from assistance with retirement and estate planning and farm transfer alternatives, the more land will remain in production.  If we can link the next generation of farmers with this land base and the skills of experienced farmers, we as a region will keep land open and available to support and supply our food systems. 

The North Carolina Farm Transition Network was formed to help reverse the trend of farm business exits that are caused by poor business succession planning, or by the absence of a successor within the operator’s family.