Nebraska Extension will host a two-part farm succession workshop in Kearney for agricultural landowners, ranchers and farmers thinking about how they should proceed with plans to retire, exit or transfer the farm or ranch business.

The workshop will be held Feb. 19, 1:30-4:30 p.m., at the office of Nebraska Extension in Buffalo County, 1400 E. 34th St.

Presenters will include Allan Vyhnalek, a Nebraska Extension educator, and Brandon Dirkschneider, a certified financial planner. Vyhnalek specializes in farm succession in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Dirkschneider is a certified farm transition coordinator.

“Retiring or passing the farm to the next generation is difficult to think about and is an admission of your own impending demise,” Vyhnalek said. “However, it is a necessary step and, with good planning, can be made as painless as possible.”

The workshop is free, but registration is requested and can be completed by contacting Nebraska Extension in Buffalo County at 308-236-1235.

The sessions will cover the importance of having a plan, proper family communications and proper family negotiations, as well as tools for estate planning and other financial strategies.

“Reactions from past participants can be summarized into one comment: most wished that they had attended this workshop years earlier,” Vyhnalek said. “This program gives a good outline of the process farm and ranch businesses need to take to start or restart that process.”

For more information on Extension resources for farm transition in Nebraska, visit https://agecon.unl.edu/succession.