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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 M AY 4 , 2 0 2 6 F O C U S B U S I N E S S S U C C E S S I O N / T R A N S I T I O N Well into a one-year trial lease, things are looking good. "ey're working out beautifully," says Norris. "ey're good farmers and they're ambitious. ey have a vision for this farm. So we're all mov- ing right along." Right fit Working out a farm succession plan isn't easy. Transitions can be complicated for exiting farm owners and incoming farmers, requiring not just transferring ownership but also skills and knowl- edge. e process can take many years, as older farmers look to secure a finan- cial future while trying to keep their land in farming, and younger farmers try to find somewhere to farm. "Farm business succession can be a lot more complex than other business succession because it involves not only the business but also the land, which is often also the family home," says Ellen Sabina, Maine Farmland Trust's director of farmer engagement and access. e nonprofit land trust, with offices in Belfast and Portland, works to protect farmland and support farmers to keep land in production, including programs to help with farm access and transfers. e organization's Catherine Durkin leads the succession work and Hanne Tierney works with farm owners and seekers Personal and family dynamics are embedded in the process. "It can some- times seem overwhelming to untangle all of that," says Sabina. Continuing a farm often involves diversification or change to make it viable in today's market, says Shemariah Blum-Evitts, executive director of Land For Good. What would count as a successful match? "Clear communication, clarity of vision, open mindsets and transpar- ency are all key elements to a success- ful farm transfer," says Blum-Evitts. "It can take several attempts to find a successor who is well aligned." "It can take a while to find the right fit," says Sabina. Exploring crops At Clayfield Farm, named after the nutrient-rich clay soil on which it was C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » WELLS ADAMS WELLS ADAMS RONDÉ BARBER RONDÉ BARBER JEROME BETTIS JEROME BETTIS JAY BILAS JAY BILAS CLAY BUCHHOLZ CLAY BUCHHOLZ TOM CARON TOM CARON RYAN CLADY RYAN CLADY PATRICK DEMPSEY PATRICK DEMPSEY MIKE ERUZIONE MIKE ERUZIONE MARDY FISH MARDY FISH DOUG FLUTIE DOUG FLUTIE KEITH FOULKE KEITH FOULKE DWIGHT FREENEY DWIGHT FREENEY JOEY GRAZIADEI JOEY GRAZIADEI BEN HIGGINS BEN HIGGINS BRIAN HOYER BRIAN HOYER HALLY LEADBETTER HALLY LEADBETTER JON LESTER JON LESTER SEAN MALTO SEAN MALTO KEVIN MILLAR KEVIN MILLAR BLAIR O'NEAL BLAIR O'NEAL TJ OSHIE TJ OSHIE JOE PAVELSKI JOE PAVELSKI MICHAEL PEÑA MICHAEL PEÑA CHAD PFEIFER CHAD PFEIFER PAYTON PRITCHARD PAYTON PRITCHARD TUUKKA RASK TUUKKA RASK ANDREW RAYCROFT ANDREW RAYCROFT RONNIE RUSSELL RONNIE RUSSELL TYLER SEGUIN TYLER SEGUIN STERLING SHARPE STERLING SHARPE HARRISON SMITH HARRISON SMITH BOB SWEENEY BOB SWEENEY SHAWN THORNTON SHAWN THORNTON TAYLOR TWELLMAN TAYLOR TWELLMAN SETH WESCOTT SETH WESCOTT OLLIE WRIGHT OLLIE WRIGHT DRIVE FORE KIDS PRESENTED BY TO BENEFIT JUNE 26-28 | FALMOUTH, ME Celebrity lineup subject to change. CAM LITTLE CAM LITTLE VINCE CARTER VINCE CARTER CELEBRITY REVEAL CELEBRITY REVEAL CELEBRITY REVEAL BUY TICKETS TODAY! WWW.DRIVEFOREKIDS.COM FARM TRANSITION TIPS FARM SEEKERS 9 Clarify goals, financial parameters 9 Learn different tenure methods 9 Conduct land search 9 Assess farm properties 9 Develop sound leases and other agreements 9 Communicate with sellers, land- lords, attorneys and others TRANSITIONING FARMERS 9 Clarify goals, next steps 9 Develop farm transfer plan 9 Build team of advisors 9 Obtain information 9 Identify or recruit farm successor, if necessary 9 Explore financial, legal, management considerations SOURCE: Land for Good P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R At Clayfield Farm in Blue Hill, Phil Norris repairs a fence, bashed in by deer, around another field the younger couple plan to cultivate.