The District 1 ANR/Hort agents met in the Fall of 2021 to determine a program that would benefit the farmers in Eastern Kentucky.  After much discussion the group identified Farm Succession Planning as need for the clientele in the region.  Several agents mentioned receiving an increase in questions concerning Estate Planning from farmers as well as from heirs.  The group determined the program should be eight sessions long split between Winter and Fall of 2022, and the name would be Road Map to Farm Estate Planning.

The topics for the program consisted of:  

•    Session 1:  Taxes (1/13) 

•    Session 2:  Basics of Estate Planning (1/27) 

•    Session 3:  Wills, POA (2/10)  

•    Session 4:  Transitioning the Family Farm (2/24)  

•    Session 5:  Farm Leasing (11/3) 

•    Session 6:  Trusts (11/17) 

•    Session 7:  Life Insurance & Funeral Expenses (12/1) 

•    Session 8:  End of Life Care (12/15) 

The program was offered via Zoom, with several County Extension Offices hosting "watch parties" for folks without internet capabilities.  Guest speakers included an Estate Planning lawyer with a farming back ground, Kentucky Farm Bureau representative, and UK specialists.  One-hundred forty folks registered for the program with 50% indicating that they currently did not have a will, 39% indicating they did have a will, and 15% that did not answer.  

The session attendance varied by topic however, each session was recorded and uploaded to the UK Plant Professionals YouTube channel for folks to access at their convenience.  Below is a chart that indicates the number of folks that attended live and the number of YouTube views of each recording as of January 2023.  

An evaluation was sent out to participants via email at the conclusion of the program with poor response.  One person responded that they did not currently have a will but plan to do one now after attending the program.  Several folks shared that they planned to update their current wills.  And in discussions with one of the attendees she mentioned that she and her husband actively met with a lawyer and did a will after attending the program.  Many folks shared with agents how they were pleased with the program and learned things they needed to do to plan for succession of their farm.  A follow-up survey will be sent to participants of the program this fall to gauge how many folks did wills or updated them based upon attending the program.