Workshop helps landowners prepare for the next generation

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Are you a farmer, landowner or estate owner? Have you ever given any thought to “what’s next” when you are ready to move, retire or leave your land to family? Do you have a plan for what will happen to your land if you were to experience a major change in your life? Join the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD), in partnership with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County, as they present a Farm and Estate Succession Planning Workshop on Saturday, March 7.

    This dynamic and informative workshop will have valuable information for everyone. Presenters will include Paul Dillon Esq., representatives from the Maine Farmland Trust, Land For Good and Donna Coffin of the UMaine Cooperative Extension in Piscataquis County.
    Dillon will discuss the legal process of farm and estate succession planning. Dillon’s legal areas of expertise include estate and retirement planning, transfer planning, family communications, goal setting and assessment, legal issues and business structures. Through his law office in Corinth he provides comprehensive business planning services for agricultural enterprises.
    Workshop participants will also be presented with information about Maine Farmland Trust and Land For Good farm trust programs and initiatives available for landowners in Maine. The programs and services provided by Maine Farmland Trust and Land for Good are essential to those who have questions about keeping their land in farming or transferring their farm or estate to another farming entity. Maine Farmland Trust works to protect farmland, and to keep farming in Maine viable and vital. Land for Good works to strengthen farmland stewardship while honoring farming legacies and by providing expert guidance to help farmers, landowners and communities navigate the complex challenges of land access, tenure and transfer.
    Coffin will conclude this informative workshop with a presentation on record keeping – an important part of any business or succession plan. She is the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Educator in Piscataquis County. Her areas of expertise include sustainable agriculture, farm planning and recordkeeping.
    This workshop will provide a wide breadth of information, tools and resources for Maine residents interested in learning more about the sometimes complicated and overwhelming process of farm, land and estate succession planning. For many, planning to transfer their farm, sell their estate or lease their farm to keep their land in production requires legal advice, options and information. This workshop is designed for landowners, estate owners and farmers at any stage of succession planning, and will provide an opportunity for Maine residents to learn about many of the services and programs available to them when planning for the future.
    This workshop will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. A wonderful lunch will be provided by DKB Catering out of Greenville. Pre-registration is required through the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Center at 564-6525 or through website  www.pvaec.maineadulted.org. The cost for the workshop is discounted if registered by Feb. 20. For more information about the Farm and Estate Succession Planning Workshop contact the PCSWCD at 564-2321, ext. 3 or at info@piscataquisswcd.org.
    Immediately following the Farm and Estate Succession Planning Workshop, Maine Farmland Trust will host their FarmLink Mixer that will run from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Are you thinking about whether there are farmers out there that could utilized your land? Or are you curious about what it might be like to farm in Piscataquis County (where the farmland is spectacular and the people are nice)? Then our Maine FarmLink Mixer event is for you.
    This event will provide an opportunity for community members to network and connect with other landowners and farmers in a fun and unique way. Maine Farmland Trust will provide refreshments and facilitate the event. The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District encourages anyone interested in learning more about Maine Farmland Trust, FarmLink, or what’s happening in farming in our area to come out to the mixer. Please RSVP to Sue by Friday, Feb. 27 to register for the mixer by sending an email to  info@mainefarmlink.org or calling 338-6575.