Hoard’s Dairyman – Success

This is my latest post for the Hoard’s Dairyman Blog – HD Notebook

I am proud to be a third generation dairy farmer, fourth generation on my families farm. There’s a definite sense of success that comes with knowing you are carrying on a tradition that was started so long ago. I think the dairy industry is very unique to this generational success.

Until recently I didn’t really understand just how rare that success is. I saw these figures for the first time at our recent Oregon Dairy Farmer’s Association annual meeting, during a break out on succession planning. The average family owned business lasts only 24 years. Only 30% of all family owned businesses survive into the second generation. Only 12% survive into the third generation and a rare 3% operate at fourth generation or beyond.

We are definitely in a generational shift of succession currently. Talking with my age peers it seems most all are in some step of the process to complete their family succession of the farm. I asked a few about their experience and how these generations that came before them played a part in their decision to stay with the family farm.

Stacey Stearns of Mountain Dairy in Mansfield, Connecticut is the 10th generation. Her family has been farming the same land since 1772 and began processing milk in 1871. “For our family, the saying that we are stewards of the land for the next generation resonates within all of us. We know that we are part of something bigger, the perseverance and dedication of generations before us have provided an incredible opportunity”. 10 generations, let that sink in for a minute! Where else outside of the agriculture community do we see that kind of dedication?

Even for first generations farmers like Krista Stauffer of Stauffer Dairy in Washington, this thought process plays a major part in the hopes for their farm. “Every decision we make on our farm is made with the plan that someday our children will become second generation farmers. Our goal is to be the parents that are okay with letting go and handing over the farm to more than capable hands, our children. At the end of the day, isn’t that why we farm, for the ones we love?”

What do you think plays an important part in the generational success of the dairy industry? With the figures above I think it is definitely something that we can take pride in. For me that family commitment is definitely a………{Read the rest of Success: Generation to Generation here}