By now most all of my Christmas decorations are down and stashed away in storage. There’s still a broken ornament that needs glued back together and another that needs to be packaged. But I sure miss the glow of the Christmas tree in the living room at night.
I remember when I was a kid my Grandmother Orebaugh had a silver tinsel tree. It wasn’t very big and had lights that either went under it or off to the side to illuminate it. She had the Shiny Brite ornaments to go on it and she was so proud of it. I admired it each year, but after they died in 1988, I don’t remember where it ended up. I look like a child frozen with the wonderment of the holiday every time I see a photo or video of one of these trees and those ornaments.
Later when my parents remodeled part of their house and we moved into it, some of their things remained in the house. At some point when I became aware enough, I realized Grandmother marked some things around the house as to who she wanted them to go to.
I always thought it was strange Grandmother was marking her stuff, but in reality, it was smart. By doing this she had a plan, at least in her mind anyway, that she was doing her part dividing up her worldly possessions and hoping it at least made it to the right hands.
I’ve been watching videos on social media about Boomer parents leaving their kids a mess to clean up in their homes with all the clutter. My mom even made the comment recently about all us kids, spouses and grandkids coming and helping her parcel out some of her heirlooms and fill the dumpster with unwanted things. Admittedly it’s not a task I want to do, since I’m already a poor housekeeper who is running out of space. But it’s one that will have to be done, whether it’s with her still here or not.
I’ve been to a few farm succession meetings where speakers gave their thoughts on how to start preparing for the next generation to take over the farm. There’s a lot of thought, arguments, and compromise that goes into these decisions, and as hard as it is to think about the end of you, why not have a plan?
When my Dad died in 2017 it wasn’t unexpected due to his health issues, but it was still a hard situation to live through. Dad did have somewhat of a plan as to what he wanted for his funeral. The farm was no more at that point, and the one big possession he did have (his prized Dodge pickup) had been sold when it was clear he wouldn’t make it out of the nursing home.
None of us know when our time on earth is done. Why not have that hard conversation with the head of the farm or ranch? It can be as simple as, “what do you want to happen with the farm or ranch when you’re gone? Do you want the legacy to continue?” Whatever the conversation needs to be, have it.
The American Farm Bureau Federation suggests owners need to define their need first. They too need to ask how important it is to them to keep the operation going. Do they want a retirement? How important is it if the land stays together and in a family name? Do the possible successors priorities match the owners?
There are many questions when first starting out on a succession plan. Owners need to surround themselves with trusted experts and people who will help them achieve their own goals and dreams for the operation. An internet search can often help those looking for advisers to find the right place to go.
Communication is the key to any plan, especially when involving heirs in it. Do you have a plan for the future of your operation? I suspect with the complexities of the world today, it can’t be as simple as putting “for my dear son” on the bottom of a copy of the deed.
