WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Virginia Group Aims To Help Farmers Pass On Farms To New Owners

By: Tommie McNeil, Virginia Public Radio // July 29, 2011
Play associated audio
comments

Smooth transitions in farming are especially complicated because of the capital that's needed, including land, buildings, equipment, and livestock.

Many farmers also want to pass the family business on to their heirs, but some do not have heirs or their children aren't interested in farming, according to Kevin Schmidt, coordinator of Virginia's Office of Farmland Preservation.

So the state is offering workshops through the next year to help farmers plan to pass along their businesses to those who are passionate about the industry, even if they are not kin.

"To get both parties to understand some of the different tools to transitioning a farm business and a farm from one generation to the next, best case scenario we can actually bring together some parties and have them meet maybe a potential person they can work with," Schmidt says.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension is also sponsoring workshops for farmers.

Arts & Culture

NPR

A Read Down Memory Lane: Lessons From Your Former Self

Writings from childhood — cards, stories and other notes — can hide for decades, like time capsules tucked away in boxes, old bedrooms, attics and journals. Writer Jim Sollisch talks about how old thank you notes from his youth foreshadowed his adult life.

Food

NPR

Inside A Tart Cherry Revival: 'Somebody Needs To Do This!'

The revival is partly based on the humble sour fruit's growing reputation as a superfood. And in Michigan, a scientist is on a quest to introduce a whole new world of hardier, tastier tart cherries by breeding American trees with ancestral varieties from Eastern Europe.

Politics

NPR

Srinivasan's Confirmation First For D.C. Circuit In 7 Years

The partisan war over judicial nominees has accelerated in recent years. It took nearly a year to win Senate confirmation for Sri Srinivasan to the important federal appeals court for the District of Columbia, though he had no formal opposition.

Technology

NPR

3-D Printer Makes Life-Saving Splint For Baby Boy's Airway

A 3-D printer is being credited with helping to save an Ohio baby's life, after doctors "printed" a tube to support a weak airway that caused him to stop breathing. The innovative procedure has allowed Kaiba Gionfriddo, of Youngstown, Ohio, to stay off a ventilator for more than a year.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.