The Planning for the Future of Your Family’s Land Seminar

Everyone likes to think children will not argue about money after they are gone, but they most likely will. Leaving well-managed farmland or forestland to children in the hope that they will carry on the parent’s management ideals is often a prescription for failure. More likely than not the best laid plans of Mom and Dad were discarded the first time the children argued about “their share”.

Parents want to keep the land intact and to pass the value of good land management on to children who will eventually benefit from dad’s or granddad’s or great-granddad’s good decisions. So what can parents do?

One of the main threats to preserving private forests is simply lack of communication within families about estate planning. Without discussion, family farms and forests are left at risk for conversion to house lots or other uses when the land changes hands.

Many landowners are faced with the challenge of finding ways to provide for their retirement and for their heirs, while insuring that their land is kept in the family for future generations. Farmers, foresters and ranchers tend to have a lot of value sitting in real estate with limited revenue to support all of one’s family members. Furthermore, there is often pressure to sell off land to development. Often family members are not certain if or how they may participate in the future management of their land.

The Planning for the Future of Your Family’s Land Seminar is designed to help landowners begin discussions with their family regarding long term hopes and goals for their property and to understand options for keeping land in agriculture and/or forest production, as well as in the family.

The Planning for the Future of Your Family’s Land Seminar will be June 10, 2010; 9:00 am – 2:30 pm ET at the Columbia County Extension Office, 164 SW Mary Ethel Lane, Lake City, FL 32025. Cost is $15 per person (covers a meal and workbook material). Please register for the seminar online at http://pfyf12.eventbrite.com/. Local contact is Derek Barber, UF-IFAS Columbia County Extension, (386) 752-5384, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The Conservation Trust for Florida, Inc. (CTF) is a co-sponsor /host of the seminar with the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

For More details, download the Seminar Flyer ( pdf ).

THANK YOU for your support of the Evinston Plein Air Paint Out!

The Evinston Paint Out is sponsored by the Conservation Trust for Florida, Inc. (CTF). In 2006, CTF joined forces with the Wood family (owners of the Wood & Swink since 1906) to host the first Evinston Paint Out.

The event brings the Evinston community together to create awareness about protecting Florida’s oldest working post office – the Wood & Swink Old Store and Post Office. The event will also highlight the importance of protecting farms and ranches for future generations. CTF worked with the Wood family to permanently protect their 172-acre farm in Evinston, which has one of the most scenic vistas in Alachua County, with the rolling hills, live oaks laden with Spanish moss, and view of Orange Lake.

The Wood & Swink Old Store and Post Office provides an authentic look back in time to the way of life in Alachua County 100 years ago. The store’s interior character has remained intact and the original brass combination post office boxes are still in use today! The event is also a great way for people and children to observe some of the best landscape painters in Florida paint an “Old Florida” landscape.

Bring home a memory by buying a beautiful painting of this historic building.

CTF and the Wood family have a goal of raising $205,000 for the Wood & Swink Restoration and Preservation project. A portion of the proceeds from the art sales will go to the preservation and restoration project. You can also donate to the project with PayPal or by mailing a check to CTF. Please put “Wood & Swink Fund” in the memo line on your check.

Our generous 2010 Paint Out Sponsors

Read the Introduction of Honorable Buddy MacKay
by Peggy Carr, CTF Advisory Board Member

Make a $25 donation to CTF and you will receive a lovely, signed poster of Kate Barnes’ acrylic painting on canvas, titled "Horse Prairie"! Kate painted this on location at Whitehurst’s Horse Prairie Ranch during CTF’s Fall Round UP! It is a beautiful scene of majestic oaks laden with Spanish moss overlooking the prairie and its measurements are 18” x 24”. CTF thanks $25 supporters with this poster for your continued support! Order yours today!