Lebanon County Dairy Producer Takes Proactive Approach to Transitioning Farm to Son
At Homestead Acres in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, Curtis Zimmerman and his wife manage the dairy operation and milk 120 cows alongside his son. While Curtis is only 49, he decided to take a proactive approach with succession planning and giving his son the opportunity to take over the dairy business. The Zimmermans worked with Dr. Brian Reed, a dairy farm consultant, to start building a clear transition plan between generations. The family met at least twice with Dr. Reed who listened to their goals and ideas for the transition and then facilitated the steps that needed to happen to start building a concrete plan.
Lancaster County Family Shares How Team Approach Leads to Actionable Dairy Business Decisions
For Chad Fox and his brother, Corey, of Fox Meadows Farm LLC in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, outside perspectives have been key to their family’s transition in ownership and year-to-year decision making. When the family transitioned ownership to the brothers in 2020, their dad stepped down from being the herdsman and they hired a full-time employee to take on those day-to-day responsibilities. Using the Transition Team Program through the Center for Dairy Excellence, they worked with outside advisors to formulate what the herdsman role would look like, how to set both parties up for success, and how to build out compensation and profit-sharing.
Lancaster County Dairy Farm Family Prioritizes Transition Planning With Outside Consultants
Kerry Zeiset, a dairy producer from Lancaster County, had an active role on his family’s 72-cow dairy farm and a strong interest in continuing to farm with his family in the future. Like many dairy farm families, he just wasn’t sure how to take the next steps into ownership with his parents. Kerry worked with the Center for Dairy Excellence to be paired with Dr. Charlie Gardner, one of multiple outside consultants available who specialize in transition planning.
Berks County Dairy Producer Gives an Honest Look at Transition Planning Process
When Jared Kurtz of Kurtland Farms in Berks County, Pa. made the decision to return to his family’s dairy farm more than six years ago, they began broaching the topic of transition planning. We recently talked with Jared about their transition planning process, and he shared his thoughts on how other dairy farm families can start the conversation with different generations.
Transition Planning Helps Somerset County Dairy Farm Build a Legacy
Like many Pennsylvania dairy farms, Pennwood Farms in Somerset County, Pennsylvania has multiple family members involved in managing the farm’s day-to-day operations. With four brothers and various family members overseeing the business, they have been considering transitioning to an LLC to better protect each family. The Stoltzfus family reached out to the Center who provided direction and helped them identify the next steps.
Transformation Team Helps Lititz Dairy Farm with Business Planning and Transition Management
Andy Bollinger of Meadow Spring Farm in Lititz, PA has witnessed multiple transformations during his lifetime. After joining his family’s partnership in 2004, their farm used a team approach when making major changes to their dairy operation. Andy shares how a willingness to step outside of his comfort zone has always been engrained in him.