Finding someone younger to possibly take over the farm

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Every day, I get older.  Every year that goes by is one less in my future.  I have no one in mind to possibly take over the farm.  I hate to see it end and just go away in an auction sale.  I would like to find someone younger, maybe wanting to get into farming, that I could consider hiring with the future possibility of taking over.
I don't know where to start to find anyone like that.  Anyone have any suggestions?

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Where at in SD? Word of mouth and leveraging a network of people will find one as quick as anything

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I am definitely interested

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I'm going into my 6th season in Hennepin County Minnesota renting everything with no chance to buy less than development cost which is unaffordable in Ag business at least I own the equipment. I've been looking MN, IA, & SD had some great options just USDA and Farm Credit won't pick up the slack other lenders leave. I have grain trucking for a off farm income which is needed everywhere but it's seasonal the Manufacturing I like doing all riding in a farm to test the designs and a work shop. I Just swapped a grain box was a bigger project than I the right equipment for and Gained 100 followers in Instagram just during this mild winter project and I get many messages to keep going but I running out of time. The one struggle of places is what is built may not fit my vision and operating ways not to be rude of the history of the previous family. So many sellers and retiring farmers chase the top dollar and not look at is the buyer going to make the best of the farm and the open door to come back any time.

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University of Nebraska in Lincoln has a program to help farmers in your position and young people wanted to start or expand in farming.  **************, Nebraska Extension Educator may be a resource.  You may also want to check with your local State University.  Good luck.

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I am in SC been farming on my own since 1992. Our area is being overwhelmed with urban sprawl. I have my own equipment paid for and I’m being run out by people planting houses instead of crops. I’ve been contemplating a move I would like some details but I have the experience and everything I need to do just what you’re looking for. If interested in talking let me know.

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I could be interested. Im in South Central South Dakota

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Why does it say it's being moderated? Here was my input.

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PM me at **********

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Depending on the size and location of your operation we would be interested to join as a partner with on of these young operators who are weighing in.
We are farmers in Indiana and looking for good ways to expand and provide opportunity to some younger folks. We have capital and managerial ability and like to partner with young operators who can do the day to day management.
Give me a call if you'd like
*********
************

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I currently farm in NC Kansas.  However, my older brother is transitioning to take over the 5th gen farm from my father.  They are in SE SD and I'm sure that if you were in the area, they'd welcome a conversation.  Thanks, and good luck.

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I would like to talk about your search for someone to train and pass on the farm, and throw my name in the hat. I grew up in eastern SD working on my grandpa's farm and loved everything about it. Call me anytime **********.

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There is a family looking to move to SD but require an arrangement to take over an existing operation. Please give me a call ************.

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I would try doing an internet search in your state for a site that matches up younger farmers with farmers seeking to transition the farm to a new owner.  For example, a website in Iowa is www.practicalfarmers.org  You could also search out information in the State's university ag extension office.  Just a few thoughts.

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Not sure where you are located. I'm 25 near Madison sd and am currently farming with my dad, grandpa, and uncle. Unfortunately there isn't enough ground for the 3 of us to make a living off of and we all 3 work in town to make ends meet. Expanding our farm to the point that either my dad or myself could be full time is a dream of both of ours. My number is ************. I would love to answer any question you'd have for me about our current operation. Thankyou!

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A good place to start looking is at colleges with farm management programs. A lot of the kids there have farms to go home to, but some don't. A good opportunity to hire a hand, eventually a manager, and then possibly a tenant

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Great blog!
 I am looking for a person or family to join a diversified, operation  spanning >100 years and four generations.

Multiple crops and markets, technology, late model equipment, high rainfall area, no irrigation or livestock.

Text me if you are interested in a conversation, detail about options that could benefit us both.

************* 0six

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Wish You were in Arkansas I'm looking for farmer in Arkansas to farm with

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I’m looking in Colorado!  Or Oklahoma!

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********** text

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Im a young guy that grew up on a farm my whole life in south east South Dakota and attended college and obtained a degree in Ag Business. I am looking for the right opportunity to find a farm to take over in the near future.

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I know the perfect guy well experience marriage and wants to start family

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I am located in the middle of charles mix county in sd. Young farmer with a full time job trying to working into my father's operation. I have had a tough go trying to get a start by competing against to many big farmers that think they need more ground. It's a dog eat dog world

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Very true

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If you haven’t found someone yet. I am in Colorado as well. I’m not gonna type a big long paragraph on here. But I’d love to talk to you on the phone or in person. ********** is my number. I’m ****. And I’m 21

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Hi
Thx for the response!
Looking for the right person to work into the operation. 
Text me and let’s set up a time to visit. 
************

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What kind of crops are you doing now? Any livestock? I am working toward selling my woodworking business, and moving somewhere to farm full-time. I do 4000 acres of custom work in our county. Don't like the rat race that consists of.?..*********** cell

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Go ****** Ada boy.

