WENATCHEE, Wash. — Studies indicate that as many as 60 percent of landowners never discuss their plans for succession with their families. When planning for the future of family-owned farms, ranches and forests, many people don’t consider that the future property owners are sitting down with them at the family dinner table.
In April, Washington State University Kittitas County Extension will present “Ties to the Land,” a daylong workshop designed to help landowners plan for the future of their land and legacy.
The workshop will be held on Saturday, April 3, from 9 am to 4pm at the Kittitas Valley Event Center, 512 N. Poplar Street, in Ellensburg.
“Ties to the Land” is an award-winning program that explores succession planning, the “human side” of estate planning. Leading estate-planning experts at Oregon State University Extension and the Austin Family Business Plan developed the curriculum. Participants will learn how to start and continue the family conversation, as well as gaining tips for guiding the process so that everyone feels part of the final result.
Each family will receive a “Ties to the Land” workbook and companion DVD designed to help them continue to improve and direct their communication and planning at home. Additional workbooks are available for $25 each.
Advance registration is required and class size is limited to 30 families.
The cost per family or ownership is $45 for members of the Washington Farm Forestry Association, Cattlemen’s Association, Hay Growers Association, or Kittitas County Farm Bureau. For non-association members the fee is $75. An optional sack lunch is available for $8 each for those who register before Mar. 29.
The registration form can be downloaded at http://ext.wsu.edu/forestry or by contacting Kittitas County Extension at 509-962-7507 or by email to hudsont@wsu.edu.