WA-farm-bureauThe Washington Conservation Commission’s Office of Farmland Preservation recently published Planning the Future of Your Farm, a workbook for families who want to keep their farmland in production and/or “in the family” as it passes to the next generation.  Among other tools, the publication addresses how to navigate the challenges families face in managing the legal process for transferring real property and working farm assets across generations.

As the first edition prepared for a western state, Planning the Future of Your Farm is meant to address estate planning for farmers, ranchers, and other landowners in Washington State. The workbook includes chapters on managing risk in the farm transfer process, improving family communication, evaluating farm resources, tools for farm transfer, and meeting with professional advisors.

Estate planning is an important tool for the preservation of farmland and the continuation of farm operations in Washington State, contributing to the health of our state’s agricultural economies and local communities.

Van Ness Feldman partner Duncan Greene was a primary contributor to this important resource for Washington farmers.