A primary driver of the rapid loss of Idaho farmland is that many farmers never get around to putting in the hard work of succession planning. 

And that has impacts beyond agriculture. 

“There’s a recognition that agricultural lands are the only real stronghold for open space and wildlife habitat left on private lands,” said Eric Pankau, stewardship manager for Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust (SSLT). “As they’re converted to subdivisions and dense housing, we lose those wildlife resources.”

So SSLT is teaming up with a host of partners to help farmers and ranchers tackle a task that can feel overwhelming: passing on their land to the next generation. 

You can help. If you are a farmer or rancher in Southeast Idaho, please take this short online survey to help guide future succession planning programming. 

What is farm succession planning? This process entails families working together to create a plan that transfers assets and responsibilities to the next generation, factoring in the needs of both the older and younger generations.

Need help with succession planning now? Check out the Idaho State Department of Agriculture’s self-guided succession planning course and a transition resources packet here: https://agri.idaho.gov/marketing/farm-ranch-center/transition-resources/

By the Numbers: Farm loss in Idaho Idaho lost 2,119 farms – representing 8.5% of all the farms in the state – between 2017 and 2022, according to the most recent Census of Agriculture. The federal report also confirmed the average Idaho farmer was 56.6 years old, nearing retirement age.

Read about one Idaho family’s farm succession journey: https://www.uidaho.edu/newsroom/merrill-succession-planning

Read more about the partners (Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust, Teton Regional Land Trust, University of Idaho Extension and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture) working to help farmers and ranchers, and the importance of succession planning: https://www.uidaho.edu/newsroom/succession-planning-team