Dairy Financial Conference Will Addresses Farm Succession

By Blake Jackson

Dairy farm lenders, financial advisers, and consultants often find that helping farm families plan for the future involves much more than reviewing budgets and financial statements, and the 2026 Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference will focus on the communication and decision-making skills needed to navigate those challenges.

The conference, titled “Rewriting the Future,” is scheduled for September 9, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PA Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and will feature discussions designed to help agricultural professionals support dairy farm families through succession planning, business transitions, changing market conditions, and risk management.

Mike McGrann, Managing Director of the BBH Center for Family Business, will lead a session focused on handling difficult conversations within family-owned businesses and creating productive discussions around issues that can sometimes be avoided or left unresolved.

“When creating transition, financial, or business plans with dairy farm families, facilitating those discussions can feel like a balancing act. There are often emotions, points of tension, and unresolved conflicts that dairy farm families need to navigate,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence.

“During this session at the Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference, Mike McGrann will share how lenders and financial consultants can tackle tough conversations and dynamics surrounding the financial planning process. We hope you can join us for the event.”

McGrann brings more than 25 years of experience working with multigenerational family businesses, family offices, and families of wealth. His work focuses on succession, growth, family-business relationships, and preserving long-term legacies.

Other conference speakers will encourage agricultural lenders and consultants to explore creative partnerships, rethink traditional approaches to dairy business planning, and better understand the changing economics and risks facing dairy producers.

Dairy producers can receive discounted registration, while financial consultants, lenders, and other interested professionals are also invited to attend. For registration, visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/financial-conference.

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