The 2025 Farm Transitions Conference will be held Feb. 6-7, 2025, at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. The conference is hosted by the Beginning Farmer Center at Iowa State University.
The two-day conference is designed for farmers who are looking for more information about transitioning their farm to the next generation, farmers who want to review their current estate and transition plan, and beginning farmers.
Participants will hear from presenters including attorneys, farm management experts and farmers who will speak on a variety of topics including current tax considerations, using business entities in succession planning, estate planning with wills and trusts, beginning farmer access to credit, farm diversification and more. The conference also provides an opportunity for participants to network with estate and succession planning professionals, as well as farmers at different stages in the transition planning process.
A theme of this year’s conference is “taking action” and includes a session specifically focused on turning ideas and goals into tangible plans, said Kristiana Coutu, director of the Beginning Farmer Center and senior counsel with the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation at Iowa State.
“Farm transition planning and the decisions involved in the process are so important, perhaps the most important decisions farmers make. Because of this, it can feel overwhelming, which sometimes makes it hard to take action to get a plan in place. My hope is that this conference makes that process a little less daunting and empowers participants to take the next step in their individual process,” Coutu said.
All participants will receive an updated copy of Estate and Succession Planning for the Farm, a 100-page workbook published by ISU Extension and Outreach.
Register online at the 2025 Farm Transitions Conference Website. Participants who cannot attend in person may opt for the virtual option when registering.
For more information, visit the Beginning Farmer Center website or contact the center at 515-357-6680.
