During the summer of 2013, Land Stewardship Project Farm Beginnings journalism intern Alex Baumhardt interviewed families in Minnesota and Wisconsin that were in various stages of farm transitions. The following five “Farm Transition Profiles” are the result of those interviews.
Ryan Batalden Profile: A Return to the Community
Lauren & Caleb Langworthy Profile: Teeming with Team Members
Jon Peterson Profile: Trust in the Land
Mary Ellen Frame, Erin Johnson & Ben Doherty Profile: Luck, Pluck & Relationships
Craig Murphy Profile: Leaving an Organic Legacy
The common thread connecting these profiles is that all parties involved—retiring farmers as well as new farmers—have given the transitioning process long, careful thought. Planning, flexibility and creativity are key elements of any transition plan. In the end, these profiles illustrate that no matter what the circumstances, successful transitions require help and support from a broad spectrum of community members. For more information on the farm transitions toolkit, visit HERE.