A Breakfast Meeting Celebrating Agriculture
A recent breakfast meeting at the Today Farm & Market in Muncy focused on policy and legislative matters relevant to farmers and agriculture business owners. This included everyone interested in ensuring food on our plates. The event brought together high school students from Montgomery and Mifflinburg, belonging to Future Farmers of America (FFA), local business owners, and other interested parties.
Attendees enjoyed a hearty country-style breakfast, hosted by Josh Leidhecker, owner of Today Farm, which is easily visible from I-180 or Route 405. The menu featured fresh beef and pork products, farm-fresh scrambled eggs, a mix of egg products, biscuits with sausage gravy, and bread pudding, all served buffet style.
The event began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a milk toast and a salute to dairy farm production, led by Lycoming County Dairy Princess Desyrae Neidig, along with SUN Area Dairy Princess Madyson Reich and Union County West End Fair Queen Miranda Zimmerman.
State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, provided special recognition, highlighting legislation related to farmers, including the topic of bonding for solar farms. He then introduced Jodi Gauker, a Business Development Extension Educator at Penn State Extension, as the keynote speaker.
Gauker's Keynote: Transitioning Farming
In her keynote address, Gauker delved into the importance of succession planning for farmland owners. She shared insights on "transitional farming," emphasizing the need for farmers to have a will in place to prevent farms from being passed down to countless heirs, which often leads to the loss of farmland.
Gauker offered several key points for successful farm transition:
- Start early: Begin planning today for a smooth transition.
- Farmers don't have to die on the farm: They can sell or lease and remain involved.
- Myths about farm transition:
- A farmer doesn't have to involve their children.
- Farms can't support another family or income.
- Communication is overrated.
In reality, Gauker stressed, communication is crucial, and farmers should involve their children in discussions, avoid guilt, and be honest with each other. She also advised against waiting for the five-year look-back period for long-term care, suggesting that farmers create a plan for when the transition should happen, with the help of professionals.