Securing Your Farm's Future: Asset Management & Transition Planning for 2025

Concerned about implications of a high interest environment on your access to credit and land? Unsure about your succession plan? Hear from a trio of experts on how to navigate these complex subjects and get your pressing financial questions answered.

Speakers:

Chad Fiechter

Chad Fiechter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. After spending nearly a decade farming in Northeastern Indiana, Chad returned to graduate school; first to Cornell University for a MS degree and then Purdue for his PhD. Chad’s farming experience motivates and informs his research and outreach on the agricultural finance, farm/agribusiness management, and agricultural policy.  

Chad lives in West Lafayette with his wife, Christen, and their son, Wilder, and twin daughters, Elbee and Suri. As a family, whenever Indiana weather allows, they prefer to be outside. 

Zoe Kent

Zoe Kent is an 8th-generation grain farmer in Ohio who has transformed her passion for agriculture into a successful venture. After earning her agribusiness degree from The Ohio State University, she returned to the family farm to work alongside her father, Mickey. Following his retirement at the end of 2021, Zoe took the reins and now manages all operations at Kent Family Farms. Through her engaging social media presence @farmwithzoe, she shares informative, family-friendly farming videos. With a community of half a million followers, Zoe connects with fellow agricultural enthusiasts and promotes a positive message about farming to consumers.

Mykel Taylor

Mykel Taylor is a Professor and the Alfa Endowed Eminent Scholar in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Auburn University. She holds a B.S. in Agribusiness and an M.S. in Applied Economics from Montana State University and a PhD from North Carolina State University. Mykel was raised on a cow-calf operation in Montana and is actively raising three kids with her husband Justin. Mykel’s research fields include farm management, farmland markets, and land leasing. Currently, Mykel serves in a teaching and research role at Auburn where her 12 years of experience working with stakeholders in extension roles has translated into an applied economics teaching program in the college of agriculture.