A recent USDA report reveals a stark generational divide in agriculture. Of the nearly 350 million acres of rented farmland nationwide, less than 12 percent is owned by anyone under the age of 55. Our guest today says that farmland access and farm transition are two sides of the same coin.

Stephanie Hoff visits with Shelly Rothman, executive director of the Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project, a nonprofit based in the Upper Fox River Watershed in east-central Wisconsin. They specifically serve Green Lake County and surrounding areas, currently supporting over 40 farms, along with local food businesses and community partners. Shelly says that high land costs make it nearly impossible for new farmers to enter the industry without inheritance. That’s been a primary driver for their new farm transition program. 

To provide resources for farm transitions, Foxhead collaborates with the UW-Madison Division of Extension to use their existing materials and workbooks. Bonnie Warndahl, a farmland access and transition specialist from Renewing the Countryside, has also been a partner of the Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project. Bonnie is the farmland transition coordinator, and she tells Stephanie what this pilot Farm Transition Program looks like. 

As we wrap up the conversation, Shelly reminded us that farm succession is about so much more than just "handing over the keys" – it’s more complex than that because we’re dealing with a deeply held identity.

Learn more: https://foxheadag.org/