Abstract

A farm family’s land succession plan is vital to ensure that high-value farmland continues to benefit the family for generations to come. However, many farmers have been reluctant to develop succession plans. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of place attachment on farmers’ land succession planning. This exploratory mixed methods research involved farmers within 10 years of retirement age (55 years of age or older), both with and without a land succession plan. Surveys and interviews utilized Raymond, Brown, and Weber’s (2010) five dimensions of place attachment: place identity, place dependence, nature bonding, family bonding, and friend bonding. Survey results showed farmers with a succession plan had significantly higher place identity, place dependence, nature bonding, and overall place attachment than farmers without a succession plan. Seven themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of interviews of farmers with a succession plan and six themes emerged from interviews of farmers without a succession plan. Three themes: connection to family, sense of community, and enjoyment of the outdoors were held in common. This study adds to the literature exploring the complex factors affecting the transition of the family farm to the next generation.

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