In his veterinarian practice in Clinton County in southern Illinois, Dr. Jake Johnson had noticed his clients were facing problems that didn’t relate to their livestock – frustration around figuring out succession planning and uncertainty about the future of their farms.
Dr. Jake believes in community, and his client families are part of his community. He couldn’t just let his neighbors and friends struggle by themselves. So, inspired by the productivity of sub-committees at his church and “parlor meetings” he saw in Minnesota, he felt a calling to create a small learning group focused on succession planning.
Dr. Jake believed there was hope for those farm families. He had seen some families sustain multi-generational farm legacies through good planning. His own ownership of the Clinton County Veterinary Services, LTD was a shining example of non-familial succession.
The late Dr. Steve Helmink (the previous owner) had taken a thoughtful approach not only in launching the clinic but also in supporting Dr. Jake as the new owner as retirement neared.
When Dr. Jake posted a simple Facebook post gauging interest in the opportunity to “share ideas and gain valuable insight” around succession planning, three Clinton County farm wives responded. Each one possesses their own unique set of experiences and questions, but all share a common goal: secure the future of their farms.
Dr. Jake selected Land For Good’s Farm Succession Planning: Where do I Start? workbook as the framework for the monthly discussions. He also plans to invite guest speakers, including succession experts as well as farmers who have already navigated the succession planning process. He hopes the meetings will combine both socializing and education.
“It’s a chance,” Dr. Jake says, “for the community to come together and help one another.” In starting the learning group, Dr. Jake also hopes to make it easier for people to bring up the topic of succession planning. Perhaps life insurance and estate plan options will someday be as popular in Clinton County conversations as commodity prices and the
weather.
Ashley Kehrer, Illinois FarmLink’s Southern Illinois Navigator, writes, “My role with the Clinton County succession group that Dr. Jake started is multifaceted. I am sharing information I have gained through my training with Illinois FarmLink, while also simultaneously applying practices to my own farm. Through Illinois FarmLink, I hope to build
upon the relationship and duplicate what Dr. Johnson has initiated.”