The Aspirations Of Farm Parents And Pre-Adolescent Children For Generational Succession Of The Family Farm

Abstract

The continued vitality and sustainability of the agricultural sector and of the communities that support it require that qualified individuals devote themselves to farming and rural life. As such, the purpose of the study was to explore the aspirations of parents and pre-adolescents in regard to succession on the family farm. Fifty farm families throughout Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin served as the sample for this descriptive correlational study. More children than parents indicated that they had no plans to pursue farming as a career choice. There was a marginally significant relationship between parental and children's aspirations to succeed the family farm. Parental strategies for encouraging and discouraging farming are presented, and implications are discussed.