This study focuses on determining how Virginia farmers are planning for farm retirement and succession and whether they will be financially prepared for their retirement years. The Virginia farming population is aging, life expectancy is increasing, and Social Security benefits are not a stable source of retirement income presenting challenges for Virginia farmers who are planning to either retire from the family farm or transition it to the next generation. In this study a 59-item survey was sent to 2000 randomly selected Farm Credit agricultural customers. Results from the survey were analyzed using chi-square tests and correlations to determine statistically significant relationships between the variables. The analysis indicates that Virginia farmers planning to retire from the farm face high levels of debt and plan to sell the farm operation. Virginia farmers planning to transition the farm are generating higher profits from the farm operation and their successor has been identified. The majority of Virginia farmers are financially prepared for retirement with Social Security support; however, without supplemental income from Social Security the majority of the Virginia farming population is not financially prepared for retirement. The results indicate necessary action from the private, academic, and public sectors. Financial professionals should offer retirement planning seminars, academia should continue to research the issues, and the government should consider developing a savings plans specifically for the agricultural community that offer tax advantages. / Master of Science

Master of Science / Department of Communications and Agricultural Education / Lauri M. Baker / The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of Kansas' agricultural producers in relation to financial and legal matters at a local level. The following research questions guided this study: 1) what services, identified by local producers, are needed in communities across Kansas to assist producers in times of financial and legal distress; 2) what are the perceptions among producers of the Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services (KAMS); 3) what brand attributes, names, and taglines would appeal to producers for an organization addressing their financial and legal distress; 4) how can organizations effectively market financial and legal services to producers? A qualitative study design was used in order to assess the research questions. Six focus groups were performed throughout the state in three different geographic locations. Participants were selected using purposive sampling in order to have one group of people familiar with the organization (KAMS) currently helping producers with their legal and financial issues and one unfamiliar group in each location. Grunig’s excellence in public relations model served as the conceptual framework for this study. Results of this study concluded that rural Kansas’ communities see a need for service organizations similar to KAMS. Participants value assistance with family farm transition planning as well as financial assistance. Participants saw marketing and promotion of the current services offered just as critical as having the services themselves. Participants felt these services should be marketed through two-way communication channels, such as social media, an organizational representative for face-to-face interaction, and collaboration with extension. Additionally, participants voiced strong opinions about various brand attributes.