Intergenerational connections to enrich family life, communities, and farmland
By Matthew Kaplan, Ph.D., Professor, Intergenerational Programs and Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
What transforms a space into a place of meaning and connection? Increasingly, the answer lies in the relationships that span across generations. In agriculture, where ties between people and land run deep, these connections enrich family life, strengthen community, and support long-term farmland stewardship.
This article draws from insights shared during a recent webinar on intergenerational strategies in agriculture from the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). It also draws on curricular materials from the Penn State Intergenerational Program [1] and related literature that explore how relationships across generations contribute to rural vitality and sustainability.
What does “intergenerational” really mean?
The term “intergenerational” is often used interchangeably with “multi-generational,” but the distinction matters. A multi-generational space brings people of different generations into proximity—a family reunion, for example—but that doesn’t guarantee meaningful interaction. An intergenerational approach, by contrast, is about creating opportunities for authentic engagement, dialogue, and reciprocal learning across generations.
In agricultural contexts, intergenerational strategies help link past experiences with present realities and future aspirations. They connect people of different ages while also bridging ideas, skills, values, and visions that evolve over time.
Where farm and family intersect
Farms are more than production units. They are homes, histories, and places of deep personal and family identity. Many farm families view the land as a gathering place and hold a strong sense of responsibility to those who came before and those who will follow. Decisions around stewardship, daily operations, and succession often reflect this dual concern for maintaining relationships as well as sustaining the land.
In a study conducted with colleagues (Kaplan et al., 2009), we explored how members of farm families communicate—and at times struggle to communicate—about the emotionally charged topic of farm succession. While technical and financial concerns shaped these conversations, what stood out was the emotional and relational weight of the issue. Some families declined participation in the study altogether, finding the topic too personal or unresolved. As one woman responded to our invitation: "Blood, sweat, tears, and prayers. That is how things are done."
Our findings ... revealed that while many families understood the importance of succession planning, few felt adequately prepared. Our findings, consistent with other research, revealed that while many families understood the importance of succession planning, few felt adequately prepared. Challenges were often described in terms of family dynamics and communication difficulties, just as often as they were framed around economic or operational factors.
This suggests that while the technical aspects of succession—such as legal structures or timelines for ownership transfer—can be addressed with expert assistance, the deeper challenge lies in starting and sustaining open conversations about the future of the farm and family. Meaningful dialogue requires participation from all relevant voices, clear communication, and a commitment to ongoing discussion. Long-term farmland health depends not only on conservation practices, but also on generational transitions of ownership, knowledge, and care. Intergenerational strategies can help cultivate next-generation commitment through mentoring programs, collaborative land-use planning, and shared leadership structures that emphasize equity and inclusivity.