The importance of recording the milestone in farm succession

“During my own experience of transitioning a farm from one generation to the next, we made a record of what happened, and how it happened. There were minutes taken of the various meetings.

Even now, years after the event, I look back at the minutes to see what opinions were expressed. I often wish we’d recorded more information, like had a photo journal, or produced something for everyone to take away with them. 

We can't forget that this is an important milestone, it’s a cultural milestone within a family. Many other cultural milestones - like weddings, funerals - they’re honoured. There’s a celebration that comes with it. And this is another one, but it’s not always recorded.

So I make this suggestion to people - mark the milestone, create something. What are the old photos? What are the old sayings, from the cultural leaders of your group? Sayings, pictures, relics, memories - they’re important to collect, document, record. Sometimes within the group there's a historian - someone who might take up this idea, who’s good at it - so they can take up the challenge. They can bring together the information, the data, the photos, and it can be printed, or digitally formatted. It can be sent to everyone - a little book, or a digital file - and everyone who participated gets a copy. 

If you record not only the outcome, but the process you went through, then that becomes a precedent. Because ultimately, if the farm transfers from one generation to the next, it’s going to happen again. So some of that process, those voices, will have relevance again. And participants can decide to repeat the process they went through, or can get new people in, but we’ll have some sort of record to look back on, and mark the occasion and honour the process.”

• Gregory Dale, MediatingWorks

Gregory Dale talks about the importance of recording the farm succession milestone