SDSU Extension hosts Sustaining the Legacy Conferences

BROOKINGS S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension will continue to assist farmers and ranchers with long-term planning through its Sustaining the Legacy conferences across South Dakota this winter.

The conferences help farmers and ranchers evaluate their current estate plans and determine if they need to make any changes to them. They will be held in five locations across the state in 2025-2026, beginning at the SDSU Extension Rapid City Regional Center on Nov. 6, 13 and 20, 2025.

"There are a lot of moving parts to a family's plan. The plan affects not only those on the farm or ranch, but also the rest of the family members," said Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension interim Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director and Livestock Business Management Field Specialist.

Additional conferences will be held in Winner on Dec. 4, 11 and 18, 2025; Mitchell on Jan. 8, 15 and 22, 2026; Aberdeen on Feb. 3, 10 and 17, 2026; and Watertown on March 3, 10 and 17, 2026. Registration is required; to register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “legacy”.

Early registration is $70 per person up to two weeks before each conference, or $80 after that. Registration is limited, so register early to ensure your chair.

“We are limiting participation at each location to create an interactive learning environment to maximize impact for conference attendees,” said Gessner.

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.

"My goal is to provide education on what can be used to create the plan. This includes thinking about the continuation of the farm or ranch, determining how mom and dad are going to be financially secure when the kids take over, and also includes knowing where you can go to get the legal and professional assistance required to accomplish the goals of the family and the business,” Gessner said.

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

"After the participants invest the time at the Sustaining the Legacy conferences, I hope they have increased their knowledge about the process and tools involved and also have the confidence to have tough conversations with their family and get started with the plan,” said Gessner.

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