A new farmer finds her calling on land she doesn’t own.

Ann Gilman wanted to farm — to root into the Washington soil and build a viable small business. She had studied the art and science of sustainable agriculture. She was driven and devoted. But she couldn’t find affordable land on which to grow her vision. That is, until she met Bob and Donna Gilby.

As newly retired farmers, Bob and Donna were looking for someone to tend their land and give it the same sort of care that they had. The aging couple connected with Ann, who started to lease some of the acreage. Soon after, a beautiful partnership blossomed. Now, with a little help from a trusted advisor, Ann, Bob, and Donna are working toward a long-term vision for the farm that meets all their goals.

After high school, Marshall Bartlett left his family’s farm in the Mississippi Hill Country to attend college in New England. He loved working the land with his dad, and he loved Mississippi, but he needed to get away and explore. A few years later, he was itching to come home—but he wasn’t sure how. His family’s farm was a conventional row crop operation, and he wasn’t interested in managing it.

So he started sketching business ideas on napkins. Eventually, he came up with an idea for a regenerative livestock operation. He would rotationally graze his animals, process them in a small plant on the farm, and sell directly to consumers. Check out Marshall’s story and the strategies that brought his vision to life.

Across the country, professionals are helping aging farmers and ranchers make plans for their land. These “Land Transfer Navigators” are securing the future of agriculture one farm, family, and community at a time. In this episode, ride along with Dan Skeeters—a Navigator from Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust—as he supports two different ranching families through the ins and outs of succession planning.

But be warned. Among the tales of triumph are moments of heartbreak: sold-off cattle herds and uncertain futures, lost family land and shattered identities. Dan and other Navigators are right there through it all, offering advice, encouragement, and hope.