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SDSU Extension Beginning Farmer and Rancher Symposium

Heather Gessner

Summary

SDSU Extension Beginning Farmer and Rancher Symposium
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Symposium has provided post-secondary education students with succession planning information and communication tools and tips to over 2000 students in its five year tenure.
Program goals are:
• Provide communication tips and ideas to students returning to the family farm.
• Educate students on farm transition methods available to their families.
• Provide local contacts to the students that specialize in estate and transition planning.
• Provide feedback from the banking industry on working with multi-generational operations.
• Provide real world experiences about the transition by inviting young producers to the program.
The keynote speaker has traditionally provided information that targets either the communication or methods goals for the program.
The final goals are accomplished utilizing an Industry Panel and a Returning Farmer Panel. The Industry Panel allows lenders to explain their expectations for the returning generation. During the Returning Farmer Panel, the participants tell their stories about returning to the family operation.
Sponsorships fund the program. Varying sponsor levels, with variation in the exposure they receive during the event are provided. Examples include speaker/ panel sponsorship, ad in the participant booklet, booth space and name recognition. The 2016 budget was $10,000.
Impacts include 86 percent of the participants indicated learning one-four things, with 42 percent indicating four or more.
Additionally 81 percent indicated there were topics they needed to talk to their parents about regarding farm transition and 72 percent indicated communication regarding transition within their families needed to improve.

Details

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