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V O L . X X X I I N O. I X M AY 4 , 2 0 2 6 16 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 F O C U S in other ways, including succession planning, business support and work- ing with indigenous communities to return land to their stewardship. Daydreaming Karen and Paul Volckhausen started the organic Happytown Farm in the Hancock County town of Orland nearly 50 years ago, selling meat, veg- etables, flowers and eggs. Shortly before the pandemic, they learned about Land for Good's Farm Succession School, which helps senior farmers and partner's work toward retirement and farm transition. Not yet ready to retire, they wanted to understand their options. "At that time we set our goal as four to five years to retire," says Karen. "We knew we wanted to live in our house on the farm for as long as we were able," says Paul. "We were open to pretty much any option that came along. We started putting out the word that we were thinking about this." It was a long process. One possibility fell through. "at was upsetting, so we said, 'Let's just put it away for a while,'" Karen recalls. An employee, Angelica Harwood, had been with them for four or five years. Karen was tending flowers with her one morning. "I said, 'You need to work here the rest of your life and take care of us,' We were laughing," Karen recalls. "She said, 'at's so funny. I was talking with the rest of the crew and we were daydream- ing about how we should take over the farm and take care of Paul and Karen.'" Thousands of questions Harwood was in the process of looking for land to start her own farm anyway. e pivot made sense. "We had such a good relationship," Harwood says. "ey saw my motiva- tion and the things I was interested in." Harwood enrolled in Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's journeyperson program, a two-year course for beginning farmers and farmworkers, and connected with Legal Food Hub, another nonprofit. She obtained an equipment loan from the Farm Service Agency. Working with Land For Good, Maine Farmland Trust and advisors, the two parties came up with a rolling seven- year lease that started Jan. 1, 2025. "I knew how to farm, but I had never explored the business side," says Harwood. Of the Volckhausens, she adds, "ey made everything easier." Harwood leases the barn, farm infra- structure and about four of the 12 acres of cultivated land plus five acres of sugar- bush. Karen stepped back while Paul con- tinues maintaining the remaining land, cuts wood and runs the tractor. Harwood is doing more no-till or low-till farming than they did, expanding the perennial business and incorporating willow rows for windbreaks and basket-making sales. Harwood credits the Volckhausens for their mentoring — Karen on flow- ers, Paul on skills like crop rotation and sugarbushing. "Luckily, he's still willing to answer all my thousands of questions," Harwood says. Creating a world Although the industry faces challenges, including climate change and surging property prices, there are still more farm seekers than available farms. "We see about 10 people looking, for every property that's posted," Blum- Evitts says of the organization's New England Farmland Finder site. "For some people, it's that family legacy that they want to continue," says Sabina. "For a lot of people, it's about working outside in a physical job that's rewarding. It's about feeding your com- munity, growing something that people need and also being an environmental steward. It's a tangible way to be active in creating the world you want to be in. And it's lifestyle — a lot of people really like living where they work and having that be an extension of their home and family life." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E What you build today deserves a strong tomorrow. Plan for it. 207-873-2200 129 Silver St, Waterville, ME goldenpondwealth.com Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: a measure of each team's best practices, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK's research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and team, and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client's experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC. Luckily, he's still willing to answer all my thousands of questions. — Angelica Harwood Happytown Farm

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