Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland is pleased to share a series of three FREE workshops December 2025 through February 2026, called Your Farm's Future.

Threats to Skagit farmland come from many directions. One of the most basic is simple demographics.

The average age of farmers in Washington is 58.4 years. With more than 40% of the nation's farmland owned by people over 65, the American Farmland Trust estimates up to 370 million acres across the United States will change ownership by 2040. Farmland is most vulnerable to development at these times of transition, from one generation or owner to the next.

Succession planning is essential to ensure that we preserve precious Skagit farmland and keep agriculture thriving here. Connections to farmland are rooted deeply, often through multiple generations. This makes succession planning an emotional process, not simply an economic transaction. Working through the many details of a succession plan is time-consuming, legally complicated, and just plain hard.

Fortunately, local advocates and resources can help navigate this challenging transition.

The first workshop in the series is coming soon, December 3, and will feature a panel of Skagit farmers sharing their personal stories with succession planning.

Subsequent sessions tackle practical steps and specific resources available for succession planning.

If this issue impacts you, you’re not alone. 

Register here for the first in this series of three FREE workshops. Register for all three! We’d love to see you there!