Ohio State Offers Webinar Jan. 9 to Help Farm Families Organize Farm and Family Affairs

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Experts from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences will present a webinar at 7 p.m. on Jan. 9 designed to help farmers and farm families learn how to prepare for the unexpected. 

From organizing financial and personal information to preparing the next generation to take over the farm business, the webinar will tackle issues that farmers and farm families need to be aware of as they plan succession, retirement and their estate plans, said David Marrison, an Ohio State University Extension educator.

OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of the college.

The program will offer information to help farmers and farm families deal with the aftermath of an unexpected event, said Marrison, who will present the webinar. 

“Farm accidents, cancer, disability, heart attacks, failing health, and death are all words farmers do not like to hear,” he said.

“Farming is the second most dangerous occupation in the United States. You combine that with the aging population of farmers nationwide, and that means that your farm business might lose one of its key managers unexpectedly. The question that leads to is, Is your farm ready for the unexpected and have you prepared the next generation to run your farm business after you are gone?”

Some of the topics the webinar will address include how to:

• Develop an emergency contact list for your farm
• Develop a letter of instructions to your heirs regarding their financial matters
• Consolidate all of your financial and personal information including real property, legal documents and savings and investment accounts into one document
• Use the “opossum approach” to checking to see if your heirs are ready to run the farm business.

The webinar will be helpful to teach participants to take time to organize their financial matters for their peace of mind, Marrison said.

“This program will save you hundreds of dollars as you develop your succession, retirement and estate plans,” he said. “It can help you get started in getting your affairs in order so you can concentrate on your family, career and your bucket list.”

The Jan. 9 webinar runs from 7-8:30 p.m. and can be viewed online live by going to http://carmenconnect.osu.edu/ohioagmanager/. No preregistration is required. 

For more information about the webinar, contact Marrison at marrison.2@osu.edu or 440-576-9008.