Helping Farm Families Plan for the Future

UME Offers Succession Planning Support

For many Maryland farm families, deciding how to pass down the family business can be one of the most challenging conversations they face. Questions about retirement, inheritance, and who will run the farm in the next generation often bring tension and uncertainty.

To help families navigate these difficult transitions, University of Maryland Extension (UME) is now offering Succession Coordination Sessions. The program pairs farm families with Alexander Chan, a UME faculty specialist in family and consumer sciences and one of just three people in Maryland qualified to mediate agricultural family transitions.

“Oftentimes, there’s tension between the owning generation and the inheriting generation,” Chan explained. “I’m there to make sure that they can express themselves, that they’re heard, and that the whole family is working together toward a workable solution for the future.”

The sessions are designed to provide structure, tools, and guided discussions for families facing major changes—whether that’s retirement, shifting land use, or a family member returning to the farm. Through exercises and conversations, Chan helps families identify where they are now, where they want to be, and the steps needed to get there.

Money is often at the center of the discussion. Families may need to balance three competing priorities: the cost of keeping the business running, providing retirement income for the older generation, and leaving an inheritance for heirs. Without open communication, Chan says, these conversations are often avoided until a crisis forces them.

“This is a difficult conversation, especially when there’s disagreement and people want to avoid conflict,” Chan said.

By creating space for these discussions early and revisiting them whenever circumstances change, families can prevent conflict and strengthen the farm’s future. Whether the issue is selling a plot of land, shifting to conservation practices, or a change in health or abilities, Chan encourages families to treat each change as an opportunity to revisit their succession plan.

Maryland farm families interested in scheduling a Succession Coordination Session can learn more online at extension.umd.edu/resource/farm-succession-coordination or contact Chan directly at 301-405-3296.

University of Maryland Extension Office starts a new program for Farm Succession plans.