Making Succession Work for Your Family Business

In this episode host Peter Green speaks to Nuffield scholar Peter Craven about family succession on farms and how to do it well. Listen to next week's bonus episode for more information on the 'family charter' which Peter refers to throughout this episode. 

Peter Green is also joined by Richard Darke, who farms with his sons Matt and Sam in south Devon. 

In this second series of Farming Focus we're asking the question 'does my farm have a future?'.

Farming Focus is the podcast for farmers in the South West of England, but is relevant for farmers outside of the region or indeed anyone in the wider industry or who has an interest in food and farming. 

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Timestamps

00:01 Cornish Mutual jingle

00:15 Peter Green introduces the episode. 

00:43 'Peter's Future Farm in 60 Seconds'

02:04 Peter introduces Peter Craven. 

03:03 Peter Craven comes in - to what extent are family businesses still the bedrock of farming?

03:33 How did Peter C become interested in succession?

05:17 Why don't we like talking about succession?

05:48 How to make time for talking about succession?

07:04 Introducing the family charter. 

07:50 Cornish Mutual jingle.

08:00 Peter Craven's Nuffield travels. 

10:10 What is the danger if a family gets succession wrong?

11:16 The importance of listening. 

11:44 Peter Green is joined by Richard Darke, who farms with his sons Matt and Sam near Kingsbridge in Devon. 

12:44 Why did the Darke family need to start sorting the succession topic?

14:18 Sorting out succession. 

15:50 What was the risk for the Darke's if they couldn't solve the succession issue?

17:02 Farmers should talk about succession at an early stage, says Richard. 

19:08 What questions should listeners ask themselves about planning for the future?

20:50 Make sure the family feel included.

22:05 Showstoppers.

23:22 Practical tip from Peter Craven. 

24:22 What skills or attributes will farmers of the future need to be successful?

25:25 Peter Green rounds up.