Survey seeks out farming families planning their future

The first national survey of farm business succession to be made in 20 years is on the lookout for farming families to have their say on the next steps for their property. The team from the University of New England (UNE), launched the FarmTransfer Survey in November, with the aim of improving one of the most challenging aspects of agriculture. The FarmTransfer survey has the ambitious goal of getting more than 700 respondents to put data behind anecdotes on why some families successfully negotiate succession, and some do not. Failure to effectively manage succession can have disastrous consequences – for the farm business, for farm families, and for rural communities that rely on intergenerational farming families to support physical and social infrastructure. Dr Lucie Newsome, a Senior Lecturer with UNE’s Business School and one of the team that devised the FarmTransfer survey, says that despite years of discussion about the need to do better on succession, too many Australian farm families are still failing at the process. “We hope that the survey will provide contemporary insights into how families succeed at this process, and why they fail. The information will support farm groups and consultants who are working to improve the farm succession process,” Dr Newsome said. The team intends to also publish a guide for farm families who are facing succession. “Even if it just provokes some reflection on when the process should start, it might contribute to more successful outcomes. At the very least, it may be a way of starting that most difficult of conversations.” The survey will need 700-plus respondents to fill out the survey to help create the strongest possible research data, and Dr Newsome said it’s not too late for people to have their say. “For this survey to help farm families, we need the broadest possible engagement,” Dr Newsome said. “We’re hoping for a coast-to-coast geographical spread of respondents; representation from across all the mainstream agriculture sectors; and importantly, reporting of succession experiences from awful to excellent.” “We know it will be particularly hard for those who have been through a really terrible experience, one that might have torn their family apart, to sit down and revisit that time. But by doing so, they may help other families avoid the problems that the survey respondent faced.” Every story matters, and for the many different ways families farm, plan for the future, and adapt for change, Dr Newsome said the challenges can be difficult to discuss, but are incredibly important. “Just as successful succession means that families can continue farming the same land for generations, failed succession can damage relationships in ways that persist for generations. No one wants to live with that stress and sadness.” The strictly-confidential survey can be completed by searching “UNE FarmTransfer Survey” through your search engine, or by visiting www.une.edu.au/research/research-centres-institutes/the-australian-centre-for-agriculture-and-law/une-farm-succession-survey