THE FARM AND RANCH
SURVIVAL KIT PROGRAM
Susan Kerr, WSU-Klickitat County Extension
Brian Tuck, OSU-Wasco County Extension Service
Cheryl Cosner, Oregon Livestock Producer
Location
Situation/Issues Facing Clientele
Need for financial management
education, but...
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Discomfort discussing financial issues
in a public forum
Time pressures
Distance/travel costs
Age--driving at night
Workshop costs
Varied needs
Program Development Process
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Discussion with producers; developed concept of
“Farm & Ranch Survival Kit”
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WSU/OSU cooperative effort
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Obtained USDA RME grant
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Hired program coordinator
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Sent direct mailing to 1200 ag, forest and open
space landowners in Mid-Columbia
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165 officially enrolled; many more participants
Participants
Commercial operators
Small acreage operators
Outputs (Program Activities)
A. Newsletter installments
1. Business planning
2. Financial planning
3. Interpersonal relationships
4. Farm succession
5. Taxes and insurance
planning
6. Marketing
B. Web page development
1. Subset of Small Farms web site
2. http://extension.
oregonstate.edu/wasco/
smallfarms/
RiskManagement.php
C. Workshops
Ranching for profit
Farm succession
Winegrape production, vineyard establishment and
vineyard management
65
50
100
Livestock workshop
Partial budgeting
35
13
Analyzing agricultural investments
13
Evaluating land lease agreements
Crop profitability analysis
14
7
Machinery costs
Hay growers’ workshop
Direct marketing workshop
10
35
11
Outcomes (Impacts)
Evaluation via Survey
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30% response rate
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Respondents from 16 different counties in the
Northwest; owned and/or managed 28 different
agricultural enterprises; represented 77,220 acres
under management
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“On a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being none and 5 being a
great deal), how much useful knowledge did you
gain as a result of your participation in this project?”
3.78
“What will you do differently
following this workshop?”
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“Decrease overhead.”
“Invest more time looking at business to see what is
losing money.”
“Eliminate non-profitable enterprises.”
“Begin estate planning and meet with family members
to discuss issues of succession and find out what next
generation’s expectations might be.”
“Make educated decisions vs. guesses and hope!”
“I will be able to provide better information when
approaching my lending institution. I can project which
crops would be best for our land.”
“Get my husband to figure out if it’s cost effective to
buy machinery or farm.”
“What changes have you made
as a result of your participation
in this project?”
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Started/completed a business plan (14)
Holding regular family meetings (7)
Analyzed my financial situation with my lender (10)
Started/completed an estate/succession plan (16)
Made changes to better manage stressful periods
in my life (13)
Reviewed my insurance policies to determine if I
have appropriate coverage (17)
Started/completed a change in our business
structure (7)
Started/completed a marketing plan for my farm or
ranch (11)
Other Impacts
• Extension educators at the Louisiana State
University AgCenter will use farm succession
materials from the Farm and Ranch Survival Kit
• The Farm Family Support Network has linked its
Web site to the Farm and Ranch Survival Kit Web
site
• Wyoming Department of Agriculture included farm
succession installment in their Estate Planning
Handbook for the state’s agricultural producers
• Distribution of Austin Family Business Center
workbooks to participants
Quotes from Participants
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“I feel like I went from knowing nothing to be able to
make intelligent decisions.”
“We’re holding family meetings to discuss goals and
objectives for use of our family property. Also working
with financial planner to look at long-term financial
objectives.”
“We have prioritized what needs to be done first in
setting up our farm. We are starting from scratch—as
in bare land with no improvements.”
“Very good information. Real world stuff. Will have a
value when used.”
“Useful and practical info. Seems transferable to
various situations and enterprises. Very convenient
program.”
Future Directions
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WA-OR Farm Succession program: $30,000 from
the USDA-RMA Western Center for Risk
Management Education
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NxLevel® and Cultivating Success® programs
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Livestock enterprise budgets
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Economic development funding requests
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Financial management and estate planning
educational program partnerships with community
colleges and Small Business Development Center
Questions?