The Sheltons are protecting their ranch with a conservation easement — but now they have to bring their family together to put a succession plan into place.

Jim and Sara Shelton have been thinking about succession planning for nearly a decade. Alongside their four children, they’ve been to workshops, listened to podcasts, and talked to farming friends. In other words, they have studied for the test — and now they’re putting their knowledge into action.

The Sheltons’ conservation easement protects their land from real estate development and buys them time to work through family dynamics. But even though they know what to do and which tools to use, the work of succession planning is still a journey. Join us as we talk with these Oklahoma ranchers who are in the “messy middle”— and trying to find their way forward.

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.