Listen to The Stepmom, The Sibling, And The Succession Plan on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Your player of choice

The conversation around succession planning in rural and agricultural businesses often gets buried under polite silence and good intentions. While everyone acknowledges its importance, few families actually sit down and have the hard conversations needed to protect their legacy. It's not just about who gets what - it's about creating a clear roadmap that prevents family trauma during times of crisis.

The reality is, your business isn't static. You're adding properties, diversifying operations, and watching family members' interests and capabilities evolve. A succession plan needs to reflect these changes, which means treating it as a living document rather than a one-and-done task that sits in a drawer. This requires regular review and updates, especially as your operation grows and family dynamics shift.

Most importantly, succession planning isn't about predicting a perfect future - it's about preventing a crisis. Whether you're a first-generation producer or managing multi-generational assets, the goal is to create a framework that protects both your business and your family relationships. This means having open conversations early and often, even when they're uncomfortable, because dealing with discomfort now is far better than leaving your family to handle chaos later.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, The Stepmom, The Sibling, And The Succession Plan, you’ll get both perspectives:

Jessica's Point: "Family succession planning isn't about predicting the future - it's about preventing a crisis, because I've seen firsthand that emergencies don't wait for everyone to be ready."

Kendall's Point: "A succession plan locked in a drawer is as useless as no plan at all - your business evolves, your family changes, and your documentation needs to keep up."

Resources & Links:

Connect with Kendall:

Follow on Instagram @marketingforfarmers and @centralparkfarms
Check out her website

Connect with Jessica:

Follow on Instagram @moosevalleyranch
Check out her website

Related Episodes:

Episode 2: Five Ways to Set Yourself Apart at Markets
Episode 3: Lessons In Failing
More about The Workhorse Podcast:

Welcome to The Workhorse Podcast, where we dig deep into the grit, passion, and strategy behind building a successful rural business. Hosted by Kendall Ballantine of Central Park Farms and Jessica Garza of Moose Valley Ranch, this podcast is for hardworking female farmers and rural entrepreneurs who are ready to turn their dreams into thriving businesses.

From marketing your business online and direct-to-consumer strategies to balancing farm family life and business growth, we’re here to give you practical tools, candid insights, and a healthy dose of community support. This is for the doers, the women who scale their business during the long trips to town, the workhorses.

If you’re looking to dive even deeper into our community, check out The Workhorse Collective, a growing group of rural women entrepreneurs.