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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Mail Tribune 100, Oct. 30, 1915 ... Email shows Kitzhaber offered Hayes help securing funding ... Richardson will make another run ... Mail Tribune 100, Oct. 30, 1915 ... Email shows Kitzhaber offered Hayes help securing funding ... Richardson will make another run ... AGRICULTURE An upcoming seminar will talk about strategies for farmers and ranchers nearing retirement Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 28, 2015 at 4:18 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 28, 2015 at 4:18 PM » Social News Jon Elliott has ranched in and around the Cascades for more than half a century. In a business where one generation traditionally passes the branding iron to the next, he figures he's the last of his line. "My daughter has zero interest in ranching and doesn't want anything to do with it," said Elliott, a former Oregon Cattlemen's Association board member. "I've reconciled myself to the fact our legacy is gone. I'm it, and that's OK." He's part of O regon's aging farm and ranch population, a worrisome thought to some and perplexing to many. Elliott cites three reasons the next generation finds cattle ranching undesirable. "It's just too hard, and the future to public land is really tenuous," he said. "Second, they can make way better money doing other things. The third is that it's less cool to be in ag than it was when I was studying animal science." Reversing the trend won't be easy, but it's not an unsolvable problem, said Bart Eleveld, associate professor of applied economics at Oregon State University. "If a farmer or rancher is in their 70s, then they've waited too long," Eleveld said. "Their kids are likely in their 40s or 50s and won't be willing to give up the life they've built to come back to the farm." Succession solutions and options are outlined in a two-part management transition seminar OSU's Austin Family Business Program will host in Medford, Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 12, at RCC/SOU Higher Education Center, 101 S. Bartlett St. Over the years, farm and ranch kids have drifted farther away from the homestead. "The kids have moved on to their careers and lives, but it doesn't mean they don't want the farm as a family asset, its heritage and legacy," Eleveld said. "We're primarily focused on passing management on to the next generation. They don't have to operate the farm or ranch, but they can retain ownership, and some level of use that will keep the emotional asset in the family." The workshop is designed to jump-start the transfer of farm management to the next generation or other successor. Management transition is such a critical element that at least one person from the present generation of owners and one person from the next generation must attend both sessions. The workshops will help unearth potential challenges in transferring management, determine realistic timelines, identify skills and experience the next generation needs, as well as u nderstand income needs and potential resources for owner retirement. Business structures that support gifting and farm purchase will also be addressed. "We don't give participants solutions," Eleveld said. "Generally, they're going to end up collaborating with a team of experts. We want to open eyes to possible avenues and pitfalls." Most family farmers don't have a lot of cash to feed into retirement accounts, Eleveld said. "If the next generation wants to assume management, and the outgoing generation needs income, it could have a crippling effect on the next generation with too much cash outflow," he said. The next generation may actually turn out to be grandchildren of the present owner. In some cases, professional managers handle day-to-day operations, allowing the farm or ranch to remain in the family. "If you hire a manager, it's not an irreversible decision," Eleveld said. "But if you sell it, it's gone, and you're not likely to get it back." For information about the seminar, call 1-800-859-7609 or see http://bit.ly/1WirmB4 Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/EconomicEdge . By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 28, 2015 at 4:18 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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