NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Passing the farm on should not be guesswork. With margins tight and operators aging, the stakes for rural communities — land stewardship, jobs, and local tax bases — are rising fast.
While nearly 70 percent of farmers planned to transition by 2025, according to AgAmerica, only one in four families has a formal succession plan — even as family farms make up 95 percent of U.S. operations and nearly half of all farmland could change hands over the next 20 years.
The backdrop is not easy.
The U.S. lost more than 140,000 farms from 2017 to 2022, plus another 20,000 since; total farms have dipped below two million; and farmland has fallen to about 880 million acres. Average farm size has grown by 20 acres — nudging more estates into potential federal tax exposure. One-third of producers are 65 or older, while fewer than one in ten is under 35.
Practical steps help
Set clear goals; talk early and often; use asset-splitting or long-term buyouts for multiple heirs; choose tools for machinery, livestock, and land transfers; and lean on pros — tax advisors, ag mediation, and lenders — to structure a durable, affordable plan.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Treat succession like any major crop — plan early, document clearly, and calibrate cash flow so the next generation can succeed.
Tony St. James
Farmland outlook is tracking closely with producer confidence, investment appetite, and financial expectations.
Landowners interested in protecting working ground through an easement now have another funding window open until the end of May.
Paul Neiffer joined us to explain how USDA’s base acre expansion will be calculated, outline key deadlines for farmers, and discuss how the changes tie into farm program decisions and the broader Farm Bill outlook.
April 30, 2026 04:51 PM
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Chad Fiechter joins us to discuss Purdue’s precision ag study, challenges in capturing value from technology, and what farmers should consider when investing in and adopting these tools.
April 30, 2026 04:40 PM
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New farm payment rules allow LLC members to have separate limits, but some local FSA offices are still applying outdated policies, creating confusion for producers.
April 29, 2026 03:25 PM
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ASFMRA’s Luke Worrell joined us to discuss farmland market trends, insights from the Illinois Land Values Conference, changing buyer and seller demographics, and the latest outlook on planting progress.
April 29, 2026 02:34 PM
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