Succession Planning

Succession Planning


Join Us Wednesday, June 4 at 1:00 PM CDT, for Our Free Webinar: Common Traits of Highly Successful Farm Transitions


Succession Planning for Your Farm

At UnCommon Farms, we understand that succession planning isn't just about legal documents or tax strategy—it's about protecting your family, your legacy, and your livelihood. The future of your farm depends on thoughtful planning, aligned decision-making, and clear communication across generations. Our approach ensures you’re setting the next generation up to thrive.

Whether you're looking to get started or improve on previous efforts, we're here to guide you through the full process.

A Process Built Around Your Farm and Family

What makes our approach uncommon isn’t just our expertise—it’s the way we bring everything together. Most farms are supported by professionals who work in isolation. We build an integrated team. Most families are handed forms and documents. We provide context, conversation, and clarity. Succession planning isn’t just about tax avoidance or estate documents. It’s about legacy. And we’re here to help you protect yours—every step of the way.

The UnCommon Approach

 

At UnCommon Farms, everything begins with a conversation—not a checklist. The discovery call is your first opportunity to share what matters most to you. Instead of diving straight into tax strategy or legal paperwork, we focus on understanding your family dynamics, your values, and your vision for the future. We want to hear what a successful transition means to you, in your own words. Whether you’ve done no planning at all or already have a will in place, this step is about uncovering where you are today and where you want to go. It sets the tone for a process rooted in clarity, empathy, and long-term perspective.

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Once we understand your goals, we begin a detailed evaluation of your current situation. This isn’t just about documents or entities—it’s about your whole operation, from financial structure and ownership to leadership roles, family involvement, and intergenerational communication. We look closely at how your farm operates and where you might be exposed to risk. More importantly, we help you think through scenarios and decisions that may not yet be on your radar. Our goal during this phase is to paint a complete picture of your transition readiness, identifying both strengths and areas that need attention. We don’t rush it. This is where deep insight is formed and trust is built.

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With a clear understanding of your operation and your intentions, we move into developing a tailored action plan. This is where strategy takes shape. We outline a path that not only addresses legal and tax-related matters, but also considers the leadership, ownership, and relational components that often make or break a transition. You’ll receive a thoughtful, well-structured plan—and you won’t be left with a generic checklist. You’ll be equipped with a living, breathing roadmap specific to your family and your farm, with the guidance you need to keep momentum and ensure everyone stays aligned.

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Most farms already have trusted advisors—attorneys, accountants, insurance agents—but those professionals often operate in silos. UnCommon Farms brings them into one conversation. We act as the quarterback, connecting the dots between disciplines and people. We help ensure that your vision, your documents, and your decision-makers are all aligned. Implementation is rarely linear. It includes hard conversations, evolving emotions, and sometimes generational tension. That’s why we don’t just provide a plan—we walk with you through it. Whether it’s setting up family meetings or following through on legal updates, we’re a steady hand throughout the process.

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Succession planning isn’t a one-and-done project—it’s a process that evolves as your life and business change. That’s why ongoing support is a critical part of the UnCommon approach. Through our membership model, your plan is reviewed and updated regularly, typically every one to three years. We revisit key decisions, account for tax law changes, assess shifts in leadership, and reevaluate based on new goals or family circumstances. Even when you feel like nothing has changed, time has a way of revealing new challenges—and missed updates can quickly lead to outdated or even harmful outcomes. Our role is to make sure your plan stays alive and aligned with the future you’re building.

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You and Your Vision Partner

UnCommon Farms serves as your succession quarterback—aligning goals, resolving complexities, and guiding every step of your journey. We don’t just advise—we walk with you through the emotional, financial, legal, and operational intricacies of farm transition. Whether you’re starting from scratch or building on years of informal planning, our role is to help you articulate your vision and coordinate the right experts to bring it to life.

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Other (Banker, Real Estate Agent, Mediator, etc.)

Insurance Agents

Safeguarding your legacy through strategies to mitigate risk.

From life insurance to business continuity, insurance agents are often the first to highlight risk exposure—but rarely see the full picture. We help incorporate their input into a broader plan that considers family equity, liquidity, long-term tax impact, and farm sustainability. Together, we ensure your plan protects both your people and your enterprise.

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Most Succession Plans Fail Families Because They Stop at the Paperwork

 

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Most families work with siloed professionals who each focus on a small part of the puzzle. Estate plans are drafted without input from CPAs. Tax strategies are made without considering family goals. These fragmented efforts lead to confusion, delays, and missed opportunities. The process ends once the paperwork is signed—leaving families unprepared when it matters most.

We take a collaborative, coordinated, and proactive approach. We start by understanding your vision, then evaluate the whole picture—people, paperwork, and planning. We align your professionals, facilitate family conversations, and help you implement with confidence. And we stay involved to review and update your plan as life evolves. Succession isn’t just legal. It’s personal. And we make sure your plan reflects that.

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What Our Clients Say

Navigating the complexities of passing down the family farm, ensuring its financial stability for future generations, and building a thriving agricultural business requires expert guidance. At UnCommon Farms, we specialize in addressing these challenges by teaming up with farms to handle succession planning intricacies, make informed financial decisions, and provide hands-on coaching for goal achievement.

Get a glimpse of how UnCommon Farms has made a difference for others in similar situations.

"One of the primary goals for me is to figure out how can I transition our farm successfully from our parent generation to the next generation and see that go on to my children and so it's going to be a process. It's not something that you flip a switch or you make the decision and the next day it's transition. It's a long process and I feel like our association with UnCommon Farms is a resource I can continuously go to for help as new issues arise and I need help trying to figure out what the next step is and I feel like it's going to be a great resource going forward to be able to help set us up for success."

— Kyle Cott

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Resources to Preserve Your Legacy

Conflict Resolution Strategies in Succession Planning

How to Ensure a Smooth Transition for Your Family Farm Succession planning is one of the most significant and

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Farm Accounting & Financial Management Simplified

Running a successful farm requires juggling countless tasks, from managing day-to-day operations to making

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Understanding Farm Financials

Running a successful farm requires more than just hard work in the field—it also takes a solid understanding

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Resources to Market Your Legacy

Farm Business Solutions

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Business Management & Leadership

UnCommon Farms resources guide you through a thorough assessment of your current operation, identifying opportunities for improved management and efficiency. Training courses help you gain the skills you need for maximum effectiveness.

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Financials

We will guide you to analyze your current financials and compare them to your operation’s historical performance, then guide you to use that knowledge for improved managerial decisions to help you improve profitability and reduce costs.

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Human Resources

UnCommon Farms resources will help you clearly define the roles and responsibilities of your workforce, bolster your employee recruiting strategy, retain good workers, maximize worker effectiveness, and develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance with HR regulations.

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Networking / Peer Groups

Experience networking like never before with our UnCommon approach. Our members come together to share their best practices, challenges, and successes through our trainings, workshops, peer groups, and exclusive conferences.

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Business Training

With more than 70 courses for members and clients, UnCommon Farms offers introductory to advanced level training for a variety of different topics.

Your Legacy Deserves More Than a Document

You’ve spent your life building something worth passing on. Now it’s time to make sure your transition is just as intentional as your work in the field. At UnCommon Farms, we don’t just help you plan—we help you protect everything that matters: your land, your legacy, and your relationships.

If you're ready to take the first step in a process built on trust, integrity, and care, we're ready to walk with you.