Panel to Answer Transition Questions at Pennsylvania Farm Show

News Date December 05, 2007

       A newly-formed partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Center for Farm Transitions and PA Farm Link will help producers learn how best transfer a farm to someone else.

       A panel will be available to answer questions at the Pennsylvania Farm Show from 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 7 and 11, in the Pennsylvania room of the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, Harrisburg.

       Farm transition issues the panel will address include transferring ownership to the next generation, leaving the farm for another career, expanding your operation, or beginning to farm.

       "As a dairy farmer, I know farm transition is one of the biggest concerns among farm operators," said Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. "Understanding the best way to introduce the next generation of farmers to management or making an operation more profitable will help farmers continue to keep agriculture the number one industry in Pennsylvania."

       The first 100 producers to mail their inquiries to the Center for Farm Transitions by Dec. 19 will receive a free one-day parking pass to the Farm Show, a $5 value, so they can ask their question in person. Walk-in inquiries are also welcome, and producers may ask the panel multiple questions.

       Submit questions related to farm transition to the Center for Farm Transitions, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 2301 N. Cameron St., Room 311, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408. Submissions can also be made online through the "Contact Us" section at http://www.iplantofarm.com. Include your name, address, telephone number and question. 

(Contact: Nicole L. Cullison, 717/787-5085)