Returning to the Farm

Nebraska families who want to bring a son or daughter into their farming or ranching operation are enthusiastic about a new program offered by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Division. Returning to the Farm is offered to families with college students who are interested in farming or ranching together.

The program has three primary components that deal with the financial and personal sides of farming together. All participants take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator before the first workshop. A qualified instructor explains the differences in personality types and works with the group on understanding themselves and members of their family. Emphasis is placed on how people with different personalities approach decision making differently, and how these differences can be used to produce better management decisions.

For the second program component, each family completes a financial analysis of their business. This helps them determine if the business is large enough to support another partner. They use the Financial Long-Range Budgeting program (FINLRB) from the University of Minnesota. In addition to evaluating the size and profitability of the business, the computer model helps them evaluate alternative plans. Through this process, all family members are made aware of the financial status of the business and are provided a forum for discussing production practices, attitudes toward risk, and other important issues.

The third major component is goal-setting. Family members articulate their hopes and fears as they complete and discuss self-assessment tests. This provides a foundation for the next step-writing shared goals.

Two Friday-Saturday weekend sessions, about one month apart, result in 26 workshop hours. Typically the first workshop is held just before semester break, and the second one just after the beginning of the second semester. This allows the family time at home to discuss personal issues, work on goals, and gather information for the FINLRB program before returning to the second workshop. Everyone in the family associated with the farm or ranch is strongly encouraged to attend. This includes mother and father, son or daughter, and their spouse or significant other.

Returning to the Farm produces unique opportunities. In many cases, this is the first exposure students have had to Extension as adults. It offers a public relations opportunity for the College of Agricultural Sci-ences and Natural Resources, as the parents spend con-siderable time on campus. Finally, it provides an opportunity to link with other state post-secondary institutions. In 1991-92, Returning to the Farm was done with staff at Chadron State College and University of Nebraska at Kearney, in addition to the workshops in Lincoln.

Families who have participated in the program said that they appreciated the opportunity to get together on equal terms to discuss their future business relationship. Family situations vary. Some are ready to move forward immediately. Others decide it would be best for the student to take a nonfarm position for a few years until the parents are ready to retire. Still others reevaluate the wisdom of trying to farm together. The bottom line is that families who chose to farm together approached it with their eyes open, and have gained some skills that should foster a more harmonious and profitable relationship.