Who Will Fill My Shoes: Succession Planning for Land Owners, Farmers, Forest Owners, and Family Businesses

About the Curriculum:

Succession planning encompasses many emotional and financial aspects of a family and business, making decisions and moving forward more difficult. This research-based curriculum with integrated and comprehensive handouts will give participants the confidence they need to learn strategies for moving succession forward with their property or business. Both soft and hard skills are covered in the materials and will empower owners to develop and implement their succession plan. 

Not knowing where to start in succession planning is often paralyzing. In Who Will Fill My Shoes: Succession Planning for Land Owners, Farmers, Forest Owners, and Family Businesses, participants will learn about the following components of succession planning:

  • Module 1: Communication and Conflict in Succession 
  • Module 2: Key Players in Succession: Who Should Be Involved? 
  • Module 3: Legal and Business Structures 
  • Module 4: Roadmapping and Goals in Succession: Who, When, and How to Transfer? 
  • Module 5: Meeting Planning and Coordination for Succession 

Modules and Materials

Additional Resources

We also want to share two additional educational resources from Purdue University and North Carolina State University. 

For additional information contact:

Renee Wiatt 
Research and Extension Specialist, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
Family Business Management Specialist, Purdue Institute for Family Business Department of Agricultural Economics
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Email: reneewiatt@purdue.edu⎮Phone: 765-494-9176
Website: https://ncrcrd.ag.purdue.edu

Dr. Kurt Smith 
Assistant Professor, Forestry and Environmental Resources
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Email: kwsmith@ncsu.edu⎮Phone: 919-513-2573
Website: https://faculty.cnr.ncsu.edu/kurtsmith/

Dr. Rebecca Smith 
Associate Extension Professor, Mississippi State University Extension
Mississippi State University, MS State, MS
Email: becky.smith@msstate.edu⎮Phone: 662-325-1793
Website: https://www.agecon.msstate.edu

Partnering Organizations

Logo for the NCRCRD with the text: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
Red text logo with the words: N C State University
Logo for SRDC with the text: Southern Rural Development Center
Logo with text: Letter "P", Purdue University, Institute for Family Business
Logo with maroon M and the word state across it. Includes the text: Mississippi State University Department of Agricultural Economics
USDA NIFA logo

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.