When should farmers retire?

Retirement from a farm business may not mean moving away or giving up on mentoring the next generation, but it does entail transferring management decisions to someone else. It can be a gradual or sudden process. It may be driven by long-term goals, by sudden health issues, or events outside your family.

When should farmers retire? The answer is related to choices and goals, and can happen at any time. While many can’t imagine doing anything else except farming, their families may have other ideas and want to share more time with them. Discussions with your family can help design the retiremen...