STORIES WE LOVE

A dairy couple who took seven years to hand on the farm

Every now and then I find a story that shows exactly what we're about at Cultivate Farms: real people finding a way to keep a farm working and bring someone new onto it. I share them here because seeing it done by others makes it real. Here's one I love.

From Land For Good, 15 November 2021: "A dairy farm finds hope in a successful transfer to a new farmer", by Lisa Luciani. Read the full story at landforgood.org.

Why I love it

I love this story because a couple took their time and got it right. They'd run their organic dairy farm in New Hampshire since 1981, when they bought it from his parents. As they prepared to retire, they realised they needed to find a successor to keep the farm in agriculture. In 2013 they reached out to a group that helps with farm transfers.

They advertised the farm through farm link networks. An aspiring farmer who wanted his own organic dairy met the group's field agent at a pasture walk in 2017. He worked for the couple that winter, and moved to the farm with his family the next spring. Then came long term leases drafted with their attorneys, and later a phased purchase plan. The sale closed in October 2019.

Why it matters for towns like ours

The farm took nearly seven years to transfer, and both families are happy with it. The older couple still live next door, and he mentors the new farmer. Starting early meant they could choose someone who shared their goals, rather than waiting for age or health to force a sale. Our towns have farms like that.

One step you could take

Start by asking yourself what you'd want in the person who carries your farm on. Then let them work alongside you for a season. Read how lease to buy works for the farm owner in our Ageing on Farm guide.

I share these stories because each one shows it can be done, by ordinary farming families, in places like yours. If you know a story like this, or you're living one, I'd love to hear it.