You’ve probably seen news about driverless or autonomous tractor technology that’s a giant leap beyond autoguidance. Too many farmers, though, still leave their farm’s future to run in that autonomous mode.

Trouble is, nobody lives forever, let alone farms forever. So why do so many nobodies let their farms and families steer into the proverbial ditch when hit by financial calamity, major illness or death?

That’s the question I’ve asked myself ever since helping to start Pennsylvania Farm Link 20 years ago. To work out best for all concerned, farm transitions must start at least by the time the chief owner(s)/operator(s) reaches 50 years of age — not 60, certainly not 70.

NO WAY TO RUN A FARM: Autonomous (driverless) tractor tech may work for tractors, but not farm businesses. Both still need a controller following a plan. (Photo: Case-IH)

By the time you reach age 70, the farm is already headed for that ditch — or lucky if it’s not already there. There’ll be no orderly transition.

Nobody wishes such a calamity on any family member. Yet it happens all too often. This fall, a number of people and groups feverishly worked together to help a Northeast farm family in a sad, desperate situation. Sorry, no details; it’s confidential.

4 tips for turning over those controls
Here are four more keys to farming success gleaned from Master Farmer farm families over the years and working with Pennsylvania Farm Link:

1. Challenge your next-gens. Teach them to think, and help them foster their own visions of what they might accomplish on their own.

2. Let failures happen. Most of us learn more from our failures than our successes. But make sure next-gens have the opportunity to learn the small ones first.

3. Let them go and grow. It’s amazing how a few years away from the farm will make next-gens grow and hunger to come back as potential partners — with fresh, better ideas. It also helps oldsters to see youngsters as adults.

4. Make it enjoyable. If you’ve done your job of inspiring your next-gen, transitioning to them will naturally be fun. In fact, you should even enjoy that training and inspiring part. Ultimate success is when everybody wins, and nobody loses.