We could extensively discuss the misuse of the phrase “estate planning” to describe what should be called “transition planning” for ag operations. Instead, I’ll simply summarize by saying an estate plan is more than just a last will and testament, and should plan for the remainder of your life as well as your intentions after your death.

Springtime brings greener pastures, warmer weather and, for many seedstock producers, annual spring production sales. Production sales are the culmination of months and years of breeding, calving, growing and fitting in one or two sales per year.

What do these three things have in common? Most farmers and ranchers would tell you that they miss the “good old days.” You know, the days when a man’s word was much more trustworthy than any piece of paper.

Virtual fencing implements GPS tracking and collar-based deterrents to allow ranchers to manage cattle without the need for physical fencing.

Agricultural land provides food, feed, fiber and fuel. At the same time, much of that land could also support clean electricity by housing utility-scale wind and solar energy installations. This can create conflict between competing land uses.

Succession planning is being addressed across the nation to help farmers and ranchers plan to pass down an operation to the next generation.

If you own or lease any amount of rural land for livestock or crop production, then you have likely encountered obstacles arising from the division of the surface and mineral estates and the impact that can have on your use of the land.

In this day and age, the administrative state touches our lives more and more, especially in agriculture, where we have seen more regulations around water, natural resources and labor. However, regulations in the agricultural industry and the enforcement of those regulations are not new.

According to the USDA’s Land Values 2023 Summary, farm real estate value – a measurement of value for all land and buildings on farms – averaged $4,080 per acre in 2023. This was a 7.4% (about $280) increase from 2022.

Horses have been an integral part of livestock production since they were first imported with cattle by the Spanish in the early 1500s. While some modern ranches have transitioned to the use of “motorized horses” – all-terrain and utility-task vehicles (ATVs, UTVs) and dirt bikes – others continue the legacy of gathering, sorting, doctoring, branding and moving cattle by horseback.