On this episode of Cultivating Resilience, host Hans Hageman speaks with Seren Sinisi, co-owner of Old Crow Ranch in Durham, Maine, and Sylvie Boisvert, Farm Transfer Program Coordinator at Land for Good.
Succession planning can feel like one of the biggest, most overwhelming conversations a farmer will ever have. It touches everything: land, family, money, identity, retirement, legacy, and the future of the farm itself.
On this episode of Cultivating Resilience, host Hans Hageman speaks with Seren Sinisi, co-owner of Old Crow Ranch in Durham, Maine, and Sylvie Boisvert, Farm Transfer Program Coordinator at Land for Good.
Together, they explore what it really means to plan for the next chapter of a farm. Seren shares what she and her husband Steve have learned while building Old Crow Ranch from the ground up, putting land into agricultural easement, creating an LLC, writing wills, and beginning to imagine what the farm could look like beyond them. Sylvie brings the service-provider perspective, explaining the practical and emotional pieces of farm transfer, from business planning and finances to family communication and identity.
The conversation is honest about how hard these conversations can be, especially when farming is not just what someone does, but who they are. But it also offers a clear and hopeful reminder: succession planning does not have to happen all at once. It can begin with one conversation, one worksheet, one phone call, and one small step.
Highlights Include:
Episode-specific resources
General farmer support resources
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If you have questions about the show or topics you’d like discussed in future episodes, email us at cultivemos@youngfarmers.org.