Succession Plan Keeps Farm in Family's Hands by Hannah Fletcher in Iowa Farmer Today (01/03/2007) relates the scenario of one family who has taken a proactive approach to succession planning decisions.

John Baker (administrator for the Beginning Farmers Center in Ames, IA) serves as a resource for this feature and cites the following hurdles to successful succession planning: " - Urgency often takes precedence... farmers' planning horizon does not typically extend more than a year ahead... - Farmers don't want to plan for something they don't understand... - Often, there is a lack of pressure from the younger generation to assume duties...