Central Illinois | swne - 9/4/2014 17:05
In your last couple of sentences you mentioned your Dad farming longer. Life expectancy is longer these days. Also, appreciate he is still here. Mine was gone when I was 34 although I was already running the farm by then.
Make plans now for when you do have the farm. 40 is not a bad age to gain control of the farm. Fewer mistakes should be made.
I said "sometimes", I am being patient and I encourage the OP to be as well. 40 is not a bad age to start, but it is not an ideal age either. Assuming my wife and I can one day have a child and if that child wishes I plan on allowing them to start by their early 30's with the thought that they would be willing to give the next generation the same opportunity. What we all must remember is that just because you give up control does not mean you have to quit working on the farm. I hope my father is around for many years to come, I just worry that he will not be around long after I have taken over to be able to ask questions when something comes up. He can groom me all he wants but letting me take over and being around to answer questions is vital to a smooth transition.
The OP is quite a bit younger and needs to recognize that there is still a lot of time to get started, even after doing something else for a time. |
Tips for making Father/Son Farm Partnership work
