At the Farm GateKeeping the family in farm - Continuation takes thoughtful action
Our family farm hosted our small town’s first-ever all-class school reunion this summer. Kudos to the alumni on the organizing committee, who gathered 350 graduates and guests for this “Fest on the Farm.” That’s a big party in the farm shop for one of the smallest schools in the state.
In that crowd, four of us claimed the most living generations in attendance: My grandma, dad, daughter and I. Two factors contributed to this four-generation achievement. My grandparents and parents had babies at 20 years old, and we dedicated ourselves to the family farm, a business rooted in that small school district.
Farming is inherently generational, a family business transferred through successive heirs to create a profound sense of legacy and identity while preserving traditions, values and relevant practices. The livelihood generates a way of life that binds us to the land and our communities, evidenced by the four-generation photo we captured at the reunion.
This story resonates across the state, where families, not corporations, control ownership for 96% of the 71,000 farms in Illinois. Family members make decisions that steward the land and care for the animals. They carry out the work, uphold the commitment to community and inherit the responsibility to plan for the next generation. My brother and I feel gravity in that obligation and commit thoughtful planning to improve the likelihood of a successful transition.
Soon, we will attend a meeting where one of the agenda topics explores strategies to attract, integrate and position the farm for our kids. The complex undertaking must navigate legal and financial challenges. It must consider their talents and the farm’s resources while defining their roles. And we insist the process cultivates a leadership mindset to respect shared values and facilitate strong and healthy family dynamics.
A deeply emotional connection draws our kids’ hearts to the family business as it did ours. At the core of their childhood, they experienced four generations of family working the fields together at harvest. The kids formed a close-knit cousin bond baling straw and playing hide and seek on the farm. Grandparents teach them trade skills, expose them to family traditions, make farm life fun and showcase the values of respect, integrity, hard work and reliability.
While those ideals create a framework, successful sustainability of the business will require structure, strategy and a shared commitment. It’s a daunting task to make sure they know the history of risk and sacrifice that afforded the opportunity, that we allot time for the transfer of skills and we teach them to be adaptive. The consideration of time-tested techniques with new ideas and technologies is imperative for the business to thrive.
At the all-school reunion, the contrast between a 1954 Farmall and a 2024 CaseIH tractor on display strikingly reflected the 71-year span of graduates in attendance. Farming, like education, has evolved far beyond the visible changes of barns and equipment or textbooks and one-room schoolhouses. Successful continuity upholds the values that endure through time while also embracing innovation and change to remain relevant.
About the author: Joanie Stiers farms with her family in Knox County, where they raise corn, soybeans, hay, beef cattle, backyard chickens and farmkids.