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As a young man trying to scratch out something from nothing, the worst thing the older generation can do is stay involved too long. Find a young man who wants it, then do some sort of lease to purchase or something and step back. I find that not many want to let go of their life’s work and watch some young man stumble and make mistakes, but it has to happen for him to learn and chances are if he’s young and still wanting in agriculture he’s going to be just as stubborn and hard headed as you are and you’re going to clash after a while.

The young guys are out here, we’re always looking for an opportunity. You’ve just got to put yourself out there and hold to your ground that you’re going to give the opportunity to the young guy instead of the big neighbor in the end.

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How about Colorado?

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Hey there.  I am in my 50's, not young by any means.  Working in the Chemical and Fertilizer business for almost 30 years.  Bought my Dad's only farm when I was 23 in Nebraska.  Never had a chance to farm due to lack of equipment and money in the late 80's.  My dream is to farm on my own or work with someone and take over their farm.  Please let me know if I am not to old, I would love to listen to what you have to offer and see if we can work together. **

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I'm starting out with my dad and we are short on acres, we've lost some because buying it just didn't make sense at that price and some other we will loose when the landlord dies and the land goes to the kids. Dad sold out of alot of livestock and I've got into a niche market of goats, i just don't have the financial power to get onto  the farming like the older folks can, and dad dont want to hand everything to me, gotta work for it which I agree. Im in northeastern south Dakota west of watertown. Give me a call at ************

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It sounds like there are a couple of guys on this post that may be interested in working with you.  Another resource for you and others is https://findafarmer.net/ by Practical Farmers of Iowa.  This website features both farmers looking for partners, such as yourself, as well as people who would like to join a farming operation.  I was able to follow up on a couple of potentials even for ND.  We eventually found a couple because they were looking for a place to produce "local food."  Turns out the young man also had commercial farm experience, so that is leading to a transition.  We are hiring him as an employee for starters, with plans of working towards more responsibility with leasing, share rents, etc.   So if you are looking for a farm partner, maybe visit some farmer's markets in the area and hand out some invites!

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I wish you luck,  there may come a day I'm in the same shoes myself  albeit a few decades away.  I'm sure you have already thought about many of the points I will make in this post,  hopefully it will provide some food for thought about those who are thinking about approaching older generations as well.   
I think one c
hallenge to anyone in the position of passing an operation to another generation, regardless of family or no, is the idea of trust,  Will they take care of everything you've spent your life working for in a way that is important to you.   What are your priorities,  what would it kill you to see?   I think answering some of those questions prior to any conversation with potential leesee's becomes fairly critical.  If anybody else in the area is farming and conducting themselves in a way you appreciate that makes that decision a lot easier, but if one considers bringing somebody from outside in, there does need to be some sort of trial period to figure them out as individuals prior to serious commitment, whether that is looking at hired help, hired manager, or interns.

As it goes there is no easy row to hoe and it's likely you will strike more often than connect; Our family has been running an internship program for close to 13 years with 2 kids/year as a way to supplement help for the cow side, we've had a lot of exposure to the next generation and met a lot of really neat people, yet in honesty, I think we've only had about four of those I would have considered capable of management, they've all gone on in their careers (we didn't need management at the time) but two of those I was right on, one is still in the air e and one decided to pursue a government job for stability. For those considering radical changes in location, familial context can easily derail such moves people don't like being uprooted any more than plants, particularily if it's not necessarily their dream that is being pursued, it's far better to figure that out ahead of time before you end up in divorce court..
  
  Secondly, given that one of the challenges of any start up operation is the shear amount of up front capital required to run an operation, if they can't bring their own equipment with a straight land lease, leasing equipment or financing the equipment may provide a way to help that transition,as long as there is  a fair way to address serious equipment failure  as well as possibly providing a return on investment beyond the equipment auction route...albeit more risk, and the fact that inevitably at some point they're probably gonna want to run something different than what you are running.   
The last suggestion is some serious thought about change.and structure..what change are you okay with, what change are you not okay with.  Do you want a straight cash lease?  how will you handle commodity price swings, and the inevetiable rent negotiation conflict?   If you want crop share, that will come disagreements over how those crops are grown or even what crops are planted.   How are you going to feel about a proposal to go organic, or with lower input "regenerative" practices, how are you going to feel about them wanting to push for the county record yeild, particularily if you are writing a check for the inputs.

