No one can predict the future, but everyone can prepare for the future. In agriculture, one of our greatest responsibilities is preparing for what comes next for our farms and our families. The decisions made today set the path for our families, farms and organizations like Wisconsin Farm Bureau.
For many, the most difficult conversations come around succession planning, yet this is one of the most important discussions a family can have for the future. Many times farms have been in the family several generations of hard work, commitment and dedication.
That time and dedication is why succession planning is so important. Without a plan, generations of work and sacrifice can be gone in a short period of time. Families left to guess what the parents wanted, opportunities for the next generation at times lost, and generational family farms gone forever.
Creating a succession plan is more than the transfer of assets. It’s about a roadmap to the future, knowledge, relationships and responsibilities, allowing the next generation into leadership while the current one can start to step back.
When farms remain viable, local businesses, schools and churches stay active and grow. Agriculture heritage defines Wisconsin. Every time a successful farm succession plan is completed our rural communities are strengthened.
These same principles apply far beyond our farms. They apply to our businesses outside agriculture as well as Farm Bureau itself.
For over one hundred years, we have been successful because previous leaders developed our future leaders.
For Farm Bureau, succession planning means continually improving programing we supply to our members, strengthening our membership and considering new and innovative ideas from our members, all while continuing to work on developing our next leaders.
Just like our farms, succession planning within Farm Bureau is not always an easy conversation. Both require trust, communication and balancing tradition with new ideas.
The best succession plans are the ones not sitting on a shelf collecting dust, but the ones out in the open being used on a daily basis.
The strongest farms and organizations are those looking ahead to what comes next. The future will be determined on how well we prepare the next generation to steward our farms, our businesses and our organizations.
So, as the generations before us, let’s do everything we can to make sure the next generations are prepared to carry agriculture and Farm Bureau forward, keeping us strong for generations to come.
Brad Olson was elected to the WFBF Board of Directors in 2022 to represent District 9, which includes Barron County, Chippewa County, Dunn County, Pierce County, Polk Burnett, Rusk County, Sawyer County, St. Croix County and Superior Shores Farm Bureaus. In December of 2023, Brad was elected as President of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. Brad and his family farm 600 acres and own a custom farming business near Frederic.
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