SDSU Extension to discuss estate planning at Sustaining the Legacy conferences

BROOKINGS S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension will continue to assist farmers and ranchers with estate and farm transition planning through its final Sustaining the Legacy conference in 2026.

The final 2026 Conference will be held at the SDSU Extension Regional Center in Watertown, March 3, 10, and 17, 2026. Early registration is $70 per person up to two weeks before each conference, or $80 after that. Registration is required at extension.sdstate.edu/events and search “legacy”.

Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension interim Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director and Livestock Business Management Field Specialist, said finding the right professional help is key. Most farmers and ranchers know they need a professional to help with estate planning. Industry professionals can help the farm and family implement plans that accomplish their goals. However, not knowing where to find those professionals can hinder the development of the estate plan.

"When it comes to farming, there are many professionals involved. Farmers have their seed specialists, soil fertility specialists, and pest specialists as favorite contacts in their phone. They should also consider their estate and transition plan specialists and list them as favorites on their phone," Gessner said.

The value of the assets being transferred and protected is considerable; the personalities of the family members involved may be varied, there are Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service programs to navigate, and a wide variety of personal assets to transfer as well. The variation in farm and ranch size, logistics, goals and experience requires professionals who understand the complexities involved in estate plan creation.

"Knowing where to go for help is a huge component of creating a successful plan. If you assemble a strong crop production team, you typically achieve good yields,” Gessner said. “If you put together a good transition team, you end up with a family that understands the family goals, the right tools in place to accomplish the goals, and a family legacy you can be proud of."

The conference is designed for farming and ranching families at all planning stages. Participants will learn methods to pass on farm and ranch assets and businesses and provide a financial inheritance to non-farming and ranching children. Estate planning and ranch transition attorneys, along with other industry experts, will present the material.

Topics will include:

• Trusts
• Business structures, LLCs, LLLPs and corporations
• Life insurance
• Wills and probate
• Titling property
• Contracts
• Retirement planning for landowners
• How to access retirement benefits (Medicare, Social Security)
• Elder and end-of-life care planning 

"There are so many parts to consider in an estate or transition plan that it's easy to put off. And it's easy to put off doing things we don't fully understand. I hope to teach attendees about the parts and take away the mystery about the process,” Gessner said.

For more information, contact Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension interim Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director and Livestock Business Management Field Specialist.