Workshop focuses on farming’s next generation

BY TED POTTS
The Tribune-Democrat

January 12, 2008 11:39 pm

— Somerset County agriculture extension agent Miguel Saviroff will be one of the speakers at a program this month focusing on transferring ownership of farms to younger generations.
“Farm Succession Basic Training” will be held Jan. 28 at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park Building, 201 S. Walnut St., Martinsburg.
The program is open to farmers in Cambria and Somerset counties as well as those in the Bedford and Blair county regions, Saviroff said.
Registration deadline is Jan. 21.
Registration, at $40 per person, may be made through Blair County Cooperative Extension, 301 Valley View Blvd., Altoona; 940-5989.
Projections by Penn State Cooperative Extension are that 70 percent of all farms in the commonwealth will change ownership in the next 15 years, Saviroff said.
“We don’t want these farms to disappear,” he said. “We want to keep them in production.”
The program is primarily for farmers in the beginning stages of the succession process. Basic information and guidance will be provided on how to start a successful transfer.
Saviroff, whose specialty is agricultural financial management, will discuss those aspects of farm transitions.
Other speakers will be John Becker, an attorney at Penn State who specializes in agricultural matters; Andrew Martin, extension agent in Mifflin and Juniata counties; and Dan Brogdon, a manager with AgChoice Farm Credit.
Becker will speak about legal aspects of farm successions and provide case studies pertaining to ownership changes. Martin will discuss the importance of communication among family members during the process.
Brogdon will provide a case study of a successful transition.
The speakers will discuss their topics from the perspectives of both sellers and buyers, Saviroff said.