Today’s special presentation of Leave A Legacy on AgDay TV features two of the country’s most progressive dairies—the first from California, the second from Wisconsin.
The Leave A Legacy series, part ofFarm Journal’s Legacy Project, focuses on family farm operations which need and want succession planning to so the operation can be pass on viable, thriving businesses for future generations.
Today’s first segment features Richard Clauss, one of the founders Hilmar Cheese, in Hilmar, Calif. Hilmar now operates the largest single-site cheese manufacturing facility in the world. Richard and his three daughters also milk more than 3,500 Jerseys just down the road from the cheese plant. But the Clauss family, recognizing California’s challenging business climate for dairies, is hedging its bets on Texas as the next best dairy site.
Josh Sylvester, a business specialist with Legacy By Design, discusses the steps in a successful succession plan. Often, these plans require numerous experts and years to develop, and are only successful when all involved family members openly communicate their needs and desires to make the plan work.
Later in the program, Leave a Legacy interviews Jim Ostrom, who with two partners, operate three dairies and milk in excess of 15,000 cows in Wisconsin. Ostrom discusses how he and his partners are growing their business, and the mistakes they’ve made along the way.
To watch the program on-line, click here and go to the May 20, 2010 program.
