To give agriculture outreach providers an overview of key considerations for supporting clients through Farm Succession planning and to establish a network of experts in this area to conduct future trainings.

The SARE team conducted a 5-part, 7-speaker virtual training series on Farm Succession specifically tailored to the needs and interests of agricultural outreach professionals. The series included: 

A total of 47 unique professionals from 11 organizations across Kentucky registered for the course. 23 unique professionals attended the series live with an average of 11 (range 8-16) attending the individual presentations. The series videos have been viewed a total of 242 times since recordings were posted. 

We collected a total of 30 evaluations (we collected responses from those watching afterward and watching live). We asked participants about their learning outcomes and their planned behavioral outcomes as a result of participating in the series. Results indicated below as a percentage of respondents. 

In addition to the training outcomes, the project also helped to establish new relationships between extension faculty and subject matter experts who will continue leading future educational and support efforts in farm succession. We relied heavily on the networks of project co-leader Dr. Steve Isaacs to strategize speakers and plan out the series. The other project co-leader, Dr. Nichole Huff brought her own network and expertise to the project, and the new relationships established within this “network of networks” parties are one of the key outputs of the project. Already within a few months of the project end, a small group of Kentucky-focused ag professionals—coordinated by Dr. Huff and Dr. Becky Smith (speaker)—met virtually to discuss key issues on this matter. Given that multiple project participants voiced a desire for more intensive “how-to” trainings in the future, this network will be crucial. 

From Dr. Steve Isaacs:

The webinar series on succession planning was an excellent example of leveraging a professional career network. Decades of work with capable professionals like Dave Kohl, Kevin Ferguson, and David Marrison made it easy and natural to call on their substantial expertise in the areas of succession planning. Each are nationally recognized authorities and brought a unique perspective to the webinars. They may have said some of the same things I would have said, but their reputations and “out-of-state” credentials gave a special level of credibility to the series.

From Dr. Nichole Huff:

The Farm Succession Professional Development Webinar Series demonstrated how different units within Kentucky Cooperative Extension can come together to expand our reach across the state. The collaboration between Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) and Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) allowed us to extend our scope to include topics such as estate planning and heirs’ property, and introduce new-to-Kentucky speakers like Dr. Becky Smith with Mississippi State Cooperative Extension. Maybe most importantly, the series sparked conversations about continued interdisciplinary collaborations with internal and external stakeholders to identify and address gaps in programming. I see the series acting as a catalyst to spark future ideas and action!