Like I said, I don't think I will have answered anybody's questions, and wish all involved good luck, and much wisdom.   I also encourage everybody, to have faith, not all doors that close necessarily end up being a bad deal, I've had a few close on me over the years for which I'm incredibly grateful, (although maybe not at the time)  Not all doors that will open will be a good choice either.

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Wow.  I was not sure what to expect with this question.  A bunch of good thoughts, thank you.  
I have found someone that I am considering, we will see how it goes.  
I didn't really think about it, but I guess I am not surprised, at the responses of guys in the same situation.

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I know of a young man and mentioned this to him about your post and he is interested in talking with you he is single and about 30 years old and loves the farm and what its all about. And he gets farming. So if interested contact me and i will help you meet him .He is currently working retail agronomy and work on a farm.

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I am ************* and I just graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelors in plant and soil sciences crop production and management. I grew up ranching and farming for some family friends when I was not on the ranch. I have had a strong passion for farming but little to no opportunity to farm here in eastern New Mexico. I am custom spraying and working for a local farmer right now until I get something figured out! If anyone would be interested in talking to me, give me a call at ************. Thanks!

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The big guys were little guys at one time also.  Don’t give up just keep working hard. Lots of hours

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I agree big guys had to. Start some where they didn't start big

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Excellent book!

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I think if the person didn't grow up on a farm, it is going to be hard for them to realize the hours a farmer has to put in, to work around the weather.  By the time I got to eighth grade, I could work all night doing hay, and go to school the next day.  . It's hard to find help that understands the commitment it takes to make it work.  I admire those who farm, and still have a full time job,  and have a wife and family that supports them. In the farming interests.

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I am looking for an assistant farm manager to possibly take over management if the fit is right.  I am willing to discuss options for anyone interested.

Please email initial contact @ *******************

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I’m curious to hear what ended up happening? I am a young farmer with an agricultural business degree aiming towards finding an opportunity to work my way into a farm. I have ten years of on farm experience and always thirsting for more knowledge and opportunity. Unfortunately the east coast hasn’t given me a chance to meet my goals and  I am starting to look into other options of relocating. I do have a very strong passion for agriculture and it’s community of hardworking farmers.

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I am interested in learning about the opportunity you are offering, my family has a farm in California that my brother will take over when my father retires.  Our farm runs cattle and 6 fields that consist of straw, and alfalfa hay I know it's not a big operation, but I have worked it my entire life.  I have experience with both the workings of the ranch along with the business side, I would like the opportunity to learn more.

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Heck. I’m interested and not afraid to work. I’m in my forties, farm a few hundred acres, been married 20 years and have a few kids. Decided I wanted to farm ranch when I was deployed in 2004 and never looked back. Been slowly growing the farm here in Ks, but city hunters are driving up farmland costs here because that big whitetail is worth double what farmland normally goes for. I figured out we were about 150 miles too Far East in Kansas to escape the deep pockets that want land for hunting and are willing to throw crazy amounts of money around to do it.

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I'm not sure what part of SD you are in but we would be interested in helping you out. I grew up on the farm and had a plan to take over both my grandparents places and put them together since one is more cattle and one is more grains. Well turns out my aunt's have all gotten greedy and last year rented all the land out from under me to a higher bid. I guess it's more important to have a rental property then continue the family farm and keep the next generation around. We are trying to figure out what direction to go now with only a farm yard n a few acres left that we bought. Feel free to Call or text me ************ and we can chat.

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Pretty common thread these days. I'm a fourth-generation farmer myself. It has been my personal experience that past generations have been focused on production. My father actually has a degree in agriculture from SIU. But I have found that if you choose to market your grain as a commodity at $4 a bushel, you better have a plan for land acquisition. For me, the input costs are too high so my focus will be profitability. Selling direct as close to the end user as possible. And, be willing to diversify to accomplish that. As farmers, we all love digging in the dirt. But for farms to be sustainable for future generations you'll need to find a way for the generations to be able to compromise with a view of the future.

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Its a shame that no one wants to continue the operation, I tried to get into farming about 40 years ago, it was myself another guy, I bailed because the land we were going to lease, had an orchard that we couldn't take over, because the Almond trees were about 25 years old and were past the end. That meant we would have to pull the trees, fumigate, put in a new irrigation system and new trees. So I went out and got a job, working for a Pear. Peach and walnut grower. I would have been tickled pink to be offered an opportunity to get into an operation. Farmers complain about low prices and the work. but to me I have worked hard for other companies, only to get laid off and and told lies about what is expected and what they are doing for me. Now I face age discrimination, if you farm, you don't have trust issues with an employer.

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I would recommend that everyone read Dirt to Soil, by **********. He is a farmer in North Dakota that gives a lot of good advice on farming, improving soil health and creating new, profitable enterprises to help the newer generation get started. There are lots of opportunities for people that are willing to try something different. It’s a must read, in my opinion.

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Just as I feared a certain young boy on here wanted to come work on a farm learn the business so he could eventually take over.  I have a friend who gave the boy a  chance he never lasted 2 weeks got home sick and is now going back home.  Hopefully the rest of you that have shown interest have better integrity then this boy.  Farms are hard work just because these YouTubers make it look easy you are not seeing the hundreds of hours of work that goes on to make there farms success. If you can't handle the work stop asking for a job.

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There are lots of farmers young and old looking for more opportunity . The question is are you looking to sell your operation or  gift your operation ? 
Another question is , if you own your land and if you do not want it sold and developed after you are gone .
You can set up a land trust with rules about your wishes, you can deed it to a college, Shriners has some farms , banks manage trusts and private land managers and so forth. 
This is certainly a process not to take lightly and a discussion with your accountant and attorney . To ensure your wishes are catered too even after you are gone .

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What area of sd?  I know of a young man needs about 6 more years of mentoring.   (15 yo)

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I have two sons that both want to farm but operation is not big enough to support 3 families.  Rent equipment and inputs make startup overwhelming and I don’t feel comfortable leveraging everything to start both up equally.  Several farmers have retired in area and went to law firm and had rental auction, then farm gets split up into parcels for highest bid.  Being able to join a working operation would be a great way to get started.  Having a different view on how to operate other than mine would be beneficial as well.

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Talk to a Ag tech college or your local seed dealer. They will know who is  getting started or is wanting an opportunity. Now I don't mean some big farmers young son looking for more land.  I mean someone that has passion for agriculture and is looking for an opportunity to start!  One thing to make sure is once you find someone that is passionate about agriculture is to have a plan set to make the transition go smoothly.  You should know in a year or two that you have a good candidate.  I worked for a farmer with plans in a few years to take over his operation but after 8 year I finally said we need to start this transition.  And ask when and how he wants to do this.    He told me he had changed his mind and that he was going to rent his land for big money to the large farmer down the road.  Pretty much in the end I moved back home started farming with my dad and work full time off farm job!  Even though I don't farm much, I still love it! And so glad I did too! I'm 32 years old now and still wishing for an opportunity.  But another thing to keep in mind is you may not be able to sell everything to that individual.  Meaning different ideas or maybe different plans for the future.    So just make sure you are for real on this.  There are a lot of Young farmers that have huge passion for agriculture and you will find one if you are serious about it!

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I was looking as well.  My two sons were discouraged from farming due to our going broke and my eldest son almost dying due to many things. So I asked the Lord for guidance. I went to a county meeting to learn about improving my farming practices and I was the only one from my area. So, later I asked friends and their sons why they do not go. The answers were almost all the same, "Either we already know it all or Dad does." So I started looking at who was going to meetings to learn. 
I asked the Lord to guide me and I asked a young man if he was interested in replacing me in 5 years. The answer was yes, definitely.  I reiterated that it would be 5 years, he said that would work. And he thanked me. I still have time for a son to change his mind, but I doubt either will. And my wife and two sons approve of the choice. 
So, I suggest you ask the Lord and go to meetings and learn. 
It is not easy. I felt like I had spent my life building my farm for nothing. Now I feel like things are going right again.

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I think your post right here will be your best bet and I think you will be able to accomplish your goal good luck

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Yeah I'm in the same boat.  *{**** for someone younger that has a love for farming and is willing to learn but also bring some new Ideas to the farm.  One thing I know is God will provide either someone or a good renter.

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I had the opportunity to work for a farmer and rent his ground at retirement.  It was a whole equipment purchase and cash rent deal that was leveraged through FSA loans and local banks giving me a chance that ended up with short term success.  Long term I am no longer farming due to lack of capital and profitability.  It was a great opportunity and I loved every minute of it.  If I had advice to give it would be for the operator going in to retirement keep some equipment for tax advantages, the beginning farmer to make improvements and maintain farm as some sweat equity towards equipment use and start making payments on a piece of land as soon as possible.

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Hey, I’m ************** I grew up on a family farm in North Carolina I’ve had a STRONG passion for agriculture since I was real little, I’m 18 and farming myself right now. But with ever growing housing and solar farms taking over in western NC we have been loosing ground continuously for the past 10 years. I have always dreamed of moving out west and farming just never had the opportunity to do so. If your looking for a potential farm hand and maybe eventually handing it over I’m the young kid your looking for. My number is ************ feel free to call me I would love to talk to you. Thanks.

Call (844) 200-FARM

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Finding someone younger to possibly take over the farm

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