If your family are all farmers, you might feel pressured into continuing the family tradition and taking over the family farm when you leave school or the older members of your family retire. However, if you have decided that you do not want to inherit the family farm, you might feel worried about your future and the path that is ahead of you. Therefore, here are some top tips for teens who do not want to inherit the family farm.
Speak to Your Family
Instead of avoiding the subject and going along with your relative’s wishes, you should instead speak to your parents directly and openly about the fact that you do not want to take on the farm in the future. Farming has an aging workforce because times are changing, and farms are not often as profitable as they were in the past. Not only this, but farms are a huge commitment, and you might be interested in other career paths that interest you more. You must choose the right moment to sit down with your family and discuss with them calmly and clearly why you do not want to take over the family farm. You should try not to put it up for debate, and it might help to show them a plan of what you would like to do instead. However, you should do this in plenty of time so that your family can think about succession before it is needed.
Find Something That You are Passionate About
If you do not love farming, the best step you can take is to find a career you are passionate about, making you feel as if you are not working when you are at work. This can then ensure that leaving farming is worth it and that you get to make the most of your career by following the dreams that you have always had for the job that you would one day do. Spend some time thinking about your passions and if it is possible to turn each one into a career. Some will work; others will always be better for hobbies.
Find a College Course
If you want to leave the farm and follow another career path, you should consider looking at the many college courses that are available and can help you to work toward this dream career, even if you currently only have experience in farming. Finding the college course of your dreams can set you on the path you want to go down and help you prove your commitment to another career. If you are looking for a creative career where you can let your natural artistic talents shine, you should consider checking the Juilliard GPA requirements to see whether you are eligible for the college course in question. Even if you are unsure whether you want to leave the farm or not and pursue another career, taking another college course will give you the option to do so and can act as a backup and an interesting experience if you decide to return to farming.
Think About Succession
You should also think carefully about succession if you do not want to inherit the family farm, and you should consider who could inherit the farm in your stead. If there is no one for the farm to be passed down to, you should consider how you feel about selling the farm when you get older. This will ensure that there is a plan in place for when your relatives can no longer run the farm, and this can help put everyone’s minds at rest and ensure everyone is happy with what is going on on the farm. You might then decide to get this succession plan in writing and encourage your family to get it overseen by a solicitor so that there are no issues when it comes time for the succession to take place.
Look After Yourself
Deciding that you want to turn your back on farming and get another career can be troubling and overwhelming for you, especially if you have always planned to take over the family farm. If you are not careful, it could leave you vulnerable physically and mentally, so prioritize yourself in the coming months and ensure that you remain physically and mentally healthy. This will ensure that you can continue to think that passing on the farm was a good idea and can ensure that you thrive within your new career path. If you are struggling with your decision and this is impacting your mental health, you should speak to a therapist who can allow you to talk through your feelings in an unbiased manner.
Find Support
You should also make sure that you have the support you need throughout this change in your life, whether in the form of a relative who is in your corner or friends outside of your family if they are unhappy with your decision. This will ensure that you always have someone to speak to when you feel low or are ever uncertain of your decision and will ensure that you get the support you need when you plan out the next stages of your life and your career. You might also be able to get support from your school in the form of a counselor or a careers advisor who may be able to guide you as to what your next steps should be.
Make a Plan
You should also make a plan as soon as possible that you can return to when you are feeling lost or when you do not know what you need to do next. This plan may include going to college or studying toward a qualification, getting practical experience, volunteering in a different sector and environment other than a farm, or even getting a job in the field that you want to work in. By developing a plan, you will be able to ensure that you stick to your goals and that you are always able to know the best next steps that you need to take toward success.