Conferences
Preparedness Fundamentals for Limited-Resource Farm Families
Nelson Brownlee and James Hartsfield
Summary
Fifty-six percent of Americans believe that estate planning is important, but only 33% of adults in the U.S. have documented their end-of-life plans. Many limited-resource families do not perform estate planning due to a complex mix of historical factors including systemic racism, lack of access to legal services, a perception that estate planning is not necessary for those with limited assets, mistrust of the legal system, and the resulting phenomenon of "heirs' property" where land is passed down without a will, leading to fragmented ownership and difficulty managing the land effectively which often results in the loss of generational wealth in the form of farmland.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Robeson, Hartnett, and Duplin Counties organized Preparedness Fundamentals for Farm Families Workshops, in Lumberton, Lillington, and Kenansville respectively. The objectives of the workshops were to have families learn about disaster preparedness strategies, conduct risk assessments on their farm and the basics of estate planning.
A total of 62 persons attended the workshops. Evaluations conducted after the workshops showed that all the participants said the information was very useful and on a scale of 1 to 5 participants rated an average of 4.5 in knowledge of disaster preparedness and estate planning. Many of the participants stated that they are more prepared for an emergency and would work toward having a will for their family and a succession plan for their farm in place.
Details
| Conference | 2025 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
| Presentation Type | Poster |