In the summer of 2020, HMI began work on a Transfer Planning Manual to help producers use the Holistic Management process to help them more successfully complete transfer plans for their farms and ranches and keep these working lands working. HMI Certified Educators Ann Adams and Kathy Harris worked with a group of HMI Certified Educators with backgrounds in succession and transfer planning.
Once the manual was completed, we also developed companion educational materials to train a cohort of agricultural professionals in northern New Mexico to these materials. That group included: Corilia Ortega from Allianza Agricultura, Lawrence Gallegos of the Western Landowners Alliance, Tyler Eshleman from the Quivira Coalition and NM CEWL, Delane Atcitty from Indian Nations Conservation Alliance, Mary Leslie of Leslie Law, Don Peters from Not Forgotten Outreach, Susann Mickelson from Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and Christina Allday-Bondy of NM Healthy Soil Working Group. These virtual trainings took place during three evening sessions in September.
The goal of the training was to help these agricultural professionals to add the tools of holistic goal setting and holistic decision testing to their transfer planning toolbox as well as learn how these tools had been used by agricultural producers to create successful transfer plans. The results from the surveys show that these objectives were met.
In particular, participants liked these components of the training:
To continue the learning for these agricultural educators, we scheduled another webinar for agricultural producers from northern New Mexico or Colorado to participate in a two-hour webinar on October 13. We had 17 participants who were provided an overview of the goal setting and decision testing process and then were given two different transfer planning case studies to consider in a breakout session. Each session was led by one of the newly trained agricultural professional so they could practice facilitating the decision testing process with the producers.
As you can see from the table below, the producers found this webinar helpful and felt they could use the decision-making tool they had practiced in the breakout session. They also learned the importance of goal setting in successful transfer planning as well as the difference between management and asset transfer.
Thank you to the Thornburg Foundation for their support of this curriculum development and training of agricultural professionals.
If you would like a copy of “Leaving a Lasting Legacy—A Holistic Approach to Transfer Planning” visit HMI's Store.