Mission Statement
To provide farm families with a network of contacts and support services to help them develop skills for dealing with life challenges and transitions - through personalized education, confidential consulting, and referral. |
Fund Established to Honor “Dr. George” Conneman
Dr. George Conneman has been a member of the faculty in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell since 1956. He taught both graduate and undergraduate courses in farm business management and real estate appraisal to over 3,000 students during his career at Cornell. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities, Dr. Conneman also conducted numerous extension programs. A key part of Conneman’s extension programming involved consulting with farm families during the transfer process.
Many in the agricultural community will remember Dr. Conneman’s involvement with the “Dr. George Show”, which interjected humor to illustrate farm transfer concerns from both junior and senior generations. Real concerns were formulated into questions from anonymous parties such as “Wondering in Walton” or “Confused in Camden”. The Dr. George Show brought students interested in going back to the farm and their parents together to start the farm transfer process.
On January 1, 1997, Conneman became Faculty Director of the NY FarmNet program. In this capacity, he was instrumental in initiating what would become NY FarmLink. Early in his tenure as Faculty Director, Conneman remarked on future plans for NY FarmNet by saying, “A key direction would be the FarmLink program that deals with individuals and families making farm transfer decisions. FarmLink encourages others to take the business over from within the family, or by an outsider.”
At the NY FarmNet Annual Banquet, a fund was unveiled to honor the work of Dr. Conneman in helping farm families during the transfer process. The Dr. George Conneman Farm Transfer Fund will provide financial resources for NY FarmNet consultants who wish to enhance their farm transfer skills. An example of how this fund will be used is to offer educational opportunities for training on farm business transfer topics such as estate planning, business organization options, effective intergenerational communication, etc.
Andy Dugan, representing I.L. Richer Feeds made an initial contribution to the Conneman Farm Transfer Fund by presenting a check at the NY FarmNet Annual Banquet in Ithaca. As a former student of Dr. Conneman who is now a leader in the agricultural industry, Dugan recognized the significance of farm transfer efforts necessary to maintain a viable agricultural industry in New York State.
If you are interested in making a contribution to the Dr. George Conneman Farm Transfer Fund, please contact the NY FarmNet office at 800-547-FARM.
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