Montana Grain Growers Convention Puts Farm Succession in the Spotlight
November 13, 2026
Passing the family farm from one generation to the next can be one of the most important—and difficult—decisions agricultural families face. At this year's Montana Grain Growers Association Convention in Great Falls, a new educational initiative aims to help producers tackle those conversations before it's too late.
Dana Springer, a tax professional with Wipfli, will join Lance Woodbury with Pinion for a presentation through the newly established Dugdale Ag Business Academy, focusing on practical strategies for farm succession and estate planning.
Springer says the goal is to provide farmers and ranchers with tools they can take home and use to begin meaningful conversations about the future of their operations.
"Lance Woodbury and I will be doing a presentation on succession and estate planning, focusing on the practical steps and strategies that families can walk away with to continue the conversations with their own families," Springer said.
Succession Planning and Estate Planning: Understanding the Difference
While the two are closely connected, Springer emphasizes that succession planning and estate planning serve different purposes, and both are critical to keeping family farms operating for generations.
"I'm going to talk about the differences between the two," she explained. "They go hand in hand, but succession and estate are two different things."
Succession planning focuses on how an agricultural operation transitions to the next generation, while estate planning addresses how assets and responsibilities are handled when an owner passes away.
"We want to make sure that our farmers can have good succession plans going forward and have estate plans for when, you know, the unexpected happens and the wills and those types of documents that need to be in order to make sure that the farm can continue on," Springer said.
Difficult Conversations Today Could Prevent Family Conflict Tomorrow
For many farm and ranch families, discussing ownership, inheritance and the future of the operation can be uncomfortable. As a result, those conversations are often postponed until circumstances force families to make difficult decisions.
Springer warns that delaying those discussions can ultimately cost families much more than the expense of developing a plan.
"It's not easy conversations, and it's not a cheap process," she said. "However, if the conversations aren't had and there's fighting afterwards, we all know that those expenses are way higher than if you come up with a plan to begin with."
Beyond the financial implications, Springer says poorly communicated plans can create disagreements that damage family relationships for years.
"Everybody's on board with the plan and knows what mom and dad want. It can save a lot of money and a lot of hurt feelings later on," she explained.
Ultimately, the objective is about more than transferring land, equipment and other assets. It's about protecting the relationships that make family farming possible.
"That's the goal, is to keep the family together, make sure that everyone is on board with the plan, and we all just save a lot of heartache in the future," Springer said.
Dugdale Ag Business Academy Plans to Continue Education Beyond Convention
One of the most exciting aspects of the new Dugdale Ag Business Academy initiative is that the educational opportunities may extend well beyond this year's convention.
Springer says Wipfli is working with the academy to develop an affordable program that would help farm families continue their succession and estate planning discussions with professional guidance.
"We are working with the Dugdale Ag Business Academy to come up with a plan to help families continue the conversation after convention in an affordable way," she said.
The proposed educational effort would bring together professionals from several disciplines, including attorneys, insurance agents, bankers and financial advisors.
Springer says the goal is to provide families with the information and resources necessary to move beyond simply talking about succession and begin taking meaningful action.
"So that we can make sure that we can actually make some improvements and some big steps for families in this area," she added.
Protecting Montana Agriculture's Future
With tight cash flows and ongoing financial challenges facing Montana's agricultural producers, Springer believes planning for the next generation is especially important.
"Cash flows are tight right now," Springer said. "And so, making sure that you can set the next generation up in a way that they can continue the operation is really important."
By making succession and estate planning a priority through the Dugdale Ag Business Academy, the Montana Grain Growers Association hopes to encourage more families to take proactive steps toward preserving their operations.
For Springer, the message to Montana's farmers and ranchers is simple: Don't wait until an unexpected event forces your family to make decisions that could have been discussed and planned for today.
The Dugdale Ag Business Academy presentation will be part of the upcoming Montana Grain Growers Association Convention in Great Falls, providing producers an opportunity to learn strategies for protecting both their agricultural operations and their family relationships for generations to come.
The 2026 convention runs Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at the Montana Expo Park. For more information and to get registered, click here.
Source: Western Ag Network
