Sharing Control, Not Giving It Up: What Successful Farm Transitions Look Like
Handing over the reins of a farm or ranch is one of the hardest moments in an operation's life. It's not just a business decision. It's a lifetime of work, worry, and identity wrapped up in a single transition. Keep Farmers Farming Legacy Director Alan Hojer sees that struggle up close, and he has a perspective that reframes what the process is really about.
"On a farm visit this week, I had a discussion with a grandfather that is transitioning to a grandchild," Hojer says. "He looked at me and he said, 'Do you have any idea how hard this is?' He said, 'We had nothing going through the 80s, and giving up control scares me to death.'"
It's Not About Giving Up Control
Hojer's response to that grandfather gets at the heart of how Keep Farmers Farming approaches every transition it's part of.
"I told him, 'You know, I do understand.' And transition is not about asking anyone to give up control, but rather to share control through partnering with the next generation."
That distinction matters. For a generation that built an operation from nothing, sometimes through the hardest years agriculture has seen, the idea of stepping back can feel like erasing everything they fought for. Reframing the process as a partnership, rather than a surrender, changes the conversation entirely.
Building a Strategy Together
Hojer says successful transitions don't happen by accident. They start with leadership and vision from the older generation, then bring the next generation into the process to build a plan together.
"Successful transitions begin with leadership and vision, working with the next generation to build a strategy that reflects the financials, the strengths of everyone involved, and a shared focus for the future."
This is where Keep Farmers Farming steps in. The program works alongside farm and ranch families to explore ideas and pair them with the financial realities of the operation, helping deploy a business structure that's actually viable for the long term.
"Working these things together is the right path to move forward," Hojer says. "It helps them let go because they can see the future through that next generation."
The Older Generation Sets the Stage
For Hojer, passing down a farm isn't just about transferring assets. It's about transferring what's been learned through years of sweat and sacrifice, and doing it in a way that sets the next generation up to lead well.
"The transitional experience that your next generation is going through with you today, whether it's a grandchild or a child, is the only transitional experience that they'll ever know," he says. "And so there's a lot of pressure on the older generation to lead well."
That's a heavy responsibility, but it's also an opportunity. The way a transition happens becomes the model the next generation carries forward, whether they realize it or not.
To learn how Keep Farmers Farming can help your family navigate this process, visit sdaagfoundation.org.
Taken from an interview on Dakota Farm Talk with Pam Geppert.