UW-Madison Division of Extension has launched Shoebox to Strategy: Organizing Your Farm’s Legacy, a workshop series designed to help farm families organize critical documents and financial information. Organizing important farm records is a task that is easy to put off, but having these documents in order supports the continuity and stability of your business—especially in the event of an untimely death or accident.

The workshops guide participants through a series of questions, conversations, and templates, resulting in a Shoebox to Strategy binder and spreadsheet containing important information for continuing the farm’s legacy. This organization prepares farm families to meet with professionals who advise on legal and tax strategies By organizing information beforehand, farm families may be able to significantly reduce the time and costs associated with estate planning conversations.

Participants will learn from Extension Farm Management Specialists Kevin Bernhardt, Joy Kirkpatrick, and Kelly Wilfert. The series includes three virtual sessions beginning Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, and culminates in an in-person workshop on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Richland Center, WI. Registration for the series is limited to 20 farms. The early bird price is $175 per farm (allowing up to two people to attend the in-person session) through December 31, 2025, before increasing to $225. Registration deadline is January 16, 2026. 

Learn more and register at go.wisc.edu/shoebox, or email or call joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu, 608-263-3485. The series is supported by the USDA – NIFA award through the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center.