The University of Maryland Extension receives requests for educational resources related to estate and succession planning, but often, few agricultural operations take advantage of the resources when they are made available. Researchers from the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are surveying the estate and succession planning needs of Maryland agricultural operations. All agricultural producers, service providers, and anyone working with operators may participate in the survey.
“We often hear from agricultural producers that estate planning is something they struggle with and is a top legal concern for many of them. But when we hold workshops or offer other outreach related to estate planning, we often get few participants. This survey will help us consider the needs of Maryland agricultural operations and how best to address those related to estate planning,” said Paul Goeringer, a senior faculty specialist and Extension specialist in agricultural law with the University of Maryland.
The information gathered through this new survey will help Extension develop new resources and tools to support agricultural operations as they consider estate and succession planning. Participation is voluntary and confidential. Anyone that completes a survey will be given the option to enter a raffle for 1 of 8 $50 gift cards. Funding for the gift cards was provided by Horizons Farm Credit.
Goeringer encourages all agricultural operators and those working with agricultural operators to participate in the survey. “The more results we get the better we will be able to understand the needs in this topic. We can develop better programming that fits needs in this area.”
If you are interested in participating, please visit this website to complete the survey: https://go.umd.edu/estatesurvey, which takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. For more information, contact Paul Goeringer (lgoering@umd.edu).