The American Soybean Association (ASA) welcomes the support of the South Dakota Soybean Association to host the ASA Succession Planning Workshop on Wednesday, July 30 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

“Succession planning is such an important topic for the future of agriculture and we are excited to have South Dakota as a co-sponsor for the July 30 session,” said Bob Worth, ASA Membership and Corporate Relations Committee Chairman.

“The SD Soybean Association is pleased to partner with ASA and host one of the five regional workshops in Sioux Falls. Good succession planning is vital to insure the sustainability of future farming generations,” said Jeremy Freking, Executive Director, South Dakota Soybean Association.

ASA, in partnership with eLegacyConnect, is conducting a series of six regional succession planning education workshops in 2014. The Succession Planning Workshops are titled “Five Keys to Effective Succession Planning,” and are sponsored by Farm Credit and AGCO, along with Illinois Soybean Association, Kentucky Soybean Association, Michigan Soybean Association and the Ohio Soybean Association.

Through the five keys, you’ll learn about the planning process, good communication strategies and how to overcome obstacles. Utilizing tips from this session will help ensure the farm remains in the family, provides financial security and offers career opportunities for generations to come.

The workshop dates cities and locations are:

• June 24-University of Memphis/ University Center Ballroom in Memphis, Tenn.
• June 26-Julian Carroll Convention Center in Paducah, Ky.
• July 30-Sioux Falls Convention Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
• Aug. 19-Renaissance Columbus Downtown in Columbus, Ohio
• Aug. 21-The Landmark Centre in Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Dec. 4- Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Moline, Ill.

The workshops are open to all soybean producers and will have a registration fee for ASA members of $50 for the first person in a family and $30 for each additional family member. For non ASA members, the registration fee for the first person is $90 and $70 fee for each additional person.

Each Succession Planning Workshop will be a one-day session starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. All participants will be required to register through an online process that opened May 1, 2014. The exact workshop locations are to be determined and will be announced at a later time.

The workshops will be taught by Kevin Spafford, founder of Legacy by Design. Legacy by Design is a firm dedicated to succession planning for farm families and agribusiness owners. Over the last 10 years, he’s spearheaded initiatives to improve the way farmers, ranchers and agribusiness owners engage in the succession planning process.

Kevin involves audiences in experiences that encourage action and generate results. His efforts focus on personal contact through print/social media and live experiences. Kevin has provided a depth and breadth of education, motivation and direction for succession planning to both consumers and professional advisors.  His speaking style is highly interactive, which is both entertaining and educational.

For more information about these workshops go to the ASA website. For more information about eLegacyConnect click here.