Do you want to be in charge of who gets your assets after you’re gone? Are you concerned about what your estate will cost your heirs? What are the best tools available to plan your estate?

These are just a few of the questions that will be answered at the Farm/Ranch Transition and Estate Planning Workshops scheduled for Dec. 2, 7 and 9. The sessions will run from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. in the Mountain time zone or 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. in the Central time zone at the following locations across the state:

• Killdeer Public School, 101 High St. N.W., Killdeer
• Beulah High School, 204 5th St., Beulah
• Bismarck Public School Career Academy, 1221 College Drive, Bismarck
• Casselton High School, 802 5th St. N., Casselton
• Grant County High School, 110 West St. N., Elgin
• Langdon Research Extension Center, 9280 107th Ave. N.E., Langdon
• North Central Research Extension Center, 5400 U.S. Highway 83 S., Minot
• Southeast Regional Career and Technology Center, 927 7th St. S., Oakes
• Mountrail County Extension Service, Memorial Building, 18 2nd Ave. S.W., Stanley
• TGU Towner School, 302 2nd St. S.E., Towner
• Barnes County City/County Health, Barnes County Courthouse, 230 4th St. N.W., Valley City

The workshops are sponsored by the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

The early bird registration fee is $55 for individuals plus $10 each for a spouse or additional associate (up to two additional people) if postmarked by Nov. 24. After that date, the cost will be $75 per person and $10 for each additional person. Registration fees include materials and refreshments.

“Because farmers and businesses have some very unique estate issues, these sessions are geared to their specific needs,” says Willie Huot, NDSU Grand Forks County Extension agent and one of the workshop coordinators. “The major increase in asset values, especially land, in the last several years has made this topic even more critical of late.”

The sessions will be a combination of presenters through the North Dakota Interactive Video Network as well as local experts at each location.

Session one will cover how to get started and the importance of communication among family members. The presenter will be John Baker with the Beginning Farmer Center at Iowa State University.

Session two will cover farm business arrangements. The session will explain the pros and cons of different types of business organizations for farmer and ranchers. The presenter will be Jim Kastanek, founder and owner of Total Agri-Business Services in Albany, Minn.

Session three will address farm estate and succession planning, plus the tax and economic consequences of asset transfer strategies. Leading the discussion will be Andy Zenk, agribusiness consultant at AgCountry Farm Credit Services in Grand Forks.

To register, contact the Extension Service office in the counties where the sessions will be hosted:

• Killdeer: (701) 764-5593
• Beulah: (701) 873-5195
• Bismarck/Mandan: (701) 667-3340 (Morton County office)
• Casselton: (701) 241-5712
• Elgin: (701) 622-3470
• Langdon: (701) 256-2560
• Minot: (701) 857-6444
• Oakes: (701)349-3249, ext. 2, or (701) 724-3355, ext. 5
• Stanley: (701) 628-2835
• Towner: (701) 537-5405
• Valley City: (701) 845-8528

Registration forms also are available at www.ag.ndsu.edu/anniesproject. Click on “Farm/Ranch Transition and Estate Planning” on the left side of the page. Those interested in attending the workshop should register as soon as possible because seating is limited at most sites.

NDSU Agriculture Communication