Episode 53: Farming, Retirement, and the Iron Trap
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Episode 53: Farming, Retirement, and the Iron Trap
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Farmers often say, “My land is my retirement plan.” But what happens when that plan never gets cashed in?
In this solo Patio Pondering episode, Jim Smith, Ph.D. dives into the hard realities of retirement planning in agriculture. From the trap of buying equipment at year’s end to minimize taxes, to the risks of relying on farmland as a “retirement plan” that never gets sold, Jim explores why so many farmers find themselves still running combines into their 80s.
He contrasts the lack of young farmers entering the industry with ag media celebrating 86-year-olds still harvesting, raising the question: is this passion — or poor retirement planning?
Key points in this episode:
- Why minimizing income can hurt your Social Security eligibility
- How off-farm income and retirement accounts (401k, IRA) provide real security
- The Platte River problem: wide retirement talk, but shallow planning
- Why farmland and machinery aren’t true retirement plans without a plan to liquidate
👉 Whether you’re a farmer, an ag lender, or anyone thinking about succession planning, this episode will challenge how you see farming as both a lifestyle and a business.