Preparing Students for a Successful Return to the Farm

For many students pursuing degrees in agriculture, college is not an exit from the farm — it’s a step toward returning home better prepared than ever.

Recently, the Kansas Farm and Ranch Radio Network spoke with Ashlee

Westerhold, Director of the Office of Farm and Ranch Transition at Kansas State University, about the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Conference held at the end of 2025 and the growing efforts to help young producers navigate that transition.

“These were one-day events designed to really showcase what we’re doing on the Kansas State University campus,” Westerhold explained.

One of the centerpiece offerings highlighted at the conference is a full-semester Beginning Farmer and Rancher course available to juniors and seniors at K-State who are interested in returning to their family farm or ranch.

“What we see is that many students understand the day-to-day work of an operation,” Westerhol said. “But what they may not have experience with yet are the financials, succession planning, and the business decisions that come with transitioning into ownership or management.”

The course is designed to fill those gaps by focusing on real-world challenges young producers will face as they step into leadership roles. Students learn how to evaluate farm financials, plan for long-term profitability, and understand what it truly takes to run a sustainable operation.

Those same themes carried into the Beginning Farmer and Rancher workshops, which took a deeper dive into financial planning and decision-making.

“We really focused on understanding the financial side of a farm operation,” Westerhol noted. “What are the considerations of having a good or profitable farm? Those are questions beginning farmers need to be asking early.”

Looking ahead, Westerhold says the long-term goal is to expand access to this education beyond the K-State campus and reach students across Kansas.

“The hope for the future is a hybrid model,” she explained. “We would teach the core concepts, but also work with community college instructors and local mentors so students can develop true business plans closer to home.”

By combining classroom instruction with local mentorship, the program aims to better prepare the next generation of farmers and ranchers for a smooth and successful transition back to the family operation.