Two separate free workshops will be offered to farmers and ranchers in Belle Fourche, South Dakota at the Branding Iron Café with a light lunch provided. These workshops are not limited to Beginning Farmers and are open to the public. To register (and for questions) call the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.
The first workshop is from 9 am to 12:00 pm on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, it will address both farm and ranch succession planning, and USDA loan programs, including those loan programs intended to support beginning farmers and ranchers. The succession planning portion will cover basic estate and transitioning planning issues and tools, including federal transfer taxes, incapacity planning, transfer tools (wills, titling and trusts), balancing the interests of on-farm and off-farm heirs (access to land and operational assets, contribution & compensation, management and control, asset protection, leases, tools for co-ownership), and decision making steps in the transition planning process. The USDA loan segment will cover Farm Service Agency loan programs, including direct and guaranteed loans, beginning farmer loans, microloans, and storage facility loans.
The second workshop is from 9 am to 12:00 pm on Wednesday, August 30, 2017, it will address Farm Service Agency disaster programs, including the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP), and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). We will discuss program benefits and coverage and eligibility criteria.
There will also be an opportunity to engage in one-on-one discussions with the presenters by signing up for free ½ hours sessions after the workshop.
These workshops and clinics are made available through The Nebraska Network for Beginning Ranchers and Farmers, which includes services in South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado, and the Farm Law Project of Legal Aid of Nebraska.
Presenters:
Joe Hawbaker, Agricultural Law Attorney, with Hawbaker Law Office, Omaha, Nebraska.
Amy Swoboda, Farm and Food Attorney with Legal Aid of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